Nota bene: All products in this article are independently selected and vetted by InsideHook editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Collaborations between higher-end designers and more accessible brands can yield mixed results. More often than not it’s just an amalgamation of the designer’s previous designs, only of worse quality and with little consideration of the consumer in mind. What people want from a designer collaboration with an affordable retailer isn’t simply a watered down version of designer pieces, but rather the brand viewed and interpreted through the designer’s lens — original pieces that stay true to both parties.
While many collaborations fail to achieve this balance, Uniqlo’s frequent collaborations with British designer J.W. Anderson (who helms his namesake label in addition to being the creative director of Loewe), manage never to feel like cheap knock-offs or lesser though-out designs. Instead, they’re fully conceived cohesive collections.
For the designer’s latest collaboration with the brand, Anderson sought inspiration from a place he knows well: the English countryside. The Spring/Summer 2020 collection features traditional silhouettes – chore jackets, anoraks, button downs — in patterns (think gingham and stripes) that are simultaneously evocative of the English landscape, yet reworked in ways that don’t feel overtly traditional. So while a short-sleeve seersucker shirt might come in a traditional gingham check, the pattern will have been made to alternate between big and small check sizes that creates a patchwork-like design. Traditional, with a twist.
Pocketable Pull Over Blouson
Chambray Long-Sleeve Shirt
Long-Sleeve Sweatshirt
Striped Short-Sleeve T-Shirt
Tailored Jacket
We've put in the work researching, reviewing and rounding up all the shirts, jackets, shoes and accessories you'll need this season, whether it's for yourself or for gifting purposes. Sign up here for weekly style inspo direct to your inbox.
