Frederick Anderson’s reverence for interpreting his referential inspirations into clothing remains an asset for his creative and personal endeavors. The womenswear designer presented his Fall/Winter 2024 collection just north of Madison Square Park in a dark wooded art deco ballroom, where painted ceilings and columns transported attendees into a neo-gilded version of old Manhattan. Anderson’s shows often flow as an exercise in time travel, where venue, styling, and audience curation are reflected in the designer’s approach to creating evocative clothing. On the last page of this year’s show notes read the phrase, “The spirit that guides me and teaches me new lessons daily.” Anderson extends these lessons as offerings to his audiences— they provide a glimpse into the journey that contextualizes his evolving interpretations of time by way of sartorial craft.
Before presenting his looks all lovingly named in his show notes as is seasonal tradition Anderson shared a brief synopsis of this season’s themes. He details his childhood and the music that moves him. “I was born in Memphis, Tennessee the birthplace of the blues,” he writes. If his last collection was an homage to his early New York City entree in the world of dance and ballet education, this week’s show takes us back even earlier, to the Memphis blues music that soundtracked his first experiences in creative consciousness. To him, the revelations that inspired this collection were to be interpreted as a celebration of Blackness.
“I want to see more of the dimension and complexity of Black people,” he told ESSENCE.com following his presentation. “We are so eclectic and beautiful. I wanted to reflect that.” Among the many ways Anderson achieved the homage he references is by celebrating movement in his pieces and show production. The use of sequins and feathers emphasized the synergy between texture and construction so often celebrated in Anderson’s work. Models sporting ‘70s shag hairstyles paralleled with the flow of the gowns on the runway which are equally suited for dance as they are for stillness was deliberate.
On blues and country music, Anderson shared: “It’s two worlds and cultures intertwined and similar, but born in different interpretations of the same history. Both steeped in the art of storytelling of hard times that now exist through music.” The musical alliance at play is not unlike the compositional dexterity visible in the collection. Different materials play off of one another to create cohesive final looks—micro sequins are accented by leather and tulle in longline tunics. Thick crocheted sweaters pair naturally over pleated shorts in day-to-night looks. There is material maneuvering at work that translates as hallmarks of a very self-aware designer. The particular beauty of the show is the power of deeply personal memories and musings on culture, Blackness, and time. Each of these factors was communicated through whimsical and offbeat textures in a way that felt contemporary and refreshing.
