J.W. Anderson continues his exploration of youth sub-cultures with his Spring Summer 2011 collection entitled “The Devoured and I.”It documents the intimacy and journey of two people as they experiment and get lost in self-discovery – and subsequently the fallout and consequences of this.
An ongoing theme of Anderson is the apparent contradiction of our experiences, in this case the blinding colour and then darkness, the heat and cold sweat, the liberation and oppression.
Anderson first looked at the photographer William Gedney, closely working with Duke University, New York, who hold Gedney’s full body of work, including his diaries.
Looking specifically at how Gedney would document the journey of these two people. What results is a psychedelic mismatch of clashing fabrics; patchwork and dip dye on a tight silhouette.
Embellishments are key: Swarovski crystals are presented in an unexpected way and become one of the unifying themes of the collection. Hand crocheted doilies are applied to tulle tops and then dip dyed with neon colours, representing hallucinations. The ultimate hallucinatory effect is created on the boots, which appear to have Swarovski crystal formations growing from the toes.
See all the photos here.
