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Sound the klaxon, because the Irish are at it again, receiving monumental honours on a global scale alongside some of the most exceptional names of our time.
London-based designer Jonathan Anderson, originally from Derry, has been named among the world’s most influential people on the annual TIME 100 list for 2024. On the list, the JW Anderson designer and Loewe creative director is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dua Lipa, Elliot Page, Michael J. Fox, America Ferrera, and Sofia Coppola.
Falling under the ‘innovators’ category, Anderson’s dedication was penned by Luca Guadagnino, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker and director of the upcoming Challengers, starring Zendaya, for which Anderson designed the costumes. In it, Guadagnino wrote:
“Great designers often have a sense of importance that’s too strong—they understand the idea of a garment without understanding the person who will wear it, and they conceive of luxury as strangely separated from the ground. What I love about Jonathan Anderson is that he is grounded, and he has an innate understanding of how fashion and human behaviour intertwine. Jonathan is one of the most intelligent, empathetic, and curious people I know, but he also has a wonderful sense of humour, and a capacity not to take himself too seriously.
“Costume design in particular takes a great deal of humanity and wisdom, and working with him in the past has helped me better understand the characters whose stories we were telling,” he continues. “His work is always ahead of the curve. What he does at JW Anderson and Loewe is fashion that belongs to us all, now and in the future.”
Clearly, Jonathan Anderson has come a long way since he was cutting his teeth as a visual merchandiser for Prada in Brown Thomas, Dublin. Establishing his own eponymous brand in 2008, JW Anderson was quickly heralded as ‘one to watch’, and he continued to build on his reputation and steadily rose to the top of his game, receiving funding from the British Fashion Council and collaborating with Topman.
In 2013, Anderson was appointed as the creative director for Spanish luxury brand Loewe, and since taking the helm, he has spearheaded a major rejuvenation of the house. Redesigning the brand identity, rearticulating their commitment to craftsmanship, and releasing several series of critically acclaimed and genre-defining collections, Anderson elevated Loewe as an influential and global cultural force.
Sitting as an honorary co-chair at next month’s Met Gala, the accolades just keep on coming hard and fast for Jonathan Anderson. From becoming the first person to win the title of both Menswear Designer of the Year and Womenswear Designer of the Year simultaneously in 2015 at the British Fashion Council, he was also named Fashion Designer of the Year by GQ in 2023, and won the CFDA International Designer of the Year Award.
From the viral Harry Styles JW Anderson knitted cardigan, to the iconic Rihanna Superbowl performance, this Irish designer has had a hand in many exciting (pop) culture moments over the years. Now, with his involvement as costume designer in the upcoming Challengers, we’ve got him to thank for the tenniscore resurgence.
Bringing a more human-centric approach to luxury fashion, Jonathan Anderson’s boundary-pushing designs will likely go on to garner many, many more accolades in the future, and we cannot wait to see it.