J.W. Anderson for Topshop

I've previously never bought into the collaborations between top fashion designers and high-street brands: they're usually cheaply made or not as well-designed as the real deal. But, when I saw the J.W. Anderson for Topshop collection, I knew my luck had changed and I bought the blue striped dress and the box pleat denim skirt. 

J.W. Anderson, or 27-year-old Jonathan (William) Anderson seems to be the new golden boy of the fashion world. Sponsored by NEWGEN since Autumn/Winter 2011, he has quickly become an emerging talent at London Fashion Week, single-handledly bringing paisley back into fashion and advocating for homemade British craft and manufacture. His first collection was launched just four years ago, with an ethos that has continued to his Spring/Summer 2013 collection this week on the Topshop runway: that is, a homage to classic design, be it a crisp white shirt or a Breton striped sweater, imbued with a sense of androgyny. In his own words: "It's always been about men borrowing women's clothing, women borrowing men's clothing. It's this idea of a homogenous wardrobe. I think that's modern, that is modernity now." 

There is also an element of youth, punk and subculture, whether it's the tartan knits or black kilts, which make up J.W. Anderson as a brand. The Topshop collaboration isn't just a capsule collection, it is a whole way of living: from Anderson's recommended reading and music selections, to iPhone covers, J.W. Anderson pencils, notebooks and even sweets. As Anderson notes: "I love promotional products. I always loved that as a kid, like pencils with your name on. I went out to make a brand. I never went out to make a young designer". 

Paisley quilted skirt: £69.99

Blue shirt: £39.99

Box pleat denim skirt: £39.99

Loafers: £59.99

Striped dress: £39.99

Quilted paisley top: £59.99

Images: Topshop and you can buy the items here.

Images: my own

Twister by 42 Architects for Topshop

Johan Berglund, of 42 Architects (and incidently my tutor in second year for Unit 8 at the Bartlett), has recently completed this temporary spiralling installation for Topshop's autumn/winter 2011 press launch in London. The sweeping form creates an interaction between the clothing on display, the body and space. The timeframe of the project was only three weeks, from conception to completion and the result has been described by 42 Architects as; "Twister proposes a spatial configuration built of swirls, swooshes, vortexes and eddys – manifested as a system of hand formed black PVC coated tubes onto which garments can be hung. Visitors are invited to follow the structure as it winds through the room, while encountering concentrations of displayed garments along the way. The black tube also acts to bind the various collections together into one thematic whole. Around the structure sits a second layer of smaller white structures; benches and tables that hold shoes, accessories and makeup displays, as well as acting as seats for visitors."