Salute to Ann-Sophie Back

Ann-Sophie Back launched her debut men's collection under her diffusion label BACK for Spring Summer 2006. The collection received critical and commercial success, appearing in Arena Homme+ and 10 men, gaining instant credibility in the men's style stakes.

Back, who has become well known for her subversion of everyday garments, explores clothes and how we wear them to define and disguise ourselves.

Back's application of menswear represents a thoroughly modern approach to design. The Back man shuns fashion but also aspires to be fashionable, a contradiction that permeates through the collection. High-waisted pleated trousers, or jeans rolled up at the bottom forms the starting point of a new silhouette. Worn with double-breasted blazers or double-breasted lambs wool knew and jersey tops in grey or navy.

Jacquard prints on t-shirts, vest tops and button down shirts and jacquard-knit cardigans and sweaters subverts preconceptions of fashionability.

Black leather trousers are awkward and yet sexy. While purple over-dyed lumberjack shirts and jeans provide an unobvious choice of colour that compliments an otherwise somber palette.

Ann-Sofie Back will show her women's mainline collection this week and continues to contribute to Dazed & Confused and Self Service magazines as a stylist.