Classic cuts for the modern man in the AW 2011 collection from Swedish brand Our Legacy. Look book and art direction by Swedish creative enterpreneur Tony Cederteg. Find all styles on their website.

 

By Lydia Kellam

House of Dagmar is a Swedish fashion brand with a lovely style that is easy to fall in love with. Dagmars garments are sophisticated and sensual with a high quality.
They give the classical look with an urban touch and a new face.
Dagmar is this year’s winner of the Swedish award Guldknappen which is one of the most noble fashion awards in Sweden.

The brand launched in spring 2005 by the three sisters Karin Söderling, Sofia Malm and Kristina Tjäder. From that time we’ve all been blessed with their sophisticated collections. The brand is named after their grandmother Dagmar, who also was a great source of inspiration. The same year as the first collection was launched, they won the Swedish award “Rookie of the year”, which is an award for upcoming Swedish designers.

That’s just two of the awards that the House of Dagmar has received for their unique design.his fall House of Dagmars collection has a traditional style with a twisted, more modern touch.
Classic feminine and sensual cuts, adorable details,interesting qualities and a sense for beautiful details and the irregular pleated garments makes the collection very alive and attractive. The combination between advanced details and the classic shape is definitely the core of their work.

The color scheme of the collection run from forest shaded of grey to deep smoked colors and give you the right feeling of the season. With these clothes the fall doesn’t feel that unpleasant at all. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold, rainy or windy. With these garments you would shine every day and you will show great
Intellect and the beauty of a classic feminine body with great character, and the silts detail add a sophisticated sensual look. Enjoy the fall with House of Dagmar!

http://www.houseofdagmar.com

By Lovisa Fris Åsum

With their austere design The Local Firm brings Eastern Europe back to
life. But unlike the fallen empire, The Swedish jeans masters are on a
straight path to worldwide takeover. With perfect shades of gray, color blocking and distinct shapes, The
Local Firm has quickly become a fashion favorite among both men and
women. Founded by Axel Nyhage and Richard Hutchinson in 2007, what
started as a jeans collection has grown to include sharp leather
jackets, signature sunglasses, shoes and accessories.

 

– We want people to instantly recognize our design, said Axel Nyhage
when The Swede Beat met him at the New York showroom earlier this
year.
With his signature haircut, a simple black sweater and matching jeans,
he himself is the perfect spokesperson for the brand

     

Your design is extremely coherent. What are your inspirations?
– When we started we wanted to find an expression that was very
distinct – strong and simple but still convincing. We started to look
for things we liked, and found a red thread back to the German Bauhaus
movement and Eastern Europe. We looked at a lot of architecture and
graphic design from that era. That’s also where the name comes from.
We wanted a name that wasn’t limited to a certain time or a certain
person; we wanted it to feel like an anonymous force. We want to
create a feeling of walking past an anonymous steel door on your way
to work, and having no idea of what happens behind it. That
inspiration is fundamental to all our collections, but for each season
we try to twist it, find a new angle without loosing our strict line.

Why jeans?
– We just love jeans. When we started, there was a lot of Swarovski
crystals and decorations happening. We just said: stop, why do we love
jeans? Well, because we love JEANS. So we went back to this little guy
with his Levi’s poster next to his Madonna poster on the bedroom wall.
Since then we’ve added items to the collections. Our goal every season
is to create the perfect wardrobe. That means everything from fine
jersey to a bomber jacket to a suit… This is something that has been
very appreciated. We use a lot of blocking and different fabrics,
creating a look that is distinct but wearable.
     

To us your aesthetic is very “Stockholm”…
– We try to find our home market in Sweden, New York, Japan… I don’t
think we can really talk about trends any more. Cowboy, mod –
everything exists simultaneously. Just look at Sweden, what’s hot in
Gothenburg isn’t trendy in Stockholm or Malmö. If you take that to the
world, it becomes unending!

You opened your first store in Stockholm last year, what are your
plans for the future?
– World take-over! Haha, well, we’re looking to open a second store,
but we have no date yet. We keep our eyes on all bigger cities where
the brand is represented, or where we want to build a market.
Scandinavia and Germany are in focus next.

