Op-Ed | Why Luxury’s Future Lies In Open-Source Design

Back in February, Harry Styles wore a colorful patchwork cardigan that, after catching the eye of young creatives on TikTok, quickly went viral. The JW Anderson knit became a new favorite DIY project for Harry fans everywhere, and the #HarryStylesCardigan garnered over 20M views in just a few short months. This overwhelming response inspired Jonathan Anderson to release the now infamous cardigan’s pattern into the world in a surprising show of support to those recreating his design at home. Two weeks later, he did the same for Loewe’s Spring 2021 Menswear collection when he shared a DIY pattern for one of the collection’s twenty-eight looks. The intentionality behind this decision feels significant. A designer chose to place brand intellectual property directly into the hands of the customer, with no strings attached — and Anderson isn’t the only one to do so.

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