Finally, after ten years in the industry, the Seoul-based brand Andersson Bell – born out of a desire to combine contrasting cultural elements through clothing – has landed in one of the fashion capitals par excellence, Milan, and its respective fashion week, which served as the setting for its debut show and the celebration of its tenth anniversary.
Ten years is a good number to celebrate, and for the occasion, ADSB chose an Italian palazzo in the centre of the city, with its renaissance style and dreamy gardens that contrasted with the avant-garde style garments designed by its creative director Dohum Kim.
Andersson Bell’s Spring/Summer 24 is titled “The 10th Anniversary” and was inspired by the designer’s teenage years in the city where he founded the brand. Kim decided to go back to those days when he strolled through the city’s vintage district and was fascinated by military surplus and denim, both of which have had a notable presence in the collection, along with the biker/racing aesthetic.
If there was one thing that made the show stand out, it was the sheer number of unlikely designs that were presented and walked the pink catwalk through the garden. It’s time to be optimistic and look to the future and try to see everything in pink, like the seats in the outdoor area. Step firmly on this colour and you’re sure to get lucky. Nothing can go wrong, and Dohum is sure to corroborate this because the praise he received was huge, and well deserved, in part because of some pretty interesting pieces like a pair of trousers that looked like frayed jeans but were cargo trousers, or worn-out biker jacket that went from leather to rough denim. This aforementioned distortion of materials was also applied to a green knitted jumper, patched at the back, using multi-coloured swatches of wool that fused like Tetris blocks.
We all know that fashion is a Tetris, but the Korean knows how to handle it and make it his own, and above all to keep making functional yet innovative items, which is very difficult nowadays. See for example the look composed of an anorak made from magazine clippings and denim twinsets woven with frayed patterns that stand out.
To round off the proposal, the transformative qualities were also used in the field of accessories. The vase-shaped or pea-shaped leather cup bags were one of the show’s highlights, as was the new unisex trainer that made its way down the catwalk, leaving a corresponding impression on the show’s guests and generating more than a few gasps. Called the “Aaron Trail”, this low-top trainer, which is similar to a walking shoe, features a cushioned sole and a sturdy upper that mixes different fabrics, such as calfskin, suede, and nylon. The shoe will be available in crimson, beige, silver, and black in the future.
Check out the Andersson Bell Spring/Summer 24 collection below:
