Simon Hollway, Agnona’s Creative Director, was inspired by Helene Schjerfbeck for his Pre Fall ’20 collection. He visited the exhibition on the Finnish artist at London’s Royal Academy and was struck by her highly abstract self-portraits, soft in the colours and strong in the attitude.
He particularly loved the way the head was painted, her pose-that showed how she had seen herself, and the sleek silhouette.
‘I was enchanted by the chilly atmosphere of the portraits, mostly with high necks. And with this collection I want to emulate that cool Scandinavian elegance’.
The collection is an organic evolution from the SS20, keeping the same fluid silhouettes and adding winter coats, richer textures and warmer knitwear. A criss cross turtle neck is the main underpinning, styled underneath a white shirt, with either a trench coat or a masculine jacket over it.
An alpaca coat has an upturned collar, with a leather triangle detail in the corner of the lapel, that adds an elegant way to button up. The soft leather trouser-suit is made rendered even softer with the back of the jacket totally knitted.
Simon has experimented with a new technique for the pleated skirt, a fine wool jersey, permanently pleated in order to keep its delicate shape. In Jonquil yellow, the skirt is worn underneath a cashmere and silk draped sweater.
The prince-of-wales check motif of the wool cashmere coat seems blurred thanks to the brushing process – an Agnona signature. A similar technique is applied to the lapels cut from a spazzolino Alpaca cloth, treated in a such way that it looks, and feels, like fur.
In 2020 Agnona will add to it’s already responsible fabric sourcing – the Noble fibre fabrics woven in the the Agnona Mill, which is a net provider of electricity to the grid: the water used in the production gets purified before it goes back in the eco system.
New and significant initiatives include:
The viscose blended with wool in the House cady is now fully sustainable. While recycled Polyester is used to create the stretch in wool trousers. Recycled nylon has been used for coat linings and padded styles are made from layers of recycled cashmere fibre. Shirts are cut from Organic cotton and one group of handbags are crafted using recycled wool felt.
