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Jonathan Anderson
Anderson at a fashion show in 2013.
Born	(1984-09-17) September 17, 1984 (age 40) Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Alma mater	London College of Fashion
Occupation	Fashion designer
Years active	2005–present
Title	Creative director of Loewe Founder of JW Anderson
Parent	Willie Anderson

Jonathan Anderson (born September 17, 1984) is an Irish fashion designer and the founder of JW Anderson. Anderson is known for his eponymous label and having served as the creative director of Spanish luxury house Loewe.

Early life

Anderson was born in the town of Magherafelt in Northern Ireland in 1984. He is the son of Willie Anderson, who played international rugby for Ireland between 1984 and 1990. His mother Heather Buckley worked as a secondary school teacher. Anderson has a brother, Thomas who followed his father into professional rugby.

Anderson grew up in Northern Ireland, but spent a lot of time on the Balearic island of Ibiza, where his parents owned a house. He has since stated in interviews that the contrasting environments played a big role in shaping his sensibilities as a designer. When he was in primary school, he was diagnosed with severe dyslexia.

At the age of 18 Anderson moved to the United States to try become an actor. He was based in New York at The Juilliard School, but developed an interest in costume design rather than acting. He moved to Dublin shortly after, securing his first fashion-based job at the department store Brown Thomas. He later moved to London, graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2005.

Career

Anderson began his career working as a visual merchandiser for Prada, working for Manuela Pavesi. He launched his own menswear collection shortly after in 2008. His first collection under the JW Anderson label received critical acclaim. In 2010, Anderson received sponsorship from the British Fashion Council's Newton committee and subsequently produced his first catwalk collection at London Fashion Week.

The rising success of his JW Anderson label allowed him to secure a second NewGen sponsorship and led to a collaboration with high-street retailer Topshop in 2012. The collaboration was a collection of limited-edition items, known as the JW Anderson x Topshop collection. It featured clothing and accessories ranging from mini-kilts and paisley prints, to Halloween motifs and included a range of stationery, iPhone cases and Rubik cubes. The collection sold out within hours of it launching. Anderson and Topshop scheduled another collaboration to launch a year later, with the release coming in February 2013.

Later that year, Donatella Versace enlisted him to replace Christopher Kane at Versace's diffusion line Versus, where he showcased his first collection in June at New York's Lexington Armoury. In September 2013, LVMH took a minority stake in JW Anderson and named Anderson as the new creative director for Spanish luxury house LOEWE. By 2019, he created 18 different collections each year — six for his own label, 10 for Loewe and two for his ongoing collaborations with Uniqlo. In 2019, he became a member of the board of trustees at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

In February 2023, Anderson designed singer Rihanna's red outfit, which she used to announce her second pregnancy during her half-time Super Bowl performance. That same year Anderson served as costume designer for Luca Guadagnino's upcoming film Queer. Anderson had previously worked with Guadagnino in 2022, during the production of his film Challengers. His film work has led him to being signed by UTA.

Personal life

Anderson is gay. He lives in Paris and London, with regular visits to LOEWE's Madrid headquarters. He also maintains a weekend home in Norfolk.

Awards and honors

References

1. "Irish designer JW Anderson named as one of Time's most influential people for 2024". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
2. Byrne, Ruairi Scott; Updated (18 April 2024). "Renowned Irish fashion designer named in TIME's 100 Most Influential People list". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
3. Gill, Sarah (18 April 2024). "Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is one of TIME's people of the year". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
4. "Jonathan Anderson's Live Mosaic". Business of Fashion.
5. Bradley, Jonathan. "Thomas Anderson on swapping Ulster Rugby for the world of high-end fashion: 'It was sink or swim'". Belfast Telegraph.
6. ^ Van Meter, William (13 February 2016). "Jonathan Anderson Shares the Inspirations Behind His Brand and Loewe". Wall Street Journal.
7. ^ Nancy Hass (19 August 2019), The Man Turning European Fashion Into Something Raw and Real T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
8. "Jonathan Anderson is part of the BoF 500".
9. "JW Anderson". British Fashion Council.
10. Sowray, Bibby (13 June 2012). "Topshop announce JW Anderson collaboration". The Telegraph.
11. Moss, Hilary (4 September 2012). "First Looks: J.W. Anderson for Topshop". NY Magazine.
12. Alexander, Ella (4 September 2012). "JW Anderson For Topshop". Vogue.
13. Alexander, Ella (1 February 2013). "JW Anderson For Topshop Take Two". Vogue.
14. Fox, Imogen (13 June 2012). "JW Anderson to launch Topshop range". The Guardian.
15. "The end of gender in fashion?". Hit-Bag. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
16. Cochrane, Lauren (16 May 2013). "Versace unveils first Versus collection by JW Anderson in New York". The Guardian.
17. Four trustees appointed to the Victoria and Albert Museum Board Department for Culture, Media and Sport, press release of 2 April 2019.
18. "Rihanna's Super Bowl outfit 'puts Northern Ireland on world stage'". BBC News. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
19. "Rihanna reveals she's pregnant at Super Bowl half-time show". BBC News. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
20. Vivarelli, Nick (21 April 2023). "Drew Starkey to Star With Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer' With Filming Starting This Month in Italy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
21. "Jonathan Anderson Turns Up the Heat with Costume Designs for Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers'". Hypebae. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
22. Tangcay, Jazz (3 December 2024). "UTA Signs Fashion and Costume Designer Jonathan Anderson (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
23. "Bulging crotches and erotic kink: Jonathan Anderson turns the Tom of Finland man into a RTW collection". Hero. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
24. "Our Story". JW Anderson. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
25. "UK design star JW Anderson wins big at London Fashion Awards". France 24. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
26. "Jonathan Anderson, Aurora James, Samuel Ross and More Honoured at the Fashion Awards 2020". The Business of Fashion. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
27. "JW Anderson, Martine Rose and Sarah Burton among winners at the star-studded Fashion Awards". Vogue Business. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
28. "Qui sont les grands vainqueurs des Fashion Awards 2023 ?". Marie Claire. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
29. "The Fashion Awards - 2024 Winners". fashionawards.com. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
30. "Les CFDA Awards consacrent le meilleur de la mode américaine". Fashion Network. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
31. "Selon le CFDA, Jonathan Anderson est le meilleur créateur de l'année 2023". Fashion United. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
32. "Jonathan Anderson, ascension d'un designer distingué". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 5 March 2024.

• 1984 births
• British fashion designers
• Gay men from Northern Ireland
• LGBTQ fashion designers
• Irish fashion designers
• Living people
• Menswear designers
• Alumni of the London College of Fashion