Replacing hip-hop with Japanese sumo wrestling propelled Danish designer Astrid Andersen s collection into new yet very familiar territory. "My first stockists were in Japan," Andersen said backstage after the show, and during a recent trip she observed how Japanese guys styled her clothes differently than what she s used to. "The way I see sexy isn t the same as the Japanese, and with this collection I wanted to create a hybrid of the two."
In reality, this still meant hunky guys in basketball jerseys (this time in purple fur), but with the addition of kimono-style robes and a type of apron—called a kesho-mawashi—which sumo wrestlers wear during their ring-entering ceremony. "They tell a story with these aprons about where they are from. That s exactly what I want to do with my brand. I want it to feel like it s for a certain type of boy," Andersen explained. Color-wise it was her boldest collection so far, translating into crushed velvet tracksuits in amber orange, or boxing robes in a color scale from purple over pink and back to orange. There were Andersen favorites, like lace-covered sports bras for men (perhaps some of these men needed the support for their muscular moobs), while a cross between a bolero jacket and sporty hoodie over a transparent top—putting the viewer s gaze firmly on the model s six-pack—alluded to the current fetishism surrounding washboard stomachs among young men.
This collection surely will tickle the Andersen fan s fancy, but there s a fine line between staples and schtick, and some of what was shown just felt a bit too dragged down by déjà vu. There s no denying that what the designer does is subversive in some way, but exactly how? Is it adding a radical street vibe into fashion or does it go the other way—injecting gender confusion into what is in essence a macho culture. Knowing that A$AP Rocky is one of Andersen s admirers (she recently created a unique fur coat for the rapper), it seems more likely to be the latter, since Rocky s fashion-savvy wardrobe has caused more conservative dressers to raise a scandalized eyebrow on several occasions.
