Becoming an LVMH semi-finalist this year, three years after setting up her brand as a one-person team in 2020, wasn’t something Berlin-based designer Anne Isabella Rasmussen expected. ‘It was a bit intimidating being around so many amazing people. It was a little crazy, but it was also super nice to see that there are so many other designers that work in tiny teams. It was all an amazing blur.’
Rasmussen’s commitment to her design vision has been unwavering since childhood. A penchant for doodling as a child meant the young Danish-French designer – who grew up between Belgium and Strasbourg – would often be caught drawing during Saturday school. ‘I had a great teacher; she introduced me to live drawing and I thought it was quite fun. It was mostly an interest in drawing that started my love of fashion. It slowly grew from there.’
Littered with dainty patterns often derived from a scanning method, Rasmussen’s whimsical garments are set to become the cornerstone of your wardrobe. Her SS23 collection is an ode to Julio Le Parc and Francisco Sobrino, leaders of the 1960s Op and Kinetic Art movements. Denim pieces are saturated with geometric designs, while retro archetypal garments are warped to give a distinctive new lease of life. Deconstructed knitwear appears in the shape of form-fitting offerings, while boxy jackets and skirts are emblazoned with psychedelic graphics and signature stripes with a futuristic edge. It’s no wonder Gigi Hadid and Saweetie have developed a fondness for the brand. Brimming with life, her pieces have a long-time life-span due to her sourcing techniques. ‘There are some materials that I go back to quite a lot,’ she says. ‘One is recycled polyester that I use a lot in the knitwear, and I work with organic denim. I've built my contacts with different mills in Italy and Germany and I like to go back and use some of the same materials.’
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Launching her brand from the ground up, as many emerging designers find, comes with sizable obstacles. As she charged full steam ahead with plans to set up her namesake label, the pandemic hit. Instead of pausing her thoughts of starting a brand, Rasmussen – never one to shy away from a challenge – proceeded with her plans solo. ‘I made quite an active decision to leave the job I was in and start my brand,’ she explains. ‘I was kind of assessing everything month by month.’
A yearning for nostalgic clothing mainly dating back to the 1960s and 1970s began to inform her work while studying abroad. Having trained in print design at Central Saint Martins and cut her teeth working at Kenzo, Jil Sander and Correges, Rasmussen arrived at her eponymous label with a clear DNA. Naturally, elements of her upbringing worked their way into her designs as Rasmussen grew up absorbing notable architecture and furniture design. ‘My parents don't work in the creative field, but I think that they both have a good eye. I grew up around a lot of Danish design, so our home looked very particular. There is a strong design history in Denmark that I was hugely influenced by.’
It's been a life-changing few months for the creative. Following her LVMH nomination, and her debut at Paris fashion week last March, her AW23 line titled ‘Ammonite’ inspired by research on ‘natural optics and shells’ is soon to hit stores, with an introduction to cracking shell textures and pleats – new territory for the designer. ‘These unexpected elements that come into the collection also give it a little bit of sort of different angles. What I enjoy is to create new things, while still trying to stay true to my identity and experimenting and having fun.’ As for what the next 12 months hold, hopefully dressing Solange – ‘she’s at the top of my bucket list’ – and expanding the Anne Isabella universe to incorporate interiors. ‘I’m quite keen on furniture and interior elements. I worked on a tablecloth for spring/summer 2023 and I’d like to work in furniture and décor.’ If it’s anything like her ready-to-wear, Rasmussen will surely have editors and A-listers alike knocking at her door for a tablecloth – or three.
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