For his fall collection, Frederick Anderson pondered the way in which cultures can come together, choosing music as the vehicle to tell his story. “It’s about this idea that blues led us to country music that led us to Rock ’n’ Roll,” said Anderson of his collection. “It’s a story of the progression and integration of these ideas and cultures.”
Anderson offered his usual melange of fabrications, focusing the first half of his show on wispy lace dresses, sheer slips, and prim blouses paired with leather micro shorts, bralettes, and his signature crochet separates. It was in the second half of his lineup where Anderson found his groove. There was a modernity to his wool and leather mashups in capes, dresses, and trousers, and his silk and jersey draped styles felt focused and guided by the lifestyle of the women he knows and wants to dress. A sequined column gown and a kaftan in matching fabric showcased his technical skill and were the rare kind of option for evening that offers both elegance and ease. It must be said that Anderson’s styling did not do him justice this season—the choice of wigs, a mix between Dolly Parton and Joan Jett, was distracting if still on theme.
Anderson looked at his musical analogy as an example of the way in which two disparate cultures can merge together and evolve in unison. “It’s 2024 and we can’t even get along with our next door neighbors,” he said. “If we don’t learn to integrate cultures, we’re at a loss.”
