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Astrid Andersen has never been one to follow the script. After shaking up the menswear scene with her namesake label—fusing luxury tailoring with sportswear silhouettes long before it became a trend—the Danish designer is now channeling her vision into STEL, the fashion and lifestyle brand she launched in 2024. If her menswear work was about subverting norms, STEL is about refining reality. And with Collection 05, debuting at Copenhagen Fashion Week, Andersen proves she’s found a rhythm that feels entirely her own.
Rooted in modular wardrobing and designed for the blur of everyday life—where work, movement, and personal expression overlap—STEL’s latest offering is a study in comfort and confidence. “Approaching something new with STEL, I really wanted to sit at the centre of the brand,” Andersen says. “Being back home in Scandinavia reminded me of my heritage—thoughtful, lasting design, whether in fashion, furnishings, or architecture.”
The collection delivers exactly that: a sharply constructed yet wearable uniform of contemporary essentials. A green nylon flight bomber—paired with matching trousers—offers a fresh take on utilitarian tailoring. Pleated skirts over houndstooth trousers, asymmetrical cardigans, and tied shirting encourage layered silhouettes and subtle disruption. It’s a brand built to be lived in—refined without rigidity, practical without compromise.
The presentation itself unfolded like a movie set: housed in a vast industrial space, the runway was a sculptural grid punctuated by streetlamps and ambient projections, including a scene from Peter Funch’s Babel Tales. Inspired by Ed Ruscha’s Street Meets Avenue, the show became an urban intersection where models and audience merged—observers transformed into participants in Andersen’s evolving world.
Andersen’s journey to STEL is paved with accolades and cultural clout. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, she launched her menswear label in 2010 and quickly became a name to watch. From early support by Vogue Italia and Fashion East to cosigns from A$AP Rocky and M.I.A.—who tapped her for world tour merch—Andersen has always stood at the edge of what’s next. She landed on Hypebeast’s 100 list, received multiple LVMH Prize nominations, and debuted her first women’s collection at CPHFW in 2017.
Now, STEL represents a return—not to the past, but to something more personal. First unveiled off-schedule in 2024, it has since become a mainstay at CPHFW and a nominee for this year’s Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize. With Collection 05, Andersen isn’t just designing clothes—she’s building a framework for how we move through the world.
STEL is available now at END, Selfridges, Storm Copenhagen, and Stelstores.com.
