Tag archives for Tiger of Sweden

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.

 

Fashion as spectacle

Josefin Arnell is one of the students showing her graduate collection tonight.

Tonight, if you happen to be in Stockholm, you can attend the graduation fashion show for Beckmans College of Design at Berns Hotel. Tickets are available to the public and can be bought at the door.

Public fashion shows is not a new trend in fashion. In the Eighties, fashion designers such as Thierry Mugler staged gigantic spectacles in stadiums, inviting thousands of people. Swedish designer Carin Wester’s S/S 2009 collection was shown in Berzelii Park outside the main show venue at Berns Hotel so that anyone interested could watch it and each season the Cheap Monday show is open to the public.

From what was essentially a way to show a fashion house’s clothes to the press and buyers, fashion shows have become more and more of a spectacle, a form of entertainment. Although the main idea of the fashion show still is to show the clothes, the show season is more of ritual, prompting some fashion critics, like New York TimesCathy Horyn to toy with the idea of reviewing the collections based on what’s in the showrooms at the so called re-sees.

Public fashion shows are now held everywhere, even in towns in northern Sweden, like Umeå Fashion Weekend, which showcases what’s in store in the town’s fashion boutiques, while brands like Tiger of Sweden show their current collection.

It is fascinating that there is such an interest in watching beautiful men and women walk to music on a catwalk, but I guess it beats some sad cover band playing on the town square. It is fashion as entertainment and performance, perhaps equal to watching those street entertainers who pretend to be statues. It is a day out with the family.

While there are some shows that work well as a performance or art installation, many others will come across as dull presentations of clothes. In the case of Beckmans though, I don’t think at will be the result. Fashion students tend to be a lot more radical in their ideas than most fashion companies. I wonder if people going to see the show will understand anything of the clothes, but maybe the point is just that; to show that fashion can often be strange, startling odd and radical. Not everything in fashion is about the body beautiful.

Hannes Söderqvist

I went to see the show of Tiger of Sweden during the Stockholm Fashion Week A-W11. I really liked the printed dresses on the girls.

Christian Lippich, Tiger of Sweden

I am the designer of Tiger man. For the next autumn-winter collection we focus on the minimalistic – reflecting Tiger of Sweden’s Scandinavian heritage and simplicity. The fabrics used are combinations of classic and hi-tech, pushing the boundaries for innovation.

Ronnie McDonald, Tiger of Sweden

For this collection showed at the Stockholm Fashion Week, we focus on the minimalistic and the perception of changing the collection to more clean and formal.