Andersen brought a Copenhagen chill to her collection, which unfolded in the vast outdoor courtyard of Broadgate Plaza, near Liverpool Street station. She certainly came prepared, placing little disposable glove warmers on each chair for guests, and sending out a lineup of cozy knits and plump fur coats — in addition to lots of pinstripes and hand-painted prints.
The designer said she wanted to fuse the idea of streetwear with classical tailoring and luxury fur, as the lines between catwalk and street have blurred beyond recognition.
She worked charcoal pinstripe fabric into karate-style suits, puffers and tracksuit bottoms sealed with reflective tape. Her long, swooshing pinstripe topcoats had a gangster-ish feel to them. That pairing of formal and sporty worked beautifully, although it remains to be seen what bank, law firm or judge will let those outfits through the door.
Astrid Andersen Men's Fall 2019
23 Photos
Andersen worked lots of color into the collection, too, via freeform, hand-painted prints on shirts and hoodies and a terrific lineup of knitwear, including cable-knit leggings for a cold January night, and boxy color-blocked sweaters in rich combinations including corn and mint green.
Color also came in the form of fat, luscious fur coats. They were long and silvery, hip-length and baby blue, or short with a mix of contrasting shades. A native Dane who knows how to keep the cold at bay, Andersen has long worked with Saga Furs and uses 100 percent sustainable, traceable pelts.
The tall, wide-brimmed, pilgrim-like hats came from a local man in Copenhagen who made them by hand. “I’m a sucker for that kind of craftsmanship,” said the designer.