A NEW VISION WITH NEW YORK FASHION DESIGNER FREDERICK ANDERSON

There is not one specific entity that serves as inspiration for New York fashion designer FREDERICK ANDERSON’S fall 2022 collection titled ‘In Full Bloom.’ “When I do a collection, I have several layers. It’s never just one thing. It’s three to five different layers all the time. I always think of my woman and how she feels right now,” explains Frederick. “For this collection, it was about how we blend excitement with wearability. How do we get our women in dresses instead of sweats? Between Covid and a year off, I finally get what I really wanted to do. I understand who I wanted to be as a designer. I feel comfortable with myself.”

CROCHET
Frederick showcased a myriad of looks for the new season. There were the refreshing florals, lush crochet pieces, like the crochet halter mini dress under a cardigan on model Fabiola, and a crochet sweater over a fuchsia jacquard skirt. The catwalk was buzzing with modern looks in satins, luscious laces, tweeds, and sheers. It truly was a story that showed the growth and emergence of a new bloom—a freshness of sorts and definitely a turning curve, much respected and appreciated by Frederick’s followers, who understand his vision.

COCKTAIL
I asked Frederick about his average customer. He explained, “My customer is young, the maid of honor. I’ve become the ‘go-to’ designer for the maid of honor.” He laughs. “I’d say my customer is fluent (money). She has a perception of luxury; she looks at it a certain way and puts it into her life. The clients I have are ladies who ‘cocktail.’ They are not sitting at home. She’s a self-thinker, building a life for herself. She may be 30 or 40 or 50 . . . They want clothes that take them from work to an evening cocktail. I think of my clothing as sexy and fun, but within that story, it’s a wide variance. My experience selling at Saks showed me they are not cookie-cutter ladies. They are inventing new ways, and I can shake it up a little, but it’s not the old way of dressing. They are wanting something new, and I think that’s exciting.”

CELEBRATION
“It’s a celebration for me,” beamed the designer as he reflected on the uncertainty he felt coming out of Covid19, and the fact that he ended up with a collection of strong, design-driven pieces. “One thing that happened during Covid, people stopped and looked around. It was a quiet time, and people started discovering things. People had extra time to do that. It’s been a wonderful moment. Now, we are going through a transition. It’s going to be interesting to see five years from now, the shift created in American fashion because of Covid and recovery.”

CHANGES
‘In Full Bloom’ marked the fifth-year anniversary since his first singular show, a sixteen-piece collection called ‘Black Like Me.’
Frederick emphasized the reality of his journey, since his early days collaborating, to now coming into his own and developing an aesthetic that’s all his own. “When I started twenty years ago with Douglas Hannant, it was a collaboration. Back then, I always worked in a mixed vision through the gaze of someone else. Now, it’s Frederick—I can’t create a vision for someone else. It’s more emotion realized, and I can spread my wings and expand. The women have changed, and I have changed. It’s no longer New York or the US; it’s Dubai. I didn’t know I had a following in Russia. I found out what my brand is and what I want her to be. It’s a new vision.”