You can find The Local Firm in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, The
Netherlands, UK, Germany, Italy, France, United States, Russia and
Australia.

www.thelocalfirm.com

By Katarina Matsson

The Nordic heritage of Vikings became the main inspiration for Minimarket Fall 2011 collection that is a fierce line that explores power, adventure and mythology with voluminous shapes and dominant colors such as rusty orange, bright red, hot pink, dusky grey and black.
Instead of a runaway show Minimarket promoted this line with a creative reel made by Swedish design studio Adamsky.
The video explores the Nordic tradition further and ends with Ragnarök, to symbolize the battles,the series of events and destruction of the Valkyrie legacy.

By: Adamsky
DOP: Axel Lindahl
Music by: Goran Kajfes & David Österberg

By Lydia Kellam

On Tuesday, designer Carin Rodebjer will start of Stockholm Fashion Week, showing her
spring/summer 2012 at Vinterviken in the Swedish capital.

But at the moment we’re more stoked about her fall collection, hitting stores this month. Named “The year of magical thinking” it’s inspired by a solitary figure, somewhere in a European city, preoccupied with life’s greater questions; thoughts of life, lust, love and loss.
With its vibrant use of different kinds of reds, its elegant cuts perfectly balancing on the border between femininity and masculinity, and a silhouette at the same time sharp and soft, Rodebjer’s vision has everything we’re looking for as temperature drops.
And we’re not alone – the collection has already been written up by just about every Swedish fashion blogger.
You’ll find it at Pixie Market, Otte, TenOverSix, Les Pommettes, Milk Boutique and Urban Outfitter’s through “Around the World”, among others, retailing for between $100 to $700.

http://www.rodebjer.com/
By Katarina Matsson

This season the classic tote bag comes with a twist. Maison Martin Margiela and Jil Sander both launched their
luxury versions of the carrier bag – something JujuSweden has been doing since 2009. The Swede Beat caught up with founder Mirja Billestedt.

Why did you start JujuSweden?
– I came up with the idea of a tote bag that stood out from the
standard white cotton tote bag. I wanted and needed one that was made
out of other materials and in a different shape. So I started to
experiment with different materials; I made the first one using
velvet, patent leather and lace.

Your tote bags are all one-of-a-kind. What’s the inspiration behind them?
– As with everything I create, I draw inspiration from the imagery
that I discovered while exploring goth music. I find early 20th
century architechture, shapes and forms, very inspiring – something
that I for some reason relate to the literature genre magic realism
which also inspires me. Maybe that doesn’t make sense right now but
it’ll become more apparent in future designs that I’m working on.

Do you have a dream customer?
– No, not really. I think and wish most people could find my bags
useful and likeable.

Name three places where you’d be happy to run into one of your bags!
– In a church, at the supermarket and anywhere carried by Roy Orbison.
I can imagine him with a NIGHT SHIFT dangling from his arm.

This season designers like Jil Sander and Maison Martin Margiela are
showing luxury versions of the carrier tote bag – why do you think
it’s a trend?
– I can’t really understand why it’s a trend right now or why there
hasn’t been a popular demand for these kinds of bags before. I’ve been
using my bags every day since I first started making them.

By Katarina Matsson

Another Shirt Please was born with the goal of making the perfect shirt. Judging by the young companies success – they succeeded.

Another Shirt Please was formed by three friends in Stockholm at the beginning of 2010. With carefully selected fabrics and mother of pearl buttons it wasn’t long before their first collection sold out. Their recently released Second Edition is sold at the newly opened concept store “Thomas och Kniven” in Stockholm.
With a new website on its way, soon they’ll be launching a full collection. The Swede Beat took the chance to talk to founder Oskar Ödling.

Who are you?
– At the bottom we’re three very different people from different backgrounds. We got to know each other at our earlier workplace (Acne) and today we’re inseparable. In a world full of musts, we became best friends thanks to our common appreciation of loyalty, morality, ethics and the fact that we’ll always watch each other’s backs. That’s not all that common in a career driven society. Our driving force is to be proud of everything we do and never doing something just because. That’s something we’ll never stretch.

