Grey hair took centre stage at JW Anderson’s latest London Fashion Week show.
The Co Derry-born designer sent models down the runway with super curly grey wigs, giving what some fashion fans on Instagram were calling ‘granny chic’.
The wigs might have been quirky, but the autumn/winter 2024 collection itself seemed to be a continuation of quiet luxury – showing that the runway trend isn’t slowing down any time soon.
Knitwear was central to this collection, with skimpy matching sets giving a new take on the underwear-as-outerwear trend, juxtaposing with sculptural woollen two-pieces. The colour palette was predominantly neutral, with the odd electric blue or pale lime bringing a welcome pop to the runway.
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There were plenty of extremely chic bags and accessories on the runway, the bread and butter of the JW Anderson brand, and footwear focused on comfort – with most models wearing slipper-style flat boots.
Anderson’s clothes and accessories often go viral – just think of the pigeon bag Sarah Jessica Parker sported in the latest season of And Just Like That, or the Wellington boots made to look like frogs. This collection, however, marked a movement towards more understated dressing.
The designer told WWD in an interview: “There are no bells and whistles. I don’t want there to be an hysteria, although this is not about quiet luxury. It’s more about how we feel about clothing.”
Cult beauty brand Merit was responsible for the make-up look – which is unsurprising, as Merit is known for its minimalist approach to beauty.
“The look for JW Anderson this season was focused around the idea of a strong, tough beauty,” said lead make-up artist Lynsey Alexander. Many of the models sported a statement red lip – a bold matte colour in shade Vermillion – which Alexander said turned them into “powerful characters”.
She added: “We juxtaposed subtle and loud looks. When a red stamped-on mouth was not applied, the girls were instead groomed in the classic boyish JW Anderson manner, paying attention to a handsome boy brow and luminous athletic skin.”
Then, of course, there were the wigs – Anderson gave a peek behind his thought process on Instagram, writing: “The subtle and the loud. A grey wig as a device. And flats. Housewife flats.”
The collection was shown at London’s Seymour Hall, a striking sports hall in a Victorian building, with plenty of stars on the front row – including Jameela Jamil, fresh off her appearance on the latest British Vogue cover, artist Tracey Emin and actors Ruth Wilson and Keeley Hawes.
It was a big day for Anderson. Later, Canadian actress Taylor Russell wore a Loewe creation to the Baftas – the luxury brand where Anderson is creative director.
An ambassador for Loewe, Russell’s all white outfit stood out from the crowd with a turtleneck, extreme cut-outs around the midriff and feathered accents along the drop waist and hemline.
Anderson will be showing Loewe’s next collection at Paris Fashion Week on March 1st.
