JW Anderson's Converse pop-up opens in Soho—the designer on his super cool new collection

Remember those really seriously epic glittery Converse that Jonathan Anderson (or JW Anderson, as he’s known) created in collaboration with the iconic American sneaker brand last year?

Remember how we lusted after the high-fashion, high-street-priced fabulousness of them?

Well, this week the British designer is back with a second limited edition Converse collaboration, the Toy collection, and this time he’s making it even easier for you to shop the tantalisingly shiny sneakers, with a similarly shiny four-day pop-up in London’s Soho.

“We are a British brand, and just felt right to do something in London. And Soho in particular, I love it,” Anderson told the Standard of his first Converse pop-up.

“I have a very long history with Converse,” Anderson explains of his decision to work with the brand. “When I first went to drama school in Washington DC I became completely obsessed by James Dean… He was such an iconic part of American culture and obviously Converse are linked to that. You know how Yves Saint Laurent said, “I wish I had invented blue jeans.” For me, Converse is like that, I wish I’d designed it."

While he may not have designed the iconic shoe himself, JW Anderson has, via these collaborations, certainly made his mark on it. And the Toy collection is proof once again of his ability to transform the simple sneaker into a high-fashion classic.

This time, the Toy collection has seen him rework the Chuck Taylor All Star 70, giving both high-top and low-top iterations a high-shine makeover in ultra-slick patent leather.

“It’s no secret that I am obsessed with art and craft and the hands-on approach of creating it,” says Anderson. “The Toy collection is not only visually interesting, but it is very tactile, it is stimulating and allows a deeper bond between the shoe and the one wearing it.”

There are four colourways available; with the high-top style dropping in an orange-red fade effect with blue sole and a green-black fade with navy sole and the shorter in a baby pink with mint green sole and a navy with yellow sole. Each pair has the glossy, patent upper, a semi-translucent midsole, oversized eyelets and thick, interchangeable fuzzy laces.

Fancy all four? Anderson, a self-confessed Converse addict, would no doubt sympathise. “I wear Converse all the time. I have kept every pair I’ve ever had, and that is over 40 now,” he explains. “Some of them are threadbare, but they become conceptual objects in themselves. There are some pairs I could never part with because they remind me of a particular time or period. They are part of my story.”

Alongside the Toy collection, the Soho pop-up will also display artworks of the shiny shoes by 24-year old, Los Angeles-based artist Delfin Finley, and there’ll be a programme of talks on offer outside of store hours.

Programming across the four days includes:

• Friday 20th July, 7-9pm: Kimberly Drew, New York based writer, curator and activist with a passion for innovation in art, fashion and culture will be discussing ‘What is art, anyway’ with Ashleigh Kane (Dazed).

• Saturday 21st July, 7-9pm: London female creative network Babyface in conversation with Kusheda Mensa, Christabel Macgreevy and Antonia Marsh; three multi-media artists currently turning heads in the industry discussing the democratisation of art, and why the pursuit of fun should be a preoccupation of all artists.

• Sunday 22nd July, 4-6pm: A zine workshop hosted by London based Risograph Printer and publishing house Hato Press. A community driven independent studio made up of a team that specialise in risograph printing, design, publishing and workshops, Hato Press will be poster and zine printing live in the pop-up.

Events are open to the public with limited availability, apply for tickets by emailing RSVP@toygallery.co.uk.

The Toy collection is priced from £120 - £130 and will be available to buy from the Soho pop-up and from converse.com and J-W-anderson.com from the July 19.

JW Anderson x Converse Pop-U, 20 Beak Street, London, W1F 9RE