Describe the perfect shirt?
– It’s the first piece of clothing you put on after a late night. You wake up and it’s already way to late. You feel like shit but you look damn good.

Can you ever have to many shirts?
– Yes, maybe? Or no. At least we, ourselves, haven’t felt that yet.

How do you get Another Shirt if you’re not in Sweden?
– We are working on our new website, as we speak, that will be introduced in time for our Fall/Winter release. It will have a real webshop, so your shirt is only three clicks away!

You’re presenting a full collection soon – tell us about it!
– We recently finished our sales pitch for the Fall/Winter 11 collection, which will be on the market in August–September. F/W consists of a number of qualities, colors and models, from slim to oversized and light to dark. We only make shirts we want – and will – wear ourselves. Call us egocentric, but that’s how we work!

www.anothershirtplease.com
www.thomasochkniven.com

By Katarina Matsson

Fashion PR and marketing gurus by day – superstar DJs (not according to themselves…) by night and Stockholm locals in-between.
The Swede Beat recently sat down with Elinor Nystedt and Liselott Olovzon of super hip Stockholm-based label WEEKDAY for a chat about fashion, music and Stockholm-living. The girls regularly play at different club nights and are full of quirky tips for the Stockholmer or visitor alike:

So let’s get to know you – who are you, and how do you spend your days?
I’m Elinor, working as a brand and marketing manager at Weekday going back and forth between Stockholm and Gothenburg and other cities all over the world.
And me, Liselott. I also work at Weekday within marketing/PR/events, with a focus on the Swedish/Norwegian and Danish markets. I used to be a dancer from the upper-north of Sweden. I quit dancing and moved to Stockholm and studied economics and marketing.
The days are first and foremost about work – at Weekday there isn’t a single day like the other – the key ingredients of the day are fashion, music, art and we travel a lot. And of course the craft of marketing, our field of work. We get to meet a lot of very interesting people and see great places – we think we’re really lucky f…ers!
And nights?
E: I spend my nights either going to the gym and then home for dinner, reading some books discussing crazy things with my boyfriend and taking it easy. Or I’ll be at a restaurant with my friends. At the moment I love to go to the Opera. I also go to art openings, concerts, clubs and other fun stuff that my friends are arranging.
I’m really not that much for living in between – it’s everything or nothing.
L: I spend it almost in the same way as Elinor. Some work out (I am into pilates at the moment), but I also love to take a long walk with a friend or my boyfriend, two hours of power-walking and discussing life. Lately there have been a lot of visits to the Opera too and I go to the movies at least once a week. On weekends I hang out in nice bars or clubs. But what I like the most is having parties at home, together with my lovely brother and friends.

Great! Stockholm is mental at the moment – why is there so much amazing fashion, design, music etc??
Maybe there isn’t a secret ingredient that makes Stockholm unique. But if you get into a cycle/flow (all working in the art/music/design field), these scenes will flourish. It is all about the climate. We think Stockholm and Sweden has been good at the music field for quite some time now. If you are abroad and say that you are from Sweden – you always gets a music reference [in return]. So there is big confidence there and of course, that spurs on other people to try out new exciting things and continue to work hard without earning almost any money- you don’t give up your dream so easy, because there is a chance that you can make it abroad.
There are great people nurturing the music scene in Stockholm, which keeps it growing and makes it exciting. The great club ‘Fritz Corner’ and the ‘What We Do Is Secret’ team are the best at bookings and deliver great artists and bands to the people.

Swedes are also really good at designing great fashion for affordable prices. Like WEEKDAY(!) and of course this other company called H&M…– There is a big secret ingredient – but we wont tell you what it is…

We also have so many bold designers. By ‘bold’ we mean they are driven at handling their own business at the same time as being so creative. It is hard to combine the business part and still be creative but there are many designers in Stockholm who balance that well. And also Stockholm (as a city) seems to take fashion serious, many cities don’t. For example, you can study fashion at the Stockholm University and there are great exhibitions about fashion history and sociology. [As many people might think] it’s not the government that finances these creative ventures. We believe it is the great people behind it that maintain the flow and make things happen.

