Loading

Tag archives for swedish fashion

Ones to Watch: Nhu Duong

Leave a comment

A dress from Nhu Duong's "jpeg" collection.

The second in my series of “Ones to Watch” introduces you to the designer Nhu Duong and her eponymous label. Duong made her Stockholm Fashion Week debut in 2009 after winning the first Mercedes-Benz Young Fashion Industry award the year before and has steadily been garnering buzz in the Swedish fashion scene ever since.

Born in Saigon to a kung-fu master and a tailoress, Duong immigrated to Sweden at the age of seven. Her designs have a familiar Swedish minimalist aesthetic, but there are also definite hints of sportswear and streetwear influences. What sets her apart, however, is the way she constantly challenges the wearer to create something new for themselves with her designs. In the notes for her S/S 2012 collection entitled “Coding,” Duong fervently encourages us to create our own “system of conventions.”

Nhu Duong S/S 2012. Photo by Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of ASFB.

Nhu Duong S/S 2012. Photo by Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of ASFB.

She plays between commerciality and high fashion, mixing unusual fabrics with luxurious ones and blurring the lines of casualwear and formalwear. But we’re not talking about finding that Swedish sense of lagom, where just enough of either side produces some sort of happy medium. There’s a tension to Duong’s clothes that makes them incredibly stimulating – to the body and mind.

Later this month, Duong will explore the edges of commerciality once again with the launch of a new clothing line with her good friend and Swedish blog star turned magazine editor Elin Kling. Called Nowhere, it seems to be based more on the kind of clothes Kling favours (loose jumpers, menswear-inspired trousers, body-con dresses and pointy stilettos), but with a Nhu Duong cerebral touch. In other words, chic, effortless and intelligent wardrobe basics.

How Nowhere will stack up against other Swedish labels remains to be seen, but with a small feature on Vogue.com already (and a countdown on the Nowhere website), anticipation is certainly running high. And definitely makes Nhu Duong one to watch.

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

October 1, 2011

Airing some dirty laundry…

Leave a comment

Whilst in Milan for Fashion Week, I went to a few shows, but the highlight for me has actually been the re-sees. The craftsmanship and actual handiwork in a lot of the pieces is simply not evident from the runway or the runway pictures. Seeing and touching the clothes in person, I could only marvel at the quality of materials and finishing here in Italy. And then I wondered about the dry cleaning bills that these clothes must accrue, which, rather unwittingly, is a trait that most Swedes apparently share.

Let me explain. In my last post, I spoke about the pragmatic nature of Swedes when it comes to fashion, mainly to do with comfort and style. But it also extends to the care of clothes – namely, if it can’t be machine-washed, Swedes ain’t gonna buy it. Which I’ve been told leads an overwhelming number of Swedish labels (high street to designer) to use washing machine-friendly materials when maybe they want to use, say silk for example, instead. And you can almost forget about any heavy beadwork.

But this (begrudgingly?) accepted wisdom on behalf of both consumers and designers could also stem from the fact that dry cleaning is outrageously expensive here. I took a single “fancy” (read: silk georgette by a New York designer) dress to my local dry cleaners in Stockholm and it cost me near 300 kronor. The cost to dry-clean a similar “fancy” dress in New York City? Nine bucks, or roughly 61 kronor, according to friends there right now. I saw a sign here in a Milanese shop advertising 5kg of dry cleaning for 14 euros, or roughly 129 kronor. Five kilograms!

Maybe the exorbitant dry-cleaning prices in Sweden are actually a subconscious act of protectionism? Forget about those extravagant Italian/French/New York/London labels! Buy locally instead! We’re machine-washable! Hurrah! The irony, of course, is that once again, Swedish pragmatism is winning over the world. I’ve seen people actually clap their hands in delight when they discover the coveted item of clothing from the latest Swedish label can be thrown into the wash. No joke, it’s the little victories like these that are winning more and more people over to Swedish fashion.

