Tag archives for J. Lindeberg

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm A/W 2012: Menswear Trend Report

The fashion circus is over for this time as you know having read Sabrina’s post from yesterday and as hectic as they are (especially if you are, as I was, reviewing some of the shows over at Bon.se and trying to get the review up within two hours) they are also great fun.

In many ways Sweden’s men are the true fashionistas of Sweden, so a proper look at what was happening over the three days that go under the name of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm needs to include the biggest fashion trends for male consumers.

Ubi Sunt A/W 2012

1. Turtle necks

On the first day of the week, at Filippa K Man, designer Morgan Sundberg explained to me that the turtle neck was back. His words were to be proven true in almost every menswear show over the following days and worn in any way possible from chunky, as at Whyred and Boomerang, to thin, as at Ubi Sunt, or in between: Oscar Jacobson.

J. Lindeberg A/W 2012

2. Quilted

Techno looks were mixed up with more natural-looking materials and the synthetic vibe often came in the way of quilts. Most innovative were J. Lindeberg who showed quilted cargo shorts worn over trousers or leggings, but the material were spotted at Josefin Strid, Boomerang, The Local Firm and V Ave Shoe Repair.

Whyred AW 2012

3. Sixties silhouette

It’s the Mad Men influence that keeps trousers cropped and suits sharp. It was no wonder that it was the mod aficionados at Whyred who did the look in its most clear way, but the cropped trouser suit turned up at Oscar Jacobson and Tiger of Sweden as well.

Josefin Strid A/W 2012

4. Eastern influence

Most obviously seen at the Cheap Monday show where jumpers were wrapped around heads in a way reminiscent of Afghani mujaheddin, Eastern dress styles kept being alluded to throughout the week. Long shirts, reminiscent of the Pakistani kameez were seen at Carin Wester while sarongs popped up at Josefin Strid.

Oscar Jacobson A/W 2012

5. Dandy

The autumn in many ways seem a bit more dressed up than previously, it was a trend we could see at the international shows and it was also evident here in Stockholm. Capes at Oscar Jacobson, Karl Lagerfeld collars at Ubi Sunt and all-grey double-breasted ensembles at Carin Wester – it signals a move away from the more outdoorsy urban looks we’ve seen recently.

V Ave Shoe Repair A/W 2012

6. Styling

In a couple of shows there was a return of styling as a way of making clothes look fresh and interesting. It signalled that fashion designers think we should have some fun with the clothes and adapt them, turn them around and wear them in unexpected ways. This was seen as Cheap Monday, V Ave Shoe Repair and The Local Firm.

All photos by Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of the ASFB.

 

Best of the best

BLK DNM leather jacket: the best?

I find that in Sweden there is a culture of “being the best,” which is not meant to be elitist but instead focuses on quality. From a fashion and design point of view, this often translates into brands – H&M and Ikea aside – not wanting to necessarily be the biggest or most profitable, but simply being the best at what they do. Read more » >>

A template for Swedish fashion

A design by Rohdi Heintz. Photo: Ragnar Lindeblad

Swedish fashion is not comparable to the great powers of style, like Italy or France, but it’s not the case that Sweden didn’t have any successful fashion designers before Acne, Cheap Monday or J. Lindeberg.

If we want to, we could point out that the first couture house, House of Worth, was bankrolled by Otto Bobergh, a wealthy Swedish gentleman. However, he dissolved the partnership early on and he wasn’t a designer.

The first Swedish designer who had an international career was Katja Geiger, designing under the moniker Katja of Sweden. Her style was very Scandinavian, a sophisticated simplicity with influences from folk art and textiles. The career of Katja of Sweden was mainly an American affair, after a big article in the New York Times in the late Forties put her on the map and her style was a reaction to the Parisian ladylike stiffness, a fashion for women with jobs and family and an active lifestyle – a legacy that is still strong as of this day.

The Worth connection returned with Sighsten Herrgård, who in 1969 designed the first menswear collection for the brand, then based in London. A few years before that, in 1966, he had won the Courtauld International Design Competition with a unisex overall, a style which became a signature for him. However, his international career faltered when he decided he wanted out of a contract with a big management company and he relaunched himself as a PR guru and founder of the model agency Stockholmsgruppen.

Besides Katja of Sweden, the most successful Swedish designer was Rohdi Heintz. In the Sixties, as the young head designer for ready-to-wear company Wettergren (Rohdi Heintz by Wettergren was sold at Barneys, Henri Bendel and Saks Fifth Avenue, among others) and as a guest designer for Jaeger of London, Heintz carved out a presence on the international scene. In the Seventies Heintz launched his eponymous line and a decade later he became head designer for Björn Borg. His decision to use the underwear style of the Swedish armed forces as a design model is probably the reason for why today’s Björn Borg is mainly seen as an underwear brand.

Looking at these three examples together, they seem like a template for much of Swedish fashion design. The sophisticated simplicity of Katja of Sweden, the egalitarian thrust of Sighsten Herrgård and the utility inspiration of Rohdi Heintz (who of course did so much more than underwear, but for the sake of argumentation, I simplify). This to me, seems like the bedrock of Swedish fashion, an aesthetic tradition that is still seen in today’s fashion design.

Jessy Heuvelink, J.Lindeberg

I am the head-designer for the Swedish fashion brand J.Lindeberg. I really enjoy the way how people work in Sweden; It is not about you showing your work but everyday you're learning something with somebody else.

The J. Lindeberg woman

CEO Jonas Meerits and designer Jessy Heuvelink at the presentation.

Last night Swedish fashion week pottered on with the presentation of J. Lindeberg’s new womenswear collection. The Swedish brand best known for it’s golf wear has only been doing a men’s collection for a few seasons, after a rebranding and relaunch in 2007.

Fair enough, it wasn’t strictly fashion week, but since J. Lindeberg is one of the Swedish brands which actually has a worldwide brand recognition, it was still an important event.

The new womenswear was presented by the designer Jessy Heuvelink and could best be described as “masculine”, with lot’s of tailored blazers, monk strap shoes and trousers. The focus was on the material and the feel of the clothes, rather than the embellishment – a strategy which might or might not work for women. I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal about how women should shop like men, buying comfortable clothes rather than, well, clothes that are uncomfortable.

J. Lindeberg seem to think there is such a market, since their materials were exquisite and soft. It wasn’t exactly a sexy collection, but rather clothes for women who are perhaps more focused on their own wellbeing than being on display. (Not that there’s anything wrong in wanting to attract attention.)

At the very least it is an option I definitely think should be open to women. I can only imagine what it would be like to have to walk around in uncomfortable but fashionable clothes all the time.