Jonathan Anderson believes fashion has been in "freefall" since the death of Karl Lagerfeld.

Jonathan Anderson

Jonathan Anderson

The JW Anderson designer believes the passing of the Chanel creative director at the age of 85 in February was a pivotal point for the industry.

He said of Karl: "Ultimately, he was the end of that period. He was at the pinnacle, he held the fort, he was the figurehead of fashion.

"Now that he is no longer there, I feel we're in this moment of freefall, not just because of him but what the industry stood for.

"I have huge respect for Karl."

There are other designers Jonathan - who is known for his outspoken views - also respects, such as Miuccia Prada, as he thinks she has "brought a new voice to fashion" and the "enigmatic" Hedi Slimane.

He also offered praise for Jeremy Scott.

He told Grazia magazine: "All that optimism, he has not changed who he is and I like that.

"He really knows how to talk to people, his humour, he's not elite."

However, the designer thinks the fashion industry has become too "conservative" particularly in a time of such political turmoil.

He said: "Usually, in political moments like this, creativity should explode or go against the grain.

"But fashion has contracted in on itself.

"It's interesting and weird that such a liberal industry has become so conservative.

"No one wants to be outspoken, people have become afraid of their peers, the media, the 'like' culture of social media - there's this idea of recreational outrage, like it's more exciting to destroy something than support it.

"Instead of being optimistic and supportive of one another, Britain's become incredibly divisive, it's not about morals any more, it's whether you're in or out."