Always a favourite of London Fashion Week Men’s, the silence and anticipation of crowd at Astrid Andersen’s SS18 show revealed this year to be no different. Astrid Andersen, a woman who confronts the unexpected and makes it desirable. A pioneer in the luxury sportswear game, SS18 proved Andersen remains unrivalled.

Her signature velour comes this season in a moss-like greenish gold, recalling memories of the career-defining oversize velour basketball jerseys of her first ever collection. Other fabrics are more refined; floral satins in Japanese prints are compiled on tracksuits in patches, broken up by sporty black stripes, rich striped silks elevated the collection from streetwear to anywhere.

The often-used ‘safari’ theme is reinterpreted here, as only Andersen can. The flaps of sunbonnet hats trail behind the models as they stomp the runway, and bib-like shirts and loose trousers look as wearable on the streets of London as they would in sub-saharan climates. As usual, Andersen plays with audiences expectations, and we come away jolted, surprised and most of all, thirsty to buy.

Words: Harriet May de Vere