JW Anderson A/W 2014

The Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is riding into 2014 on one hell of a wave. Shortly after he launched his Versus collaboration with Donatella Versace in New York, Paris came calling, with LVMH securing a minority stake in his east London-based label, and naming him creative director of the Spanish leathergoods house Loewe almost simultaneously. This institutional optimism showed in his A/W 2014 Men's proposition - a more diverse and pragmatic offering than recent shows and one that may be remembered for more than sheer shock factor. Grounding every look on a 7/8 length trouser, Anderson employed knitwear as a primary medium on top, opening with a series of flag-like tabard vests and later exploring secretarial, mid-century necklines on slinky cashmere sweaters (his strait-jacket tube knits returned to bound the arms on flowery intarsia rollnecks too). Riffing on many of his now-signature statements, he ruched mastic leather into ruffled shirting or the flat planes of a boxy, shawl collar blouson, and cut poppy-pattern jacquards into rounded, sporty twin-sets. This season, his androgyny found a new urban relevance.