Twisted visions of American Civil War

Uniforms worn by federal soldiers who took part in the blood-drenched American Civil War inspire the Fall/Winter “Uncle Sam” collection of Danish designer Asger Juel Larsen.

Asger’s childhood fascination with the 1860s gets twisted in a Gothic direction in this collection, which uses hard and soft fabrics, from cashmere and wool, to leather and tough Japanese denim. The boots were designed in collaboration with British rock n’ roll footwear brand Underground.

Asger, who graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2009, isn’t the only Danish designer giving a nod to the U.S. Civil War. As previously observed, Soulland’s designer Silas Adler also looks back to the 1860s in his A/W “Civilized” collection.
Photographer: Ellis Scott

Post offices give fashion stamp of approval

The postal service in Denmark today unveiled two fashion stamps at City Hall in Copenhagen which pay tribute to the contribution to Danish culture made by fashion designers. Accessories by Silas Adler, the founder of the Soulland menswear brand, are featured on one of the stamps, while a sketch by Malene Birger of a design for women appears on the other. These aren’t the only designers in the Nordic region who can brag about stamp tributes. Minna Parikka, the queen of sexy high-heels, was recently honored with a postage stamp in home country Finland.

Battle of Gettysburg inspires Soulland

The Soulland A/W 2011 collection, called “Civilized,” is inspired by the one of the greatest conflicts in American history: the battle between the North and the South over states’ rights and slavery. Danish designer Silas Adler has taken a close look at the life of soldiers during the bloody and tragic war, which culminated in 1865 following the famous battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

Adler and his colleagues at the Copenhagen-based company studied the uniforms of the soldiers who fought the war and the flags under which they served.

“We were particularly inspired by the portraits of the time and the sense of honor in the soldiers that comes across in their portraits,” the designer says in a written comment. Special attention was paid the soldiers’ pockets and collars.

“There were many different levels of status in the troops and their clothing showed where in society they belonged. Within these layers we especially looked at the hobo soldiers. Their layering was a great inspiration throughout the development of the collection.”

Soulland wows the crowd

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Silas Adler has come a long way since he started producing T-shirts at age 17 as an excuse for not going to school. His brand Soulland, now sold all over the world, is best-known for its fedora hat married to a baseball cap. However, there wasn’t a fedora of any sort in sight on Wednesday night, when Soulland showed its latest collection in Copenhagen. I did see an impressive range of trenchcoats, blazers, jerseys, chinos, shorts, leather jackets and even a suit. The large crowd packed like sardines around the runway roared its approval.