But selfishly, would it really hurt to try to bring down those dry-cleaning prices just a little bit? Pretty please?

 

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 27, 2011

It’s gotta be the shoes?

1 comment

Pistol Short boots by Acne

I’m in Milan right now for Fashion Week. And though I’m a bad (read: indecisive) packer at the best of times, I’m not going to lie – I really agonised for days over what to bring/wear/take-just-in-case. Milan is notoriously well-heeled, while Fashion Week normally produces the best show of heels. Which brings me to the heart of my packing dilemma. I didn’t want to wear high heels to Fashion Week. Hobbling about from place to place is not my thing, though judging from the glamorous street style snaps and by loitering about the venues, it seems that everyone else here is doing fine. (Somewhere someone is probably trying to rip the “Fashionista” Brownie badge off my jacket. Good thing I left it at home.)

Now I realise that the goings on at a Fashion Week are not particularly representative of real-world style, but my rather vain dilemma and the sheer quantity of street style photographers here got me thinking. Is it an overwhelming sense of pragmatism that makes Sweden a darling of the street style brigade? Big-name photographers like the Sartorialist and Facehunter often cite Sweden as one of their favourite places to shoot and have the multitude of photos to prove it. In them, you’ll often find ankle boots instead of 120mm stilettos, loose trenchcoats in place of restrictive pencil skirts, etc.

It’s easy to look fashion-y. But to look stylish with clothes made for everyday life?  Not so much. Hey, “pragmatic” may not be overtly sexy, but it’s just as intriguing because what you’ll see first is individual style and not a piece from so-and-so’s collection.

To bring it back to shoes, my point is perhaps best illustrated by Acne’s Pistol Short boot. Considered to be part of their permanent collection (they have at least one each season, and will often come in different colours) and clocking in at 75 mm-high, Pistol Short has been called the “best ankle boot on the planet” and copied so many times over I’ve lost count. As a result, hordes of people around the world own a pair of Pistol Short boots, or at least a similar approximation of it, and without fail the boots effortlessly blend into any outfit. Adaptable, pragmatic and egalitarian… the Pistol Short boot could be the archetype of Swedish fashion and Swedes in general, no? And how many other countries can claim that?

 

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 23, 2011

Ones to Watch: Altewai.Saome

Leave a comment

Altewai.Saome S/S 2012 (Photo by Kristian Löveborg)

For the uninitiated, though it isn’t even officially autumn yet, in the weird and wonderful world of fashion we’re in the midst of S/S 2012 fashion weeks – New York wrapped up last week, London is nearly over, next stop Milan and finally, Paris. Yes, that’s Spring and Summer. Two thousand and twelve. (How I wish I could just skip over winter just like that…) To confuse matters even further, Stockholm held their S/S 2012 shows over a month ago in August. I attended the shows and distinctly remember feeling weirded out then, too.

But I also remember having that giddy feeling, the one you get when you’ve just discovered something new, exciting and critical to your well-being. Or that’s what I’m telling my bank. In my opinion, there were a few standout shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm and I’ll be sharing them with you over the course of the next month or so.

First up, Altewai.Saome. If you blur your eyes together a little bit, I swear it looks like “Awesome”, which could just be my burgeoning Asperger’s or the honest truth. In any case, the design duo of Natalia Altewai and Randa Saome totally impressed me with their sport-inspired S/S 2012 collection, only their third since founding the label in 2009 in Malmö. Neoprene and perforated textiles were neatly juxtaposed against silk and crepe. Sporty, voluminous tops and jackets were paired with sophisticated pencil skirts.

Altewai.Saome S/S 2012 (Photo by Kristian Löveborg)

Altewai.Saome S/S 2012 (Photo by Kristian Löveborg)

Altewai.Saome S/S 2012 (Photo by Kristian Löveborg)

Altewai.Saome S/S 2012 (Photo by Kristian Löveborg)

The most striking element, however, was the level of craftsmanship involved in each outfit. Both designers have spent time working in Italy for some big fashion houses, which frankly shows with their use of intricate beading, textural play (rectangular sequins and waves of chiffon, for instance), colour choices and overall level of finishing. Arguably, Altewai and Saome’s Swedish roots do come through with the simple cuts and accessibility of the collection – though incredibly beautiful, it’s all still easy to wear.

