When Frederick Anderson first broke out on his own after years as the co-creator of the Douglas Hannant collection, we were so excited to see what he could create under the freedom of his own creative direction. Would it be a rehash of the iconic styles that made Douglas Hannant so recognizable? Would it be a complete & total departure? Many questions remained to be answered…
As he progressed, it was evident that it wasn’t a simple rehash, nor was the Frederick Anderson collection breaking any new fashion ground… nor was it derivative. The Frederick Anderson collection just sort of “was”. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was “neither here nor there”, but it did suffer from a bit of fashion anemia… it seemed to always be lacking something… lacking soul… lacking substance… that was until 3 seasons ago. Suddenly, Frederick Anderson seemed to just blossom. As his New Orleans inspired collection walked the runway at Prince George’s Ballroom, the clothes looked strong, solid, inspired, & to keep it simple… GOOD!
Last season, as Anderson showed in a striking theater in the Hudson Yards area of Manhattan, the collection progressed nicely from the last season & once again, looked good… almost “great”. I say, almost… but really close.
Fast forward to Fall 2025 & Anderson once again progressed forward. This collection seemed focused to pinpoint of bright light. It was razor sharp in its scope. Each piece looked like an integral part of a whole while simultaneously being strong enough to stand on its own. It’s quite clear that whatever Anderson is drawing upon for creative nourishment is serving him well.
In a color platted that was literally only 4 or 5 colors with one print, a strangely outlying Zebra pattern, but not so strange that it sunk the collection, but just a bit odd, Anderson created a range of offerings that addressed the needs of a wide range of New York’s social set, the precise ladies who flock to his atelier, no doubt. There was something here for mom as well as daughter. Even something for the club this weekend & note that there’s no “country” in front of that “club”.
The Oxblook pieces all trimmed in Black lace ruffles & sheer underpieces that he chose to open his show with proved the most effective in this observer’s opinion, with the opening suit look being one of the best of NYFW overall. However, there were many pieces of this collation that deserve to be lauded. My hope is that these pieces don’t just get lauded, but get bought as well. They deserve to be seen beyond the pages of the collection reviews.
Let me conclude by saying this latest effort by Frederick Anderson is “great”… no capital “G” in that review, but if he continues on the path he’s on of late, his collection might just get that capital “G” in “Great” sooner than later. Bravo!
-R. Scott French
Follow Frederick Anderson: Instagram
Designer Website: www.frederickandersonshop.com
