‘He challenged the way we see things’: JW Anderson’s collaboration with Michael Clark has arrived
The JW Anderson x Michael Clark collection sees designer Jonathan Anderson pay homage to the radical British dancer and choreographer who rose to prominence in the 1980s

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The provocative, pioneering British dancer and choreographer Michael Clark – who rose to prominence in London in the early 1980s – has long provided a cultural touchpoint for fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, who first discovered Clark’s work while at university in the early 2000s.
‘I became completely obsessed,’ says Anderson, who this past February at London’s Roundhouse (during London Fashion Week A/W 2023) presented an A/W 2023 collection that featured a number of pieces created in collaboration with Clark – from T-shirts and vests emblazoned with the Michael Clark Company logo to slogans and iconography taken from his performance posters and flyers (including, memorably, a phallus-emblazoned top that referenced an advertisement for a performance at The Roundhouse, a location Clark returned to throughout his career).
JW Anderson x Michael Clark has arrived
JW Anderson A/W 2023, where the collaborative collection was first revealed
’Michael Clark is an incipit. A starter, a white page, the agitator who defied the system,’ said Anderson at the time, noting that the collection itself looked back at a number of pieces from throughout his own eponymous label’s 15-year history. ‘He is embedded deep, somewhere, in the foundation of JW Anderson and impels now the urgency of a blank slate.
‘At its core, this is a collection about fandom – completely personal, frequently irrational, often embarrassing,’ he continued. ‘As I look back through my own archive for this show, resurrecting elements from each collection of the last 15 years, Michael helped me rifle through this. It helped me pinpoint my own obsessions.’
A shirt printed with a poster from a Michael Clark Company performance at The Roundhouse
As of this week, the capsule collection – titled JW Anderson x Michael Clark – arrives in stores and on the JW Anderson website. There is a paper bag-style clutch imprinted with the Michael Clark Company logo – alongside the T-shirts, vests and tote bags from the show which featured the same motif – as well as imagery from the collection’s show set printed across further T-shirts and shirts. Other slogans, like ‘Witch?’, ‘Sham Man’ and ‘The Dentist’ are transposed onto sweaters and caps.
‘The first time I came across Michael Clark was when I was at university,’ Anderson said this week ahead of the collection’s launch. ’It was not until I got the Michael Clark book, though, that I completely fell in love with him, and what he had contributed to the British landscape in terms of art, dance and the way that we look at things, or the way we challenge the body, or challenge the way that we see things, or perceive the idea of what we think is wrong and right.’
JW Anderson x Michael Clark is available now in stores and online.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*. Having previously held roles at 10, 10 Men and AnOther magazines, he joined the team in 2022. His work has a particular focus on the moments where fashion and style intersect with other creative disciplines – among them art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and profiling the industry’s leading figures and brands.
-
The UK’s first vertical distillery launches in Edinburgh for Port of Leith whisky
A rare example of an urban, vertical distillery has been revealed in Edinburgh for Port of Leith whisky
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Zucchetti’s design collaborations offer innovation on tap
Italian bathroom specialist Zucchetti forges contemporary design excellence through its creative collaborations
By Simon Mills Published
-
Artist Pierre Charpin’s works adorn sweaters by Koivu, the design world-approved knitwear label
Pierre Charpin’s works appear as embroideries across the latest collection from Koivu, a Finnish-Italian knitwear label founded by design consultant and curator Anniina Koivu
By Jack Moss Published
-
JW Anderson’s new exhibition ‘On Foot’ pays homage to London through art and fashion
JW Anderson’s ‘On Foot’ at London’s Offer Waterman gallery, opening 18 September 2023, sees Jonathan Anderson curate works from an array of artists – including Anthea Hamilton’s version of his viral pigeon clutch – alongside his own designs
By Jack Moss Published
-
How to shop more sustainably this summer
What is sustainable fashion, and how can you shop with an environmentally friendly focus? Here, we present our checklist on how to look and feel good on the inside and out
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
The Hepworth Wakefield marks tenth anniversary with JW Anderson collection
In celebration of its tenth anniversary, The Hepworth Wakefield is launching a series of creative collaborations with artists and designers. First up is fashion designer and creative director Jonathan Anderson
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
JW Anderson x Persol: sunglasses to style up the summer heatwave
‘I have always been a fan of Persol,’ says Jonathan Anderson. ‘They are a design classic; I wear them all the time’
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Uniqlo celebrates 20 years in the UK
As Uniqlo celebrates a landmarck two decades in the UK, we look back to our interivew Yuki Katsuta, Uniqlo's head of research and design, as he discusses the Japanese retailer's design vision for the future
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Unwind with Jonathan Anderson’s self-isolation reading list
Take a leaf out of Jonathan Anderson’s book, and swat up on his five recommended volumes to read during self-isolation
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Jonathan Anderson on setting up shop in Soho
JW Anderson has opened its first UK flagship in the west end, cleverly blending glossy new finishes with references to the building’s not-so-polished past
By Ali Morris Published
-
Hot tickets: the designers getting our temperatures rising at Pitti Uomo 2018
By Laura Hawkins Last updated