If the after-show buzz was anything to go by, I wasn’t the only one impressed by the S/S 2012 Altewai.Saome outing. And with a concept store in their hometown (i.e., not Stockholm!) and an online shop already under their belt (the A/W 2011 collection is now available), I think it’s a safe bet we’ll be seeing much more of this mould-breaking label here in Sweden and eventually, further abroad.

(See the runway show in all its glory here.)

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 20, 2011

Knit Wit

Leave a comment

Hand-made copper crochet top by Sandra Backlund (photo by René Habermacher)

Fact: It’s already been several weeks since the weather got all autumnal on us here in Sweden. For many, this just signals the inevitable descent into winter darkness, but for me, it means I can happily bust out the knitwear. Being cocooned in soft wool or cashmere ranks highly on my list of life’s little pleasures. But for a few years now, there has been a Swedish designer defying the cosy conventions of knitting and creating something entirely her own.

Sandra Backlund graduated from Beckman’s College of Design in Stockholm in 2004 and promptly set up her own label thereafter. Hand-crafted (by her own hands), three-dimensional collage knitting became her hallmark, and all her pieces were special orders made-to-measure. Fêted as an “artist-designer,” Backlund’s works have therefore felt right at home in several museum exhibitions around the world.

Like many others, I marvelled at the intricacy and (wo)man hours involved in each piece. But what really struck me was the sheer innovation needed to create such sculptural clothing. The term ‘body-conscious’ took on completely new meaning – the human body was deliberately emphasised or contorted through the layers of built-up yarn. I was intrigued: What kind of mind comes up with such novel forms? Or is there perhaps some innovative spirit inherent in Swedes? The list of ground-breaking Swedish inventions is impressively long given the size of its population.

For her part, Backlund has not rested on her fashionable (and hard-earned) laurels, instead choosing to evolve. Over a year ago, she started working with an Italian producer of knitwear, challenging herself to add pieces to her collections that would only require a limited amount of manual work.

“It was, of course, a big step for me,” she says, “to go from working alone in my studio, inventing pieces while doing them myself by hand, to suddenly be working with a team of experts within a field of fashion that I never before have had the chance to get to know. I was overwhelmed by all the possibilities I saw and even though I will never give up doing my hand-knitted pieces, I now see how to develop my collections in ways that I never thought was possible.”

Backlund’s  A/W 2010 collection was the first time she started integrating other fabrics into her designs. She pushed herself to apply her iconic knitting techniques to cutting and tailoring, which resulted in familiar-looking yet more retail-friendly ribbed, angled and folded pieces. For S/S 2011, Backlund started experimenting with metal yarn made from 100% copper to stunning effect. So now that we are nearly in full-on autumn mode, I’m beginning to think that I need to innovate, too and start embracing the sculptural side of knitwear for myself.

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 16, 2011

Design o’ the Times

Leave a comment

The future of Swedish design? (Melonia by Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf)

A common theme running through my last few posts has been the spreading influence of Swedish fashion worldwide. Another is that perhaps the perception of Swedish fashion as a one-trick pony (“cool minimalism”) should start being revised. Both are especially the case when you view contemporary Swedish fashion alongside its other design cousins: textiles, furniture, product design, graphic design, etc.

Let’s look at some internationally renowned Swedish design: Orrefors produce exquisite glass, but they are not afraid to push the boat out a little and even recently landed Karl Lagerfeld as a collaborator. Multi-disciplinary design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune believe in entertaining through design, which comes shining through in their furniture, lighting, buildings and interiors. Meanwhile, Svenskt Tenn and 10-gruppen – predominantly known for their textiles – allow bold colours, prints and whimsy to run riot. Do you feel that façade of Swedish same-ness crumbling yet?

