The VISIONNAIRE

Jonathan Anderson talks to Jeffrey Yan about the radical ways he is recontextualising Loewe in this new normal and how fashion can rise up to meet the moment

- Jeffrey Yan

It is said that in times of crisis, creativity thrives. Now, during an unprecedented pandemic, no other designer has demonstrated that creativity as clearly and as compellingly as Jonathan Anderson. In July, while other designers fretted about how to replicate the urgency and energy of an IRL fashion show with a URL presentation, Anderson chose to go in the opposite direction—old-fashioned instead of newfangled. His solution ultimately felt the most thoughtful, exciting and rife with potential.

To show his spring/summer 2021 Loewe menswear collection, Anderson put together a box containing a flip book of the looks as well as cutouts that could be assembled into 3D forms, along with fabric swatches, a pop-up book of what would have been the show set, a mini record player to play what would have been its soundtrack, and a paper pattern that could be constructed into a true-to-scale replica of Look 23.

It was a brilliant concept that could only have been conceived in this difficult time—instead of being restricted by the limitations of the moment, Anderson found a way to do something truly new. “I just feel like we’re now in a moment where fashion needs to change. It needs to be about exploration and I feel no matter what happens, we, as humans, need tactility; we want tactility. I think it’s important for me to get the viewer involved,” says Anderson of his decision.