Rough & Tumble

Pol Anglada takes us to the rugby pitch with JW Anderson
By Bailey Slater | Fashion | 23 November 2021

Just off the corner of Soho’s Brewer Street, sandwiched between gay nightlife haunts and old-timey arcades alike, lies JW Anderson’s British flagship. If you’ve passed by this week, you might’ve noticed that Catalonian artist Pol Anglada has totally gone to town on the space, filling windows and floors with his surreal, watercolour illustrations.

GALLERY

Together the duo are celebrating a second punch-packing RTW collaboration, and you best believe it’s filled with just as much pastel-hued eroticism as its predecessor. Featuring sharp-jawed rugby players in various states of being, be it on the field or in the locker room, chewing chunky mouth-guards, some even serve up a black-and-blue smoulder after a tough day on the pitch, with photographer Zac Bayly bringing such playful camaraderie to life in the collection’s sweaty campaign.

These fantastical illustrations haven’t just been made for the walls, however. The pair have splashed Anglada’s fantastical visages onto keyrings, small pouches, belt-handled tote bags, large shoppers and wallets, you name it. Oversized polos also play host to Anglada’s players in forceful embrace, with half-zip sweaters making motifs from impassioned faces and embroidered shirts showing a flurry diving goal-scorers or full-on team scrums in the artist’s signature technicolour spirit. Who knew a bit of rough and tumble could be so bloody attractive?

JW Anderson x Pol Anglada is available from JW Anderson’s Soho flagship and online, with Anglada’s ten original artworks from the collection also exclusively available to purchase and view in store.

JW Anderson x Pol Anglada installation Soho store


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