STYLE | How my imagination ran wild with JW Anderson

Let's first establish that I rarely make such controversial statements at the beginning of anything I write. Despite how tempting it is to bait my audience (*cough cough* Harper's Bazaar), I'm usually annoyed by such tactics unless my writing has everything to do with said statement. In this case, my imagination is definitely not something I'd lie about. 

A profound sense of fantasy rifled through me as if it were the first time I saw the transformative impact of fashion. I was immediately transported back to the day when I would wrap myself in a duvet, march around the house and believe that I was royalty (clearly some of my fashion sensibilities had been influenced by Cruella de Vil). I kid you not, it was love at first sight. I might as well have followed Keats' example and named this post 'Ode to a Scarf". Similar to the Grecian urn that Keats' so lovingly adored, this scarf is certainly an item that would last a merry-go-round of trends if not forever.

Perhaps it's the nonchalant drape that set forth my imagination brimming with wild adventures and nomadic tales. Evidently, such vivid representations exist in my head to escape the banality of everyday life. It's a true tale of falling in love with fashion, not for the glamour (though I admit I do indulge myself occasionally), but for the chameleon-esque way of putting on different sides of myself. I've had my fair share of bewilderment amongst my friends for spending such an extortionate amount of money on something so plain and unusable. On closer inspection however, you'll notice as with any item that Anderson designs, the scarf carries an off-kilter appeal that paints its otherwise "plain" appearance. The volume and length is ridiculously dramatic while the mohair trim sways to your every step.

While Jonathan Anderson is famous for his provocative and seemingly unwearable designs, this scarf strikes the perfect balance between fantasy and reality. Many would say good taste is everything, but I would also like to think the opposite is always more interesting, n'est ce pas? Anderson's design vocabulary occasionally verges on the line of bad taste, but it's exactly this unpredictability that marks him worthy of winning Designer of the Year for both menswear and womenswear at the British Fashion Awards. In other words, his unorthodox styling and gender fluid creations have been met with critical acclaim, casting a warm light on being true to yourself in an industry famous for fake tans and picture perfect glamour.