Jonathan Anderson has long shown an interest in bringing a new lens to silhouettes, often exploring notions of mundanity and archetypal clothing. For his eponymous brand's S/S 2022 collection which was unveiled last month, the label looked at items synonymous with the everyday contemporary wardrobe, from fleeces to striped tops, and transformed them into something new, using 18th century-inspired strawberry prints and voluminous silhouettes.
The same approach can be seen in JW Anderson’s latest collaboration with Italian eyewear specialist Persol, featuring classic sunglasses silhouettes that have been imbued with a new sense of colour and ebullience. For the prismatic partnership, Anderson has looked to two styles – the ‘649’ aviator style, which dates back to 1957 and was sported by tram drivers before being popularised by Marcello Mastroianni in the 1961 film Divorce Italian Style, and the innovative ‘0009’ silhouette, which features four lenses – and reinterpreted them with two-tone combinations of bold blue, red and orange.
JW Anderson x Persol: classic design meets kaleidoscopic colour
Top, ‘649’ sunglasses by JW Anderson x Persol. Above, ‘0009’ sunglasses, by JW Anderson x Persol
‘They are a design classic; I wear them all the time,’ Anderson says of his long-held affinity for Persol. ‘The craftsmanship and quality is amazing. They remind me of midcentury furniture design, and their classic form inspired the colour combinations.’
In celebration of the collaboration, Anderson has enlisted Brooklyn-based photographer Tyler Mitchell, who also shot and starred in the brand’s A/W 2020 campaign, to photograph a series of emotive portraits, featuring men and women sporting sculptural hair creations that echo the architectural contours of the sunglasses’ silhouettes. These striking structures were created by Jamaican-American hairstylist Jawara. ‘I wanted images that became kind of poetic miniatures, almost like windows,’ Anderson says of the visual series.
Fancy starring in your own miniature portrait? We suggest you pick up a pair of JW Anderson x Persol’s prismastic sunglasses pronto.
INFORMATION
jwanderson.com
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
Gingerbread City: architects sculpt London out of the season's favourite treatUntil December 29 in Chelsea, see London brought to life in a seasonal-appropriate medium by leading architects and designers
-
New Revox B77 MK III reel-to-reel tape recorder, and more cassette tape-based trickeryThe new Revox B77 MK III might be the ultimate analogue flex. In response, we’ve explored the outer reaches of cassette tape design
-
Giant cats, Madonna wigs, pints of Guinness: seven objects that tell the story of fashion in 2024These objects tell an unconventional story of style in 2024, a year when the ephemera that populated designers’ universes was as intriguing as the collections themselves
-
Loafer bags to sock shoes, 2024 was all about the mashed-up accessoryWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss reflects on the rise of the surreal hybrid accessory in 2024, a trend which reflects the disorientating nature of contemporary living – where nothing is quite what it seems
-
JW Anderson and Pleasing design a balloon-inspired collection of nail polishes and moreJW Anderson and Pleasing launch an uplifting new capsule collection featuring balloon-inspired metallic nail polishes and a take on the viral rainbow cardigan
-
Why the slipper is set to be this season’s definitive men’s shoeWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks the rise of the men’s slipper, which looks set to become this season’s most ubiquitous shoe. Plus, five styles to channel the slipper’s louche elegance in your own wardrobe
-
‘Her work is a compulsion’: Jonathan Anderson on uniting with artist Christiane Kubrick on a collection inspired by Eyes Wide ShutA rewatching of Stanley Kubrick’s final movie laid the foundation for JW Anderson’s latest collection, which featured a fantastical collaboration with artist Christiane Kubrick, the director’s wife. Here, Wallpaper* travels to the Kubrick manor in Hertfordshire to capture the collection
-
The Wallpaper* S/S 2025 trend report: ‘A rejection of the derivative and the expected’Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks five trends and takeaways from the S/S 2025 shows, which paid ode to individual style and transformed the everyday
-
For A/W 2024, the working uniform gets a futuristic spinSculpted silhouettes, unexpected textures and plays on classic outerwear meet in the A/W 2024 collections, providing a twisted new take on city dressing
-
A guide to the best fashion stores London has to offerWallpaper* picks the must-visit London fashion stores – from big-name boutiques and classic department stores to the best in vintage, alongside the sleek and experimental
