Frederick Anderson’s FW24 Brings Happiness to the Blues and Culture
Written by Marc Schneider on February 22, 2024
Frederick Anderson’s interest in country music and its influence on the Blues was sparked by a casual conversation with his sister. He was captivated by the art of storytelling in music and how it can convey the message of overcoming hard times through the power of culture. Regardless of the music genre one prefers or the cultural background one comes from, the unifying force of music brings us all together as one.
“I started thinking about when I first moved to New York, the rock’n’roll influence, the Pat Benatar and all this stuff,” Anderson said to EBONY. “And I thought, wasn’t it amazing when we had, like, these kinds of conversations and inspirations that created beauty.”
The Memphis native is excited to bring together his love for music and culture by showcasing his latest collection on Valentine’s Day, which also happens to be the last day of New York Fashion Week.
Anderson presented the collection in the Prince George Ballroom in Midtown where he played a mix of blues and country music. The show’s first half had a mix of models working the runway wearing different colors and styles of mullet wigs, signature crochets, lace dresses, bralettes, sheer slips and prim blouses paired with all-leather micro shorts. In the second half, things were taken up a notch with a mixture of wool and leather mashups on trousers, capes and dresses, focusing on a woman’s lifestyle. One sequined gown and a kaftan dress showed off a ton of elegance on the runway and stole the show.
The show’s makeup evokes nostalgia from the early ’90s and ’30s, with plenty of pink eyeshadow applied around the eyes, heavy blush on the cheeks and bold black eyeliner. The models wore two shades of pink on their upper and lower lips. The designer’s collection inspires beauty trends, with a focus on contouring.
As the show came to a close, Jon Batiste’s “FREEDOM” song played in the background while the designer made an appearance dressed in a blue blazer, white collared shirt, jeans and white sneakers. The designer’s collection was an effort to connect people through music and culture. “To me, I just decided I’m taking my inspiration from the Blues, country music and the early 90s and let’s mesh it together,” Anderson said. “We try to take inspiration from each other and realize that our differences are our celebration.”
And that right here is how Anderson does it for each season. “I try to be thoughtful about what’s happening in the world,” Anderson said. “We’re in a time right now where there’s so much noise and like everyone hates everyone. This affected me because I’m really tired of everyone talking about this kind of war against each other.”
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