In fact, diversity in Swedish design is being championed during the Design Festival in London that starts this weekend. Featuring various exhibitions, seminars and talks, Hemma: Swedish Design Goes London will explore the varied landscape of Swedish design now. First up, some 50 designers and companies (a good mix of established and up-and-coming) will be exhibiting their works at the home of the Swedish Ambassador. Special Library Talks will shed lights on the trends within Swedish design and architecture, while there will be several chances to have fika (Swedish for an informal gathering of friends for coffee, sweet treats and a chat) with individual designers and companies.

Hemma will also celebrate emerging designers with ung8, a juried selection of Sweden’s best young talents. From industrial design and furniture to ceramics and new concepts, ung8 represents the future of Swedish design. And whilst they aren’t going anywhere soon, a retrospective of Claesson Koivisto Rune will be held at the Skandium shop in Knightsbridge.

So what can we learn about Swedish fashion from Swedish design? If Hemma: Swedish Design Goes London has anything to do with it, it’s that diversity whilst maintaining a strong identity is key to winning over the world.

These Whyred x Folkform candleholders are part of the exhibition at the Residence of the Swedish Ambassador in London.

Hemma: Swedish Design Goes London runs from the 17th to the 25th of September and is a collaboration between the Swedish Institute, the Swedish Trade Council, Svensk Form and the Embassy of Sweden in London. Visit the website for locations, dates and opening times.


Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 14, 2011

Quirky Sweden?

Leave a comment

If you were to ask people on the street here and abroad to describe Swedish fashion, you’d probably get words like minimalist, cool and skinny jeans. But how about quirky? No? Well, I’m beginning to think so. Scratch beyond the slick surface and I promise that you’ll discover a land of Swedish fashion teeming with colour, prints and above all, humour. And it’s spreading worldwide.

Take, for instance, Swedish Hasbeens. The successful shoe company was founded in 2006 with the mission of providing “more incoherent and fun shoes.” They started with clogs, but now have boots, loafers and even bags that come in bright, cheerful colours. People who love Swedish Hasbeens really love Swedish Hasbeens. Lest you think this is all very frivolous, the label also has a strong sustainability message, which is in bang in line with Sweden’s reputation for environmentalism. But what I love most about the label is their wicked sense of humour:

I still laugh every time I read the tagline. (Photo by Maria Riazzoli)

Another Swedish accessories brand making their mark globally is Happy Socks. Doesn’t the name say it all? Again we have bright colours, but also a myriad of prints from stripes, dots, batik and squares. These socks literally bring smiles to people’s faces. It’s infectious. The duo behind this simple yet effective concept come from an advertising background, so they have both the creative and strategy sides of the business down pat. They know how to keep things fresh with new designs, but also with international collaborations. My favourite so far? Giles Deacon. Even the box the collection came in was irresistible.

With news that Monki has opened up a shop this week in the famed Selfridges department store in London, it’s only a matter of time until the dreamy, individualistic (and attractively priced) Swedish label storms into the rest of the English-speaking world. With shops already across all of Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands and Hong Kong, girls and women alike go mad for the slightly off-kilter separates and fun prints and colours. It’s Swedish design with a delightfully creative twist. Illustrations, music and monkifriends also merrily meet in the Monki world.

Perhaps what these three Swedish labels share is that they could all be considered a “cult label” – a dedicated following, somewhat niche and for those who happen to be “in the know.” But as their reach and ability to inspire people around the world extends further and further, they may just be the labels to finally make people think “Quirky Sweden.”

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 9, 2011

Inside the jewellery box…

Leave a comment

Fannie Schiavoni harness (photo courtesy of the designer)

There was a time – two years ago? – when all I would accessorise with was my vintage 60s Seiko men’s watch and wedding band on my left wrist/hand, and another simple band or two on my right hand. Now I’m constantly hosting “arm parties” and sporting a knuckleduster of some sort. (The watch and wedding band remain.) Given my magpie tendencies, I’m surprised that it has taken me this long to get into jewellery. And when I say “get,” I really mean “obsessed.”

