SS20 | AF Agger was a summer pop-up shop and installation by our neighbours on Gothersgade, the alternative clothing brand AF Agger, who showcased their new collection, SS20, a colourful patchwork of dress essentials that blossom with critical optimism–wishing to bring positivity into focus as we collectively moved forward in the much changed situation coming out of the Covid-19 shutdown, and looking to achieve a new focus on sustainability and/or new creative approaches in the clothing and fashion industries.

2020 has in many ways not turned out as foreseen, with shutdowns caused by the presence of the coronavirus having changed some of the social behaviours we have otherwise taken for granted. The restrictions on movement and congregation in public space have also engendered a ‘quarantine of consumption’, leading us to reflect on, reconsider, and reset some of our human values. This has been a time of recession, but must also be seen as a time of opportunity that can foster new habits and ways of thinking and acting.

This context and situation has only served to underline the relevance and timeliness of AF Agger’s belief that sustainability is about making something of lasting worth. It is important to AF Agger that the end-consumer understands that AF Agger is not to be perceived as a fashion brand but as something you invest in. AF Agger envisions garments that can be passed down the generations, like timeless pieces of furniture, because well-made objects mean you’ll need less of them.

Looking to make use of already existing materials and techniques, rather than producing yet more, the collection has partly been produced in collaboration with the French print house Les Olivades, which is one of the last remaining block print houses in the world that still works with original techniques. It also introduces fabrics that date back to the 1980s, which have been made into patchwork pieces, including a jacket, trousers, shorts, shirt and bucket hat, reusing materials that would otherwise have been wasted.

Thinking in the same terms of durability and sustainability, AF Agger have also made use of linen, a strong and long-lasting material which is easy to maintain and ages beautifully. In the long term, AF Agger wishes to lead the way in changing how the clothing and fashion industries produce and distribute, in pursuit of disrupting the way we perceive and how we buy clothes.

AF Agger’s Kathrine Agger came to the conclusion, after twenty years of working in various areas of the fashion industry, that there had to be an alternative to loud, fast-paced global consumerism. Her answer was simple: to do the opposite; to slow down and produce relatively few pieces as close to home as possible in order to reduce air miles. Come and enjoy the results in this summer’s pop-up project organized by AF Agger in collaboration with SixtyEight Art Institute.

AF Agger is based in Denmark and was founded in 2012 with the aspiration of creating sustainable products of lasting quality and style, made using only the best craftsmanship and luxury materials available. The brand embodies an understated and effortless aesthetic, which empowers the wearer and allows personality to stand out, similar to how a best supporting actor or actress helps bring out all the captivating facets of the main role.

Each collection is based on classic materials and one or two classic items which are special to us, be it the mackintosh, the duffle coat or the white T. Driven by beauty, functionality and comfort, collections should be seen as a string of the best versions of the must-haves of the season. As should the brand be seen as the construction of one wardrobe. Made to last.

Kathrine Agger is a design graduate from the Royal College of Art in London and an award-winning stylist.