J.W. Anderson’s fairy-tale collection is far from the images of Disney princesses and ethereal wedding gowns that we’ve come to expect on the runway. His Men’s Spring 2017 show, held yesterday in London, was a sartorial narrative of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s famous tale of The Little Prince, which was represented though a collection of fantasy, youth and naiveté. He touched on modern tales and pop-culture references to retell the story in a fashion-forward way that would speak to both high-fashion adults and the young at heart. While a bit heavy-handed with the theme—some of his models came down the runway wearing crowns by artist Richard X. Zawitz—it was an unexpected and original way to look at popular fables.
The show opened with the Philadelphia Orchestra's 1978 recording of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and models came out onto the runway looking as though they fell to earth from a stylish asteroid. The pieces were playful and bright: multicolored prints and tartan were patch-worked together, spray paint colors were haphazardly splashed across tunics, and mismatched ombré colors bled into one another across outerwear and shirts. He even incorporated some of the whimsy of Dr. Seuss with color blocked, two-tone turtlenecks and jackets with sleeves that fell to the floor.
It should be noted that this collection echoed Anderson’s androgynous take on menswear with ankle-long shirts and knitwear that could have doubled as dresses and skirts, and a series of pieces with puffed sleeves, nipped waists and three-quarter sleeves. Culottes, jumpsuits and satin tunics all came down the runway and there was a series of handbags that were all bright and colorful—unlike most men’s bags—slug over the shoulders of the models. Most silhouettes were cut straight or slim, but shoulders were cut broad to maintain their masculinity, and given volume with accents of military epaulettes.
