We are all looking forward to 2019. This year had plenty of its fashion moments, but the first quarter of the year will bring the fresh Fall/Winter 2019 menswear collections in the world’s fashion capitals. Some of our anticipated shows have already been scheduled, but we’re also seeing some changes from the convention. One of them is JW Anderson, which will be presenting in Paris rather than London, as announced by its creative director, founder and namesake Jonathan Anderson.
The young brand, which was founded by Anderson 10 years ago, has always been among the biggest attractions in the London Fashion Week. The decision to go continental this time around can be owed to a new strategy the designer is taking on, which is to go for genderless. Along with the change of venue, Anderson expressed the desire to opt for a co-ed presentation instead of adhering strictly to womenswear for the women’s fashion week.
The news coincides with another exciting development for JW Anderson, which recently launched the results of its team up with artists Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore of Gilbert & George. It brought back what is perhaps the duo’s best known and most controversial series, The Pictures, and reintroduced it through tees, jackets and bags. There are 25 pieces for the spring collection in total. Everything is already up for purchase over at Matches Fashion, its exclusive retail partner.
Another change is brewing over at LVMH brand Loewe, where Anderson is also the creative director. In the past, the designer has preferred to introduce its season’s collections through lookbooks instead of runway shows. Next year though, the brand will also be slated for the menswear schedule in Paris, three days after JW Anderson’s. The inaugural show for Loewe will take place on January 19, as per the schedule confirmed by the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine.
That’s already a couple of events to look forward to, courtesy of the Northern Irish designer, but he’s not alone in marking a first for the men’s schedule. Clare Waight Keller, Kris Van Assche, Luke and Lucie Meier, and Hedi Slimane will also be debuting the menswear collections of Givenchy, Berluti, Jil Sander, and Celine, respectively. There have been reports that Slimane will use a similar format as his inaugural show in September, which means he may incorporate women’s pieces on the upcoming show. Meanwhile, Fresh Berluti Artistic Director Kris Van Assche will unveil his first major collection under the brand half a year later after his first campaign.
The aforementioned labels will be joined by Raf Simons Vetements, and Fumito Ganryu, among others. Lanvin, Maison Margiela and Alexander McQueen will miss the schedule for different reasons. Lanvin is currently undergoing change since Lucas Ossendrijver, its artistic director of men’s collections, left the company. Alexander McQueen is considering changing its format into a series of more intimate presentations. Maison Margiela, meanwhile, is skipping because of a strategy review. The Paris Fashion Week will run from January 15 to 20, 2019.
Image credits: JW Anderson, Alasdair McLellan, Guillaume Roujas for NOWFASHION, Xavier Babbaro, Loewe
