If you are still keeping your worn-out All-Star converse sneaks in your shoe rack and can’t bear to throw them away, well perhaps it’s time to get a new one, because J.W. Anderson is reinventing this classic pair that comes with some extra spark. Showcasing his Spring/Summer 2018 menswear collection in Florence, Italy, Anderson also debuted his collaboration with Converse at the Pitti Uomo runway. According to Business of Fashion, the partnership comes as part of a new approach for the brand to focus on scale and collaborations with bigger brands that have much more extensive distribution and retail networks. Earlier in March, he announced that he will be working on a collection with Uniqlo which should be launching later this year.
“Converse or Uniqlo serve an incredible purpose to me. They are universal and I would love J.W. Anderson to be that universal, but we don’t have that [production] volume.”
The collection features Anderson’s take on the classic Chuck Taylors as well as the Thunderbolt Ultra, which will be of a unisex cut. The first iteration of the collaboration will centre around the concept of “day to night”, and will feature wave detailing, the J.W. Anderson branding and a bright colour palette, which includes a stand-out glittery All Stars pair, which in our opinion, is the highlight of the entire sneaker collection.
Anderson adds on: “From my very first pair, Converse have represented such a radical movement in style and culture. The contrasts and similarities between the world of Converse and the world of J.W.Anderson creates a space of culture tension that’s a dream to play within as a designer.”
Converse has been rather tight-lipped about the details of the collection and all we know is that it will only be launching in early 2018. But with two major collabs with two big brand names, we are excited to know what other brands Anderson will team up with in the future. Meanwhile, watch this space and keep a look out for further updates.
Header image: @jw_anderson