Jewellery, however, is a very much a personal thing. You’ll undoubtedly have your own preferences, but here’s what I generally look for in a piece, in no particular order:

  1. Chunky
  2. Punky
  3. Funky
  4. Not insanely expensive (read: Cartier)

This usually translates into silver or brass over gold, but still “designed” in some way. Luckily for me, Sweden has produced several jewellery designers that fit the bill. Which I’d like to think has something to do with Sweden’s long and strong history of silversmithing. (Dating back to 1298, the first silversmith workshop in the country was located just outside Stockholm.) Or maybe it has more to do with modern Swedish graphic design – simple shapes and an overall clean aesthetic.

Whatever the influence, I’d like to bring to your attention three Swedish jewellery designers on my radar for awhile.

David & Martin

Design duo David Andersson and Martin Lasson met at Konstfack in Stockholm. They started out in furniture design, but have since gone on to create timeless jewellery collections with distinct themes (e.g., Chicken Feet, Cells or Facet). While they have collaborated with other big Swedish names such as Acne, Weekday and NK, it’s not everyday you can name-drop Karl Lagerfeld into your curriculum vitae. I wear the stacking rings from “Cells” nearly everyday.

Viveka Bergström

Now based in Paris, Bergström “makes costume jewellery with the heart of a fashion designer.” Her pieces have been seen on Swedish sensation Robyn, Beth Ditto of The Gossip and Madonna, to only name a few! A little bit more on the eclectic side, Bergström studied at Beckman’s College of Design. Inspired by science-fiction, nature and beauty, think geometric shapes, crystals and angel wings. I want it all.

Fannie Schiavoni

Swedish-born Schiavoni moved to London when she was 18. She interned at Hussein Chalayan and Giles Deacon whilst studying at the London College of Fashion. Her 2009 graduate collection was bought by Browns and she has been the recipient of the New Gen award from the British Fashion Council every year since 2009. Schiavoni’s trademark is chainmail, but with a background in tailoring and emphasis on handicraft, there’s something rather delicate about her metals. You’ll find her pieces at places like 10 Corso Como or Barneys and on people like Lady Gaga and Rihanna. I’ve been eyeing the harness (above) since last year…

The David & Martin "Cells" stacking rings are on the index finger.

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 7, 2011

Oh! You Pretty Things

Leave a comment

Josefin Strid A/W 2011

My husband’s parents and aunt and uncle have been in town. They loved Stockholm – the sights, the food, the cleanliness compared to England – but all they could talk about by the end of the trip was how they were having a hard time distinguishing between the men and women. It seems as though Stockholmers are an androgynous bunch.

I can understand their confusion. From what I can see, Swedish males wear much slimmer silhouettes than their Anglo counterparts. They aren’t afraid to show a bit more skin either (low-neck t-shirts or tailored shorts way above the knee, for instance). And in terms of personal grooming, there are hordes of guys with artfully styled hairdos versus what I can only deem as “functional” in England. In short, Swedish men are “pretty.”

The females, on the other hand, aren’t adverse to voluminous pieces that happen to de-emphasise their “womanly” curves. Or what the Black Eyed Peas lovingly refer to as “Lady Lumps.” But I digress. Sweden is also home to “difficult” items of women’s clothing such as flatforms (flat platform shoes), maxi-length skirts and boxy coats. When donned, it looks like a statement – deliberate or otherwise – against the need to look “sexy.”

I believe this “confusion,” however, is accurately representative of Sweden’s progressive attitude towards gender equality. Notions of “male” and “female” roles and qualities are not so black and white here. Or quite the polar opposites. I personally don’t like to buy into gender stereotypes either. Hence all the quotation marks I’ve been using.

