All eyes are on Paris as Fashion Week takes over the French capital. Head to our Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019 hub to find all the latest news from the industry’s best houses, brands, and designers.
It seems Paris men’s week is where all the action is. We’ve seen several catwalk debuts from new and established designers, like TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist, Fumito Ganryu, and now, Jonathan Anderson.
The designer not only brought his J.W. Anderson label from London to Paris, but also gave his men’s collection at Loewe a proper runway show, after opting for special events and installations for the past few seasons. As the PFW energy continues to rise, designers meet the challenge by creating spectacles tailor-made for the social media age. In this case, Loewe’s set was punctuated by an ochre yellow cotton sculpture from German artist Franz Erhard Walther. His work is unique in that it elevates the spectator experience to bring a profound value to his art. “When you take it into your hands, you change its status,” says Walther in an interview with Hans Ulrich Olbrist. “You turn yourself into a pedestal, into a plinth, by holding the piece. Then, putting it back turns it into a traditional sculpture again.”
In that context, Anderson’s plays with proportion, masculine connotations, and materials once again bring up the through line between art and fashion. Is it worthy of admiration because of the concept behind the design? Or does it have to do with the artful craftsmanship of a piece?
