Many know J.W. Anderson for his measured Romanticisms, but few would imagine London's avant-gardist to go as far as taking on the breezy romance of the French Riviera. This season Anderson brings the audience through yet another turn, showcasing an entire breadth of visual vocabulary we have yet to see. Befitting of the fresh direction, the show took place in the former Central Saint Martin’s building at Southampton Row instead of the usual military base at Yeomanry House. The salon style set up was admittedly more intimate and conducive to appreciating Anderson's construction with greater detail.

Taking inspiration from French film maker Jacques Tati, the collection was "an ode to french playful femininity", said Anderson. The opening look caught the audience by surprise, when Anderson's typical discordant track -- this time "Get Me What You Want" by Bok Bok -- ushered a model in an oversized ribbed black floppy hat who carried an attitude that was Danielle Darrieux-meets-Catherine Deneuve. Anderson's silhouettes were a lot softer, observing formal elegance compared to his usual splice and dice. He seemed more amenable to formal proportions this season, elongating the limbs especially with the shorter hemlines and high-waisted “le smoking” trousers.

The motive was arguably less aggressive, more sympathetic to the human form. It read more like flirting with archetypal bourgeoise seaside dressing, but this time with humour. Exaggerated paua shells lined the front of a magnolia shirt dress, suiting lapels were blown out of proportion to a comical degree, while leather trims adorned the looks generously. Pin-stripe suiting resembling the French woman's obsession with power dressing revealed military buttons down the line of the posterior as the models walked past. Anderson also introduced towel knits and Irish linen this season but maintained the nod to British Modernism. He revealed backstage, "We've also been looking at Ben Nicholson and working with abstraction of the shapes and the psychedelic movement of the clothes.”

Perhaps J.W. Anderson and Jacques Tati have more in common than what meets the eye. The latter's penchant for making films about American consumerism, excess and material pursuits couldn't be more resonant with Anderson's subversive overtones. This collection is the maturing of Anderson's aesthetic, showing the depth of his vision as an artist and the breadth of his skills as a technician, all in all still one of the brightest talents in fashion.