Odd Molly A/W 2012 (photo by Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of the ASFB)
For all the talk about “Scandinavian cool” in the fashion circles (and of course, on this blog, too) – minimalist, utilitarian, limited colour palette, not-trying-too-hard – and the international success of labels that champion said looks, such as Acne, Cheap Monday and COS, there is a flipside. Read more »
The invitation to the Björn Borg show. Photo: Björn Borg
A lot of my time, I’m not in Sweden, but in London. And when you get to the international scene, Sweden could sometimes seem a bit… hm… peripheral. At least it used to be that way. Because these days Swedish fashion is absolutely everywhere. London Fashion Week kicks off tonight with the opening of the new Cheap Monday store on Carnaby Street, while Björn Borg, the underwear brand, is putting on a fashion show at Battersea Power Station complete with performances by Robyn and Coco Sumner. This fashion show extravaganza will be livestreamed on MTV.co.uk.
Acne is showing their women’s wear line in London since a couple of season and it is one of the hottest tickets in town – the spring collection had the critics fawning and is sure to be another hit for the brand.
A few days ago, the Guardian ran an article about how “Scandinavian brands made ‘anti-cool’ fashionable”. Because behind Acne there are a lot of Swedish brands quietly moving onto the shelves of international stores. I noticed it myself where I lived until just a week ago, Windsor. In the more fashion-forward men’s stores in the town, Swedish brands were ubiquitous. From Acne to Our Legacy and Cheap Monday. These days even and old school geeky brand such as Fjällräven has some serious fashion cred. In fact, my intern here at Bon’s London office has one and she’s studying at Central Saint Martins.
To me, the success of Swedish fashion has a lot to do with the way style has moved into our everyday life in the last decade or so. Fashion is not just for parties or for the aristocracy; it is for everyone and every time, so what used to be Sweden’s Achilles heal is now its foremost strength. Having gotten used to making the most out of dressing for the Swedish weather and paired this knowledge with the practicality of Sweden’s fashion consumers (everything needs to be able to be washed in the washing machine, it shouldn’t cost too much, it should last a few seasons), Swedish fashion designers are well equipped for this new brave fashion world where we want to look fashionable all the time – yet still be presentable, professional and practical.
True, Swedish fashion is not only about this, but I believe this to be the core. And these days, when everyone talks about brand DNA, I think we can safely say that Swedish fashion has got it nailed.
One of the fashion-y widgets available on the Stockholm-based Bloglovin'
Last week, hot on the heels of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm, CNN ran a story about Swedish fashion. It spoke mainly about the country’s rising export sales, due mainly to brands such as H&M, Acne, Cheap Monday, Tiger and J.Lindeberg, but it was the end of the article that piqued my interest the most.
Quoting street style photographer Yvan Rodic of The Facehunter, apparently Sweden’s blogging culture has contributed to its global success. A blogger phenomenon himself, Rodic says, “Sweden is a pioneering country when it comes to blogging. In the last decade, people from around the world have started looking at Swedish blogs for inspiration – mostly to enjoy the photos since they don’t necessarily understand the language.” Read more »
B. Åkerlund and one of Madonna's headpieces from the show. Photo: PRNewsFoto/B. Akerlund
It was the most anticipated performance of the year and everyone wanted to see what she would be wearing. When Madonna stepped onto the stage at the Super Bowl half-time performance in a Roman centurion’s outfit designed by the brilliant Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy it safe to say that fashionistas all over the world almost wet themselves with excitement.
But behind every superstar there is a super stylist and in this case, that stylist is Swedish – cue fireworks and celebrations. B Åkerlund has worked with the most famous pop stars of today, including Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Black Eyed Peas, but said about Madonna’s Super Bowl performance that it “was by far the biggest challenge I have ever taken on in my career, and I could not be more honoured to be a part of such an amazing and historical event. […] Nothing could ever come close to working with Madonna on this Super Bowl performance, her attention to detail and commitment to all of her projects is truly inspiring and life changing.”
It was clearly a mammoth undertaking with 500 costumes for everyone from the Material Girl herself to LMFAO, Cee-Lo Green, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A, as well as 100 drum line performers, 150 gladiators and 200 choir singers.
Originally from Stockholm B. Åkerlund left for Los Angeles when she was 14. Since then she’s clocked up an impressive roster of music videos, often in tandem with her director husband Jonas Åkerlund, as well as styling world tours for Black Eyed Peas and Robbie Williams.
She is known for over-the-top dramatic styling and dramatic outfits from the most forward-thinking of today’s designers – an aesthetic that might not seem very Swedish but that works perfectly in the world of superstar music.
And for the Super Bowl performance it fit like a glove, giving classics such as Vogue, Music and Like A Prayer a backdrop of Roman, Egyptian, ecclesiastical and high school influences. Spelled out like that I’m not sure it makes sense but on stage and on TV it sure did. Watch it on YouTube if you don’t believe me.
Judging from the variety of international press (The Daily Telegraph’s Hilary Alexander!) and buyers, the question that running through everyone’s head last week at fashion week in Stockholm probably was, “Who’s going to be the next Acne?” So while dust has barely settled on the A/W 2012 shows, let’s have a look at a few new names in womenswear we should all keep on eye on.
1. Johanna Pihl
Recent graduate of the London College of Fashion and last year’s winner of the Young Fashion Industry award, Johanna Pihl staged her first full-fledged and independent show for A/W 2012. Inspired by the interior design of 18th-century royal palaces but seen through a modern minimalist filter, the result was sleek separates and a colour palette of mainly white, black and gold. Pihl favours body-conscious tailoring and so will appeal to women who appreciate simplicity but with a little edge.
Johanna Pihl A/W 2012
2. Hernández-Cornet
While not “new” in the strictest sense, I suspect many would be hard pressed to invoke this Stockholm-based label when talking about great Swedish designers of the moment. After a standout S/S 2012 collection, Hernández-Cornet did not disappoint with their autumn/winter follow-up. In fact, the chic leather apron dresses, hooded tops and long yet lean silhouettes had the room positively buzzing afterwards. Which hopefully will translate into wider recognition of the label in Sweden and eventually, of course, abroad.
Hernández-Cornet A/W 2012
3. Maria Nordström
The first collection of this avant-garde designer provided welcome relief to a fashion week that many would only associate with casual cool. Influenced by “Catholic ambivalence, where the catwalk is our purgatory,” the visionary Maria Nordström created feminine and sculptural pieces that called to mind such international designers as Rick Owens and Martin Margiela. But don’t let the drama fool you – these are meant to be utterly wearable, as well.
Maria Nordström A/W 2012
All photos by Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of the ASFB.
…has been writing about fashion since the late 1990s. He’s the editorial director at Bon Magazine and writes a recurring column for Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. He thinks the strength of Swedish fashion lies in it being accessible without becoming boring.
… is an editor at Bon Magazine. Born and raised in Toronto, after stints in New York and London she moved to Stockholm in 2007. When not preoccupied with fashion, art and design, Sabrina is known to bake too many cakes and obsess over football and cricket.