Ann-Sofie Back | BACK S/S 2012 illustrated by Dee Andrews
It’s 7 pm on the first day of London Fashion Week and the rapid advent of my first catwalk show clash; do I see Ashley Isham or Ann-Sofie Back | Atelje? I’m not familiar with either, case though as I clearly requested these invites, I’m sure both must have appealed to me in some form or other. A quick look through past look books online and I’m still undecided. I spy the locations for each show and my mind is made up; Ann-Sofie Back | Atelje at the BFC tent it is. I refuse to walk all the way to Il Bottaccio (again) – one of this season’s London Fashion Week venues, located miles (well maybe just under two miles) away from the hosting venue, Somerset House. If nothing else, it’s a sensible choice and means little time spent queuing and the acquisition of a front row seat.
Michael of Anastasia and Duck comes and sits next to me and chats enthusiastically about Back’s previous London Fashion Week shows and the theatrical element to them; fear inducing ghosts and zombies I’m informed. Not many designers take advantage of the opportunity to stage a memorable avant-garde show, so I’m now super excited to experience this one.
Ann-Sofie Back | BACK S/S 2012 illustrated by Karla Perez aka Geiko Louve
So soon after the show commences, I’m a tad disappointed with the non-drama of the show, though if I’d read the press-release before, instead of after the show, the seemingly non-theatrical element would have made complete sense. This is because Ann-Sofie Back’s Atelje collection is inspired by religion and traditional Lutheran values coined Jantelagen; a set of axioms that frown upon and discourage success, conspicuousness, pride and satisfaction and acuity amongst other things:
The law of Jante
1. Thou shalt not believe thou art something.
2. Thou shalt not believe thou art as good as we.
3. Thou shalt not believe thou art more wise than we.
4. Thou shalt not fancy thyself better than we.
5. Thou shalt not believe thou knowest more than we.
6. Thou shalt not believe thou art greater than we.
7. Thou shalt not believe thou amountest to anything.
8. Thou shalt not laugh at us.
9. Thou shalt not believe that anyone is concerned with thee.
10. Thou shalt not believe thou canst teach us anything.
From Aksel Sandemose’s 1933 novel ‘En flygtning krydser sit spor’ (A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks)
Ann-Sofie Back | Atelje S/S 2012 illustrated by Dee Andrews
With Sweden being one of the most secularized countries in the world, these rules akin to the ideals of communism, appear contradictory to the character of the Nordic country. But it appears that Jantelagen is very much embedded into Swedish culture, economics and politics and is taken rather seriously.
Ann-Sofie Back doesn’t do savory inspiration; her collections are always a creative battle against or a fight for awareness of some form of oppression/suppression or other and the spring-summer collection is no different; a rebellion against Jantelagen.
Ann-Sofie Back | Atelje S/S 2012 illustrated by Dee Andrews
The garments appear almost two-dimensional in their simple paper like forms; crisp, clear and severe. The colours are neutral: white, sand, ink black and office blue maintaining the illusion of inconspicuousness. However, the acute stripes, the use of flattering soft and iridescent organza and careful features such as pin-tucks and precise folds and creases all offend the Jantelagen commandments by being defiant, boldly standing out and exuding confidence. I rarely wear mute colours, but the white apron dress and white skirt and stripy top ensemble would most definitely find a home in my wardrobe.
Ann-Sofie Back’s BACK collection certainly acquiesces far more to conventional inconspicuous and unostentatious fashion. Linen is the ruling fabric in the collection and is constructed into simple, loose shapes, but almost always accessoriesed with the signature motif, the skinny belt, inspired by – wait for it… Spaghetti! The knitwear is unpretentious and though I can’t touch the the fabrics and see how they feel, I have a feeling they would be a pleasure to wear.
My favourites in the BACK line are; the spacious hot pink linen dress and the long blue pleated skirt, very wearable, very chic. The collections haven’t blown my mind though the ideas behind them have certainly provoked curiosity, but they do however have commercial value.
Play the video and watch the show.
All photography by Akeela Bhattay
Categories ,Akeela Bhattay, ,Ann-Sofie Back, ,Article, ,Atelje, ,BFC Tent, ,british fashion council, ,catwalk show, ,Dee Andrews, ,designer, ,fashion, ,Frugal, ,Functional, ,Geiko Louve, ,God, ,illustrations, ,Intellectual, ,Jantelagen, ,LFW S/S 2012, ,London Fashion Week, ,Neautral colours, ,Oppression, ,Rebel, ,religion, ,review, ,September, ,simple, ,Somerset House, ,SS12, ,Suppression, ,sweden, ,swedish designer, ,Swedish Fashion, ,theatre, ,Venue
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