Written by Bec Loades in New Collections on the 19th September 2017

A new collaboration has launched between one of Britain's most notable fashion designers and one the main leaders of the high street, and it is not one to be missed. Born in Northern Ireland, Jonathan Anderson who established his label 'JW Anderson' in 2008 with his modern menswear, has gone from strength to strength in the fashion world and has today joined forces with Japanese casualwear label Uniqlo for a 33-piece collection. Anderson and Uniqlo have more in common than many people may think as this hugely popular Japanese label has a lengthy history and originally started out as a men's store back in 1949. It then developed into a unisex store in 1984 which syncs well with Anderson's personal designs as he has been known to blur the definitive lines between men's and womenswear.

JW Anderson has collaborated with numerous creatives including designers, photographers, editors, sculptors and musicians such as ASAP Rocky. His collection with Uniqlo is just another string to add to his artistic bow. This is not new territory for Uniqlo either as they too have achieved highly successful collaborations with the likes of Liberty, Opening Ceremony, Helmut Lang and Jil Sander. This latest venture, for both brands, aims to focus on the 'functionality' of clothing and ranges from simple printed t-shirts to denim work pants. Anderson is recognised in his own mainline runway shows for heavily textured apparel in bright colour palettes. This is mirrored throughout with primary coloured knitwear and a personal favourite, the chunky cable knit two-toned sweaters. The inspiration behind the actual style of each piece in the collection is from British heritage. This is very clear with the classic Tweed coat, Fairisle sweaters, Oxford shirts and university stripe scarves. It is very easy to create multiple looks with these pieces but I imagine it will be the outerwear and knitwear that will fly off the shelves first.

Anderson's designs work extremely well with the ethos behind Uniqlo. Uniqlo creates well-made clothing for everyday use and are well known for their comfortable staple T-shirts and their extremely reasonably priced heat tech lightweight quilted layers. If you don't have any in your wardrobe already, it is time to stock up. They are perfect for Autumn and Winter season - either wearing over the top of a sweater or under a heavy winter coat for the colder months. Anderson has continued the success of their quilted products with his brilliant ultra-light down jacket, available in green, navy and a stand-out tartan. To continue with the cushioned theme, he has also added padded totes and backpacks adorned with his logo which are all extremely comfortable to carry. With the variety of wearable and affordable pieces (all in the range of £25-140) in this collaboration there is no doubt this will be another hit for Uniqlo and JW Anderson.

With tweed coat, fairisle sweaters, oxford shirts and university stripe scarves we take a first look at the new Uniqlo x JW Anderson 2017 Collection.