Mum’s sofa

Astrid Andersen FW20
By Emma Pradella | Fashion | 6 January 2020
Photography Ariel Chan

After a season’s hiatus – that saw her hold SS20 press previews in stylist Simon Rasmussen’s studio on New York’s Canal Street – Astrid Andersen returned to the London schedule with a sentimental and personal approach to clothing. 

For FW20, the designer set focus to her native Denmark, more specifically a memory of her mother’s first piece of furniture when she left her parents’ home – a small rose-printed couch bought in 1971. The couch became a core element to the collection as an observation of the world of the time, when liberalism and anti-war movements were on the rise, and Copenhagen’s Freetown Christiania was established in the name of anarchism, self-governing society and community. 

Fashion-wise, Denmark’s very own Age of Aquarius came by way of flared trousers, retro-inflected colour-block tracksuits, ponchos, puffer jackets, a distorted floral pattern inspired by her mother’s upholstery, lacey jacquards and a mash-up of camouflage and animal prints. There were Andersen’s signature fur coats, in partnership with Danish label Saga Furs, and collaborations with Danish jewellery designer Vibe Harsløf and sportswear brand Hummel – the chunky sneakers were a re-worked version of the latter’s archival REACH LX style.

At the turn of the decade, her vision is pretty optimistic. “I wanted to reference something quite personal this season,” Andersen said backstage. “The starting point for the collection was my mum moving out of her home aged 18, but I wanted to reflect the parallelism of how she was feeling at the time and what’s happening now – I feel like people are collectively thinking about the world more, rather than the individual.”

GALLERYBackstage images from Astrid Andersen FW20

GALLERYCatwalk images from Astrid Andersen FW20





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