FLORENCE, ITALY — As a general matter, when designers say things such as “This season was about comfort,” the statement elicits, at best, an eye roll. For Spring 2027, though, when Sunflower’s Ulrik Pedersen cited the comfort exuded by his clientele, alongside individuality and ‘rock souls’, as his muse, the sentiment struck home.
Sunflower SS27
The latest Sunflower outing emphasised leaner, breezier shapes, as well as fabrics that appeared demure from afar but, up close, revealed muscularity and winsome gravitas. A case in point, apropos of the fabrics, was leather, which plays a central role throughout the season and ranges from slim, cropped biker jackets worn with matching leather trousers to military-inspired parkas.
Other examples included the full-length coats that brought a quirkier edge to the collection, which otherwise read as modest but evinced real grit. The looks featuring double-breasted jackets further underscored the theme. “This concept stays very true to Sunflower and where we come from. Bringing in artists from the Copenhagen scene felt completely natural to us,” notes Ulrik Pedersen. “At the same time, when we visited Florence, we really connected with the people and energy of the city, so we decided to do part of the casting there instead of Milan. That became an important part of the project.”
Sunflower SS27
Sunflower SS27
These were not clothes for shrinking violets. And this season’s relaxed tailoring – taking cues from the noughties – though more fluid in effect, exuded a sense of authority. The collection was also about softness. That quality could be seen in the linear tailoring and in much of the silky, lustrous shirting. One note, however: Pedersen should have invested more heavily in this louche approach in previous seasons; frankly, a few silhouettes have felt somewhat muddled over the years.
Nothing really popped. The mood and wear-anywhere ease were another story, though, with lovely explorations of volume and, once again, function. Pedersen’s best work sees him giving timeless classics a slouchy spin, to the extent that his clothes possess an aesthetic quality rather than a merely technical one. Odds are that his ingrained sense of cool will continue to earn him attention in the years to come.
by Chidozie Obasi