Another “stretch” from A. Roege Hove
This review is brought to you in collaboration with Bolou Fine Jewellery
READ THE ORIGINAL VERSION IN DANISH HERE.
A. Roege Hove, Monday, August 5th 2024 at 4 PM, Slagtehusgade
From the very beginning, Amalie Røge Hove has approached knitwear in her own distinctive and striking way: treating it as a textile, a medium shaped by its content. Starting with small bags that could stretch into squares, spheres, and soft forms, she then progressed to styles that, in line with the era’s emphasis on broader diversity in fashion, allowed the knit to mould itself to the body. Sometimes stretched to its limit, other times densely compact, but always defined by the person wearing it.
In this collection, her first since the winter’s bankruptcy and subsequent comeback with new investors, the material’s devotion to the body’s form was countered by another idea: knitwear as an immutable framing of the body. This framing was evident in cardigans and skirts, but also in dresses where inserts of different knits allowed a new form of volume to emerge. This design shift undoubtedly makes parts of her collection more commercially viable. For, ideology aside, many people prefer clothing as a cover rather than highlighting every rise and fall of their bodies. However, this also makes the styles more predictable – and on a runway, a bit less captivating.
But. Amalie Røge Hove has not settled for designing more practical cardigans alone. True to her trademark since her education, she has also challenged her material in this collection. She allowed ribbed knits to decay into complex patterns, combined them with transparent fabrics, and presented a simple black knit that appeared almost inside-out, looking stunning on a top paired with a short skirt. In several styles, including a beige set worn by stylist Helle Høgsbro Krag, the knit was paired with a dress in ‘real’ fabric, offering an extra dimension previously guaranteed by the interaction with bare skin.
One might say that the wow-factor we are accustomed to from A. Roege Hove’s parades of knit and body positivity was missing from this show. However, one could also argue that there are limits to how many times one can recreate that particular magic. I firmly believe that with these styles, she can embrace a new audience and further extend her brand’s reach – and given her history, that’s no small feat. She can reach a broader audience and continue to explore knitwear as a material – something both she and we deserve.
This review has been translated using ChatGPT.
See a selection of the show looks below and see the entire collection here.