So how long have you been DJing?
First of all, we don’t call ourselves ‘DJ´s haha. We ‘play records’. We don’t have the skills to call ourselves DJ´s and we do it mostly for fun, like a hobby. Back in the day Elinor had a small Country Club at Rival. And Liselott played at different places and is one of the members behind the club collective ‘Gräsfolket’ that started 2009 at Kåken, a trendy Stockholm bar. So maybe we have ‘played records’ on and off for 5 years.

We hear you have an awesome DJ name…
Haha, the name ‘Salt ´n Pepper is kind of joke, but our friends have started to use it on a regular basis. And in some way we like it because it is kind of unpretentious and fun.
When we started to play together one of our friend asked us to write a small text about ourselves, for invites and stuff. We were in a hurry and had to write it quickly, so we wrote ‘Like salt and Pepper we complement each other’. We meant it to be for the different music styles we like, and of course our colouring (blond-dark). She thought it was really funny (and of course didn’t put it on the invite… it’s kind of cheesy. But the story was told, and here we are. If we’re in a happy mood we play Salt n´Pepper’s ‘Push It’ at the end of a night- just for fun.

So what do you typically play, who are you influences?
Our range is wide! We love different types of music. Elinor always ends up playing some New Wave from the 80’s, it takes you to a positive bubbly mood and feeling. Liselott loves old Depeche Mode songs, happy but dark at the same time. . We always hung out at the indie clubs when we were younger so indie music in different genres would wrap it up. We get our influences from people that surround us, when we hear a song that we like it hits us hard. We listen to it over and over and then add it in to our set – so we can say that our friends are the biggest influences.

So what does the future hold for Liselott and Elinor a.k.a Salt n’ Pepper?
We are DJ-ing/playing for fun in an unpretentious way. Only playing when we feel it’s the right time for us. We like the variation playing at a fashion party, at a small bar or on an indie dance floor. We love when it feels like ‘home’ and people are relaxed. You never know where you’ll find us!

