JW Anderson’s Uniqlo Collaboration: A First Look At The Second Collection

It’s official: one of last year’s most coveted high-end / high-street crossover collaborations is back for SS18.

From Erdem joining forces with H&M to ahem, Heidi Klum teaming up with Lidl, 2017 was quite the year for brands on opposite ends of the price spectrum hooking up to bring us affordable pieces with world class design cachet. Now, JW Anderson has returned to high street favourite Uniqlo to will release his second collaboration, set to drop on April 19, following the rapturous response to his debut Autumn / Winter 2017 line.

‘The first Uniqlo and JW Anderson collaboration was super exciting for me and I am very happy with the results,’ designer Jonathan Anderson said, continuing, ‘I am proud of it and I think the pieces are incredibly well made. The line was also a good bridge between the ideal of British classicism and my own brand.’ “In the 2nd collection of the collaboration, I’m looking for this idea of ‘British Summer,’ the idea of being on the Brighton beach. Something which is very lightweight, very airy, with a lot of linen and cotton that has a 1950’s subcultural movement. With a little bit of ease and something which is quintessential.” He added, “As a UNIQLO customer, I know exactly the quality that the brand gives to its products. I am very proud of the level of execution and the attention to details that we delivered on this new spring/summer collection.”

While his Autumn/Winter line was full of bold stripes, tartans in primary coloured functional fabrics, his sophomore collection is a lot softer. Taking inspiration from Brighton Beach during its 1950s heyday, and making use of floaty summer fabrics like linens and cottons in dreamy shades of blue with the occasional trademark Anderson pop of colour; it's an easy, breezy, mix-and-match collection that's designed to be layered.

Standout pieces this season include a sand coloured tote bag, vivid striped T-shirts and louche linen trousers, all priced between £14.90 and £59.50.