PERSOL TAPS JW ANDERSON FOR CAPSULE
Persol has teamed up with JW Anderson on a new capsule collection. For this project, JW Anderson founder and creative director Jonathan Anderson melds his unmistakable eclectic design know-how with Persol’s signature 649 and 0009 styles.
True to JW Anderson’s resourceful creativity, the one-of-a-kind color effects of this limited edition 649 style are created using recycled acetate offcuts from the production chain to give new life to existing matter, while making each frame totally unique. From bold red and blue or amber and blue combinations, to elegant havana and pink or tortoise tones, the contamination of contemporary color and cult style gives this original design an unexpected twist.
And, seen through the culturally filtered lens of hyper-contemporary style, this colorful JW Anderson rework of the 0009 frames the essence of practical extravagance with a light-hearted, totally unexpected take on an iconic design. The two-tone frame concept features ad hoc colorways chosen by the designer, with a genderfluid palette of blue and pink, black and white, dark and light green, or orange and light blue framing its unexpected look, while the JW Anderson logo on the left temple and signature Persol temple tips, as well as a dedicated leather case, linen pouch and box set underline its exclusive identity.
“I have always been a fan of Persol,” said Anderson. “They are a design classic; I wear them all the time. The craftsmanship and quality is amazing. They remind me of mid-century furniture design and their classic design inspired the color combinations.”
For this capsule’s campaign, Persol layered its rich visual history with Anderson’s quirky take on the meaning of style, the graphic classicism of stylist Benjamin Bruno, and sculptural hair creations of the Jamaican-American hairstylist Jawara – all captured in eight living portraits by Tyler Mitchell.
Set against simple tonal backgrounds, each model wears an elaborate hair sculpture that echoes the contours of the 649 and 0009, which are featured in eight ad hoc colorways to define a mood that shifts between hyper-contemporary and absolute classicism with a sense of superlatively functional extravagance.
“I really wanted to work with Tyler,” added Anderson. “He is such an incredible artist and photographer. I wanted images that became kind of poetic miniatures, almost like windows. I love what Jawara does as well. His hairstyles are amazing and helped creature this incredible portraiture that you somehow can’t place in time.”
The new capsule collection, which retails between $361 and $417, will be available starting July 17th on persol.com, jwanderson.com, Persol boutiques, and JW Anderson’s London flagship.
