JW Anderson's A.P.C. Collab Has a Story to Tell
Jonathan Anderson’s A.P.C. collaboration, which drops on October 12, is a collection of clothes that Jonathan Anderson would wear.
From the black denim jackets and hand-painted cotton knits to the graphic T-shirts and duffle coat, each piece in the JW Anderson x A.P.C. capsule is something you'd find in the Northern Irish designer's wardrobe.
“This project was about learning and the excitement of a new collaboration. It made sense where I’m at in terms of fashion. It felt natural,” he said.
“We have this fascination for reinventing things that don’t need to be reinvented, but glorified instead, which I think is more exciting. What A.P.C. is amazing at is it doesn’t feel over-egged. It has just the right amount of now.”
On a broader scale, the collaboration – which is faced by Heartstopper star Kit Connor – is inspired by the work of the German artist Joseph Beuys.
In May 1974, Beuys flew from Dusseldorf to New York and as a sign of protest against the Vietnam War, he was transported in an ambulance to and from the plane, wrapped in a felt blanket “to not see America" and "to be isolated from the outside world,” before being locked in the René Block Gallery for three days with a coyote.
The rather rough wool of the duffle coat subtly recalls the felt. While the ambulance and the gallery address (409 West Broadway) are referenced on this collaboration’s T-shirts and the interior of various pieces.
Generally speaking, the JW Anderson x A.P.C. collection also plays with classic hallmarks: the best American jersey for the T-shirts, hand-knitted sweaters, the duffle coat with its rope trim and integrated whistle, a Cornishware teapot and a tote bag in sturdy canvas that closes with an XXL zipper.
“For me, the work meetings with Jonathan have always been a very quick and productive ping-pong game,” said A.P.C.’s Jean Touitou.
“When I brought an idea, he immediately transformed it into something better. Thanks to Jonathan, we were able to go a little farther than usual in terms of originality and explorations. Let’s take Joseph Beuys’s ambulance and follow him on his chimeric journey.”