Which brings me to fashion’s current fascination with androgyny. Yes, this season several women’s collections showed full-on trouser suits, brogues and ties (Dolce & Gabbana and Paul Smith leap to mind), while Jean Paul Gaultier and Rick Owens are still trying to advance the idea of skirts for men. But whereas female models looking boyish is nothing new (Stella Tennant, Agyness Deyn), people are now talking more and more about Lea T (the transgender model and muse of Givenchy’s designer Riccardo Tisci) and Andrej Peijic (“the prettiest boy in the world”).

Ubi Sunt S/S 2012 (photo: Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of ASFB)

Swedish designers are doing their part, too. Josefin Strid showed skirts for A/W 2011 and even dresses for S/S 2012 – for men. Ubi Sunt employs a type of draping that is usually reserved for womenswear. But perhaps it’s not as primitive as simply “borrowing” elements from the opposite gender. Because another strength of Swedish fashion is its unisex nature. Universal, even. So as androgyny continues to capture the imagination of designers, watch Swedish fashion become an even stronger point of reference. Fashion for all!

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 3, 2011

Home Swede Home

Leave a comment

A typical Swedish look? The Local Firm A/W 2011

“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked.

“Uh, what do you mean?” I countered.

“Well, you’re wearing some pretty wild trainers.” He paused. “And too many colours.”

“Oh.”

We had only just moved to Stockholm and were out on a Saturday night getting acquainted with our new hometown, meeting new people, the whole lot. I thought that being Canadian-born, of Korean ancestry and going out with a boisterous Brit would give me away as a ‘foreigner’, but no. Apparently, it was a pair of Eley Kishimoto trainers and bright pink jacket over a printed dress that did it.

Fast forward four years and those beloved trainers sit at the back of the closet. What’s changed? Besides the inevitable – growing older, being sucked into certain trends – I’m only now realising that Sweden has actually had a profound effect on my personal style.

It is, of course, quite common to be influenced by the culture of the country you live in. Hence the crazy patterned trainers and slightly eclectic dress sense – I had lived in the UK for six years prior to the move. But in reality, my “London look” was not particularly different from my “New York look” or “Toronto look”, just revved up.

A T-shirt from my so-called London days.

Sweden, however, has changed me. Sure, the land of skinny jeans and the sea of head-to-toe black (or grey) at first made me: 1) get even skinnier jeans (Hello, Cheap Monday!); and 2) become self-conscious about my tendency towards prints and colour. But it’s the emphasis on wearability amongst the majority of Swedish labels that has affected the contents of my closet and, perhaps most importantly, my general attitude towards fashion.

I only want pieces that will work with the rest of my wardrobe. I want to be able to wear them on a daily basis. I’m tired of “occasion-dressing” and items that scream a certain season. I want timeless. I want season-less. I want good basics. Comfort is key. But I don’t want boring. I like clever design twists on classics. I love playing with proportions. “Effortless” is my byword.

Unsurprisingly, more established Swedish labels such as Acne, Whyred and Filippa K fit the bill perfectly. They’ve been advancing notions of wearability without forsaking style for years. And as they continue to expand across the globe, more and more people are cottoning on to this Swedish sensibility.

Alas, I never really abandoned my love of bright colours or prints. I’ve merely worked around it the past few years. So imagine my delight upon attending the S/S 2012 shows during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm a few weeks ago. Colour galore, and print upon glorious print. Particular standouts include Minimarket (yellow, head-to-toe florals and leopard print), Ida Sjöstedt (florals again and a delicious red) and Josefin Strid (ombre, turquoise and orange).

But if I had to pick one piece to wear straight off the runway, it was an oversized, bright pink knit hooded jumper at Carin Wester. Unlike the bright pink jacket I donned that fateful night four years ago, however, this jumper ticks all the boxes of my new “Swedified” personal style code.

Carin Wester S/S 2012 (Photo: Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of ASFB)

 

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

August 31, 2011