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Tag archives for Another Magazine

Camera shy they ain’t

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A model wearing Yves Saint Laurent haute couture from 1978 in Candy Magazine. Photo by Andreas Larsson.

I first came in contact with Andreas Larsson when I, together with some friends, made an independent, arty fashion publication. This was in the early 2000s and Andreas shot a men’s story for us. During that time he was very influenced by the prevailing documentary fashion photo inspired by art photography that became big in the 1990s.

Some time after that I recall him telling me that he had decided to start working with real models, mirroring the fashion world’s move towards more obvious beauty, which was a main story during the 00s.

Since then Andreas has moved up in the world, these days shooting advertising for Lanvin menswear and working regularly with Dazed & Confused, Fantastic Man, 10 Magazine, Bon Magazine. Just to name a few.

I asked him to send me a photo that he liked at the moment and he sent me this shot from Candy Magazine, a fashion magazine for transvestites, drag queens and transsexuals.

Andreas’ story is not uncommon for Swedish photographers working in fashion. Come to think of it there are many great ones from Sweden. The most successful one is of course Mikael Jansson who is one of a few elite photographers working at the absolute top level – regularly shooting campaigns for Calvin Klein and the top Vogues.

There are others. John Scarisbrick shot for legendary fashion and pop culture bible The Face in the 90s while Polish-Swedish Kacper Kasprzyk has landed both prestigious campaigns such as Yves Saint Laurent menswear and lucrative ones – this spring he’s shot the Gucci eyewear campaign. Needless to say, he also works for high-profile publications (Harper’s Bazaar, Another Magazine, Vogue Japan).

And that’s just the guys. Martina Hoogland Ivanow is as much an art photographer as a fashion photographer, if not more so. But with a Prada campaign on her CV you can’t escape naming her as one of Sweden’s top names. Camilla Åkrans is soon rivalling Mikael Jansson in stature with her work for Numéro and campaigns for Missoni and Sisley. Lina Scheynius’ soft and intimate style has been making waves for a few years now, while Louise Enhörning is another female photographer whose forte is to capture the beauty of teenage girls in a respectful way (a talent that landed her jobs for Teen Vogue).

When you start looking at fashion photography from Sweden, I think it’s difficult to say that there is a certain style. In this I think it says a lot about the restrictions on Swedish fashion when people have to sell clothes to the Swedish public. When creative fashion people from Sweden can do as they like and they have a global audience, the style they develop might sometimes be minimalist, but many times it is as much a break with this aesthetic as anything else.

Daniel Björk - Fashion

April 18, 2011

The strong women of Swedish pop

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Lykke Li, a fashion icon for our times. Photo: EMI

When it comes to fashion icons, Sweden might be best known for old Hollywood glamour queens like Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. At the moment though, Sweden’s female music artists are not only making a splash internationally with their edgy music, but also with their strong imagery.

In some ways, Sweden has been producing interesting liaisons between fashion and music for some time. I’m not talking about ABBA, but of female artists such as Neneh Cherry, who was born and grew up in Sweden, or her half-sister Titiyo – both of them have an extensive Azzedine Alaïa collection to prove it. Being part of London’s buffalo scene, Neneh Cherry was also crucial in creating a look that still inspires more than 20 years later, even popularising it with the mega hit Buffalo Stance.

Today the names have changed. Robyn, Fever Ray and Lykke Li are all pop stars who are well loved by the international fashion crowd, and in a way they continue this proud tradition of fiercely independent and original women.

Fever Ray intrigues with her dark and mysterious videos like When I Grow Up or If I Had a Heart, but also bests Lady Gaga with weird gala outfits. Lady Gaga even seems to borrow from her sometimes (original/copy).

Robyn has also been a champion for interesting Swedish independent designers, wearing a Patrik Söderstam jacket on the cover for her eponymously named 2005 album – but she’s no stranger to working with other nationalities either, just have a look at the incredible tube dress by Australian “body architect” Lucy McRae in the video for Indestructible.

Lykke Li, who has just released her album Wounded Rhymes is next in line to be interviewed and featured by the international fashion press – just yesterday I read about her in the new issue of Another Magazine. Her style is more goth than anything else, but there is power in her look, a raw sexuality that is totally on her terms, as seen in the first video from the album, Get Some.

Looking at this I have a feeling Sweden produces unique artists who are not afraid to make strong fashion statements. They all seem to be women. On this day, the International Women’s Day, I can honestly say it is something that makes me proud.

Daniel Björk - Fashion

March 8, 2011