When Astrid Andersen launched Stel she used the catchy phrase “tailoring you can skate in” as part of her tagline. For fall she set out to prove the point by photographing the collection on professional skateboarder Beatrice Domond. Somewhere along the line the idea of creating clothes you can move in merged with ways of maneuvering in the world. “I think from a female perspective, this idea of perfection has chased us for a long time,” she said. “When I talk about tailoring made for skating, it’s really the mindset of setting free the concept of what clothes should do for us. And I find we need to be able to embrace that whole imperfection as well.”
One of the ways the collection addressed that idea was with off-kilter asymmetries. Tiered pleats, so prevalent for spring, were reconsidered for this season, and blouses and tops could be combined and worn in different ways. Fancy silk was cut into functional pieces and a black and white plaid broke up the solids. “I don’t want it to be romantic. I want it to be intelligent in a way, because that’s how I see [the Stel woman], her choices are quite logical,” the designer said.
Most of the pieces in this—as with all Stel collections—were based on archetypes. There were bombers and jeans and pinnies and blouses that Andersen made her own, but which she is still coming to terms with owning. Part of the reason for this is that she is a trained menswear designer repositioning herself. Then there is that little matter of modesty. “I’m too Danish to reference myself,” Andersen said laughingly in the context of speaking about who she is designing for. Yet in order to keep her modular concept from coming across as cold or merely functional, a personal angle would be beneficial. Andersen’s sincere admiration of Dormand’s grace and bravery was translated into the collection, which made it warmer and more relatable.
#Stel #Copenhagen #Fall #Collection
