By
Gaela Braun
Photography by
Stephen Pan

VERSUS VERSACE

PHOTOGRAPHED BACKSTAGE AT THE LAUNCH OF JW ANDERSON’S VERSUS VERSACE CAPSULE COLLECTION, MAY 15, 2013, THE LEXINGTON AVENUE ARMORY, NEW YORK

As one of London’s most-promising young designer talents, Jonathan Anderson was bound to catch the eye of Donatella Versace when she set out to reinvigorate the Versus Versace brand last year.

“At first, I would say JW Anderson wasn’t my æsthetic, but he provoked such a strong reaction in me that I couldn’t stop thinking about him,” says Versace. After Christopher Kane stepped down from his role at the sister line, she tapped the up-and-coming designer as the re-envisioned label’s premier collaborator. While Anderson may seem like an unlikely choice for the famed fashion house, it’s his shock value that turned out to be fitting for Versus. “I realized that his genius is in provoking a reaction in me,” explains Versace.

JW Anderson, who launched his namesake label in 2008, hails from Northern Ireland. His unexpected path into fashion began when he worked at Brown Thomas, the Dublin department store, selling and displaying menswear. He then landed a job dressing windows at Prada in London under one of Miuccia Prada’s close collaborators, Manuela Pavesi. Despite graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2005, Anderson has said that his training under Pavesi turned out to be a more rewarding experience. Upon completing his studies, he started his own label one piece at a time, first with accessories and then knitwear. Today, Anderson and his small team design six collections a year, as well as various collaborations with other high-profile brands like Topshop and Nikon.

His three-part Versus Versace capsule collection, designed in collaboration with Versace, features pieces that can be worn interchangeably by men and women, a theme that has been present in many of his own collections. At the line’s post-overhaul début at New York City’s Lexington Avenue Armory in May, his androgynous æsthetic was on full display. A black, asymmetrical draped blazer emblazoned with a signature gold, Versace Medusa button was worn both as a jacket and as a dress, neon one-shoulder body-con tops with black lace accents were paired with white patent pants for men, and cropped tops and a double-breasted trench coat in a striking zebra print were featured on both sexes. By exploring the concept of a unisex wardrobe, Anderson bridges the gap between genders through his designs, which are as jarring as they are original. “He has brought his vision to Versus Versace in a way that is totally confrontational and uncompromising,” says Versace, “I love how these pieces challenge you to think about clothing.”

Show styling by Benjamin Bruno. Show makeup by Pat McGrath. Show hair by Paul Hanlon.

Gaela Braun is a New-York based writer and reporter. She has contributed to The Last Magazine since 2011.

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By
Gaela Braun
Photography by
Stephen Pan

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