Not many fashion collaborations last for more than a couple of seasons; one-off collaborations between brands are more likely to occur. Uniqlo, however, seems to prefer long-lasting partnerships. Case in point: Uniqlo and JW Anderson. This seasonal collaborative collection first debuted in autumn/winter 2017 and has been going strong since.
Uniqlo and JW Anderson often takes reference from designer Jonathan Anderson‘s British heritage. Anderson’s penchant for patchworks, pseudo-utilitarian garments as well as craft techniques are explored through a British lens inspired by his own personal experiences.
For spring/summer 2023, the Uniqlo and JW Anderson collection looks to the preppy styles of British universities and zoning in on the sports elements of dress. Traditional sportswear classics are reinterpreted and developed with signature Uniqlo fabrications. A pair of leggings, for example, double up as functional sportswear in Uniqlo’s AIRism material.
Hear from the man himself as he tells us what to expect from the Uniqlo and JW Anderson spring/summer 2023 collection.
The 2023 spring/summer collection is a modern interpretation of British preppy style and traditional sports of British universities. What inspired this theme and how did you weave it it into LifeWear?
Anderson: For this season, we were really looking at heritage sportswear and how to translate it. We wanted to reinterpret it, blending it more with modern sportswear and the technical materials that Uniqlo has incredible capabilities in.
The collection references badminton, tennis, rugby and rowing. Did you play sports as a student?
Anderson: I’ve always had an interest in sports and athletes, but I haven’t participated too much in them myself. My dad was a rugby player, so I did attempt to play when I was younger, but I have a bad memory of the experience—it was a catastrophe.
What are some of the new silhouettes explored this time around?
Anderson: Ultimately, this season is reworking our idea of classic sportswear—for instance, a traditional cricket jumper alongside technical sports leggings or hand-drawn traditional British sporting team motifs on technical swim shorts and more traditional knitted polo shirts.
You’ve incorporated AirSense—one of Uniqlo’s most popular, high-performance fabrics—in the creation of a classic tailored jacket. What was the idea behind this?
Anderson: We really wanted to include the vintage sports jackets associated with rowing teams in this collection. We then wanted to introduce a new take on this classic jacket, reworking it into a more lightweight iteration, by using modern, technical fabrics and execution.
Each collection with Uniqlo, we further build the JW Anderson and Uniqlo wardrobe. It’s more the idea of something that can be mixed throughout the season; it’s wardrobe building. The AirSense jacket in particular—it’s such an updated fit and material. It can be styled with something as simple as some easy, casual jeans and yet still feels really modern.
What are your favourite pieces from this collection?
Anderson: My favourite pieces are the updated sports jackets and the tennis dress, which we’ve reinterpreted and given a JW Anderson twist. I really like the idea of taking a classic and reducing it or modernising it with a twist that makes it more interesting.
You cast real groups of friends, teammates and students for the campaign to bring the collection to life. What was the concept behind the campaign?
Anderson: For the collection shoot, we really wanted to keep the creative and casting in-line with the inspiration and ideas of the season, to ultimately keep it in the realm of sportswear and the sense of sportsmanship that naturally accompanies that.
The full Uniqlo and JW Anderson spring/summer 2023 collection will be available from 24 March 2023 at the Uniqlo Orchard Central Global Flagship and ION Orchard stores as well as online.