Ok, we have some quick Stockholm-centric Q&A:
Best cafes:
A café on Elinor’s street in Hornstull, it’s called ‘PO Chocklad & Konditori’ – super small but nice. The pastry chef was nominated as one of the best in 2010. We also like the tea house ‘Classic Tea Room’ located at Rörstrandsgatan, St. Eriksplan. Quite close to our office (at Södermalm), is the ‘Café Kaffe’ which is simple and good. We would say that the Stockholm culture is more for going out having a glass of wine or drinking beer before coffee.
Best daytime hangout:
E: In the summer time balcony drinking is a must in Stockholm. If I’m off work I like to go to some nice exhibitions – the modern museum of art is good and also Magasin 3. It’s nice to just hang out by the water in Stockholm, taking a swim or reading. During wintertime I go for brunch with friends a lot, chatting for hours.
L: I like drinking a glass of Rosé at ‘Mälarpaviljongen’ by the water (Norrmälarstrand), close to my home. Fotografiska museét is one of my favourite places to visit. And of course just sitting in the sun at Södermälarstrand with a good cup of takeaway coffee is always nice (Summer- please come to Stockholm soon!!!).
Best clothing:
Weekday of course!
Favorite Swedish fashion designers:
There are a lot of Swedish ones that we like: Cheap Monday, Ann-Sofie Back, Mini Market, Carin Wester, Diana Orving, The local firm, Nakkna, Rodebjer, Acne and many more.
Best shopping:
Weekday! We do also visit Aplace, Mrs H, The Acne stores, Rodebjer and JUS.
Best restaurants:
‘BAR’, located a bit off track, they have good seafood. ‘Shogun’ a genuine dumpling place that really isn’t a fashion spot, we often go there on Fridays after work, a perfect dining place if you are in a crowd. There’s no music so it’s good for conversations.
‘La Ramblas’, a great tapas place in Elinor’s neighbourhood, crowded though so you need to book a table. There is also a great Chinese place at Hornstull called ‘Ho´s’.
Best bars:
Hmm, we go to the bar at Kåken or to Riche. Or hanging out in a hotel bar. You could find us anywhere really… we never know. Depends on the company.
Best clubs:
We like smaller conceptual clubs a lot like ‘Trollkarlens Hatt’ at Riche. ‘Fritzcorner’, is a music club with live acts. ‘Natten’ that only play slow power ballads songs. We are not super loyal though… we go everywhere and nowhere.
Best dancefloor:
It depends on the evening… the best dancefloor is probably in a living room with friends. Otherwise we’d say the best DJ´s and the most space for dancing would be ‘Berns’ or wherever our friends are playing. Or slow dancing wherever ‘Natten’ are playing. If you are in the mood for feeling a little young at heart you can visit ‘Strand’ in Hornstull, there is often a good live act playing and happy kids dancing around.
Best afterparty:
Afterparties are the best during summer time. Then you can sit by the water and talk or take a swim to cool down. It’s light almost 24/7 then…
Best hangover food:
The body needs salt, fat and sugar so something that contains all of that. Maybe a brunch at “Strand” in the sun or a pizza near you’re place – there’s pizzerias everywhere in Stockholm!
Best thing to do hungover:
It is all about getting outside – you feel so much better then. So we have to say get up, go outside, take a long walk, eat something (see above) and then go to the movies or rent a DVD.
Favorite time of year:
In Stockholm, and after the long winters – we have to say summertime! Summer in Stockholm is amazing. You should do all your travelling during wintertime and then spend your summer in Stockholm.
Favorite Swedish word:
We have a 2-worded favorite, a short sentence that we use a lot (since Liselott is from the north part of Sweden and like a mantra when we work) – ‘känn lugnet’ – it means ‘stay calm’ or more like ‘feel the calm”
Ideal Wednesday night:
Get off from work in decent time, go training, take a quick shower, out dining with your love ones or go see a movie.
Ideal Saturday night:
Dining with friends, listen to good music, go to someone’s party, dance and talk the night away. Or go around different bars (one or two drinks at each place). We like going to different hotel bars, looking at people like “are they guests or living here?” – people are always happy at hotels.
Ideal Sunday night:
Just being at home and “känna lugnet”, haha.
Stockholm must-haves:
Weekday (shopping), Trädgården (club), Södermälarstrand + Norrmälarstand (spots). Just hang around near the water. Fotografiska museet, Magasin 3 (art + culture). Kåken & Riche (bars) and of course… The Royal Opera!
Finally, describe Stockholm in ummm 5 words:
Safe, Fashionable, Beautiful, Fun and Flexible.

XO/Liselott & Eli

Interviewed by Samuel Sweetman

Fabulous Stockholm-based sneaker boutique Sneakersnstuff recently collaborated with Converse and the result was the beautiful Lovikka inspired Chuck Taylor All-Star. Named after the small Northern Sweden town of Lovikka, famous for its wool mittens, the shoe has been crafted with knitted off-white wool and a SNS embroided feature as well as a signature Lovikka tassel and sole trim in blue, red and yellow.
These kicks will keep your feet looking cool and cozy, and the timing couldn’t be better to grab a pair with Spring just around the corner!

By Samuel Sweetman

Photo Erik By Erik

NewBlack is trying to go head to head on a market so dominated by American and Japanese brands; the street wear market.

The two brains (anonymous at the time) behind the brand initially met through the world of Graffiti. New Black wasn’t something they planned, it basically was just two best friends that felt like jumping on a new exciting excursion. Living in Sweden where a lot people play the safe cards, they felt like it was refreshing to push the limits in street wear fashion and see what they could get away with.
Hopefully something good will come out of it. Also being able to contribute something valuable to the street wear and sneaker culture in Sweden and cross the borders meant a lot to the founders.

The two best friends of NewBlack says that some of the major references for the “Fake It Until You Make It” line is from growing up in the 90’s, rocking snap back caps, bumping 2Pac and Biggie.

How do you battle the competition out there?
The difference is that we grew up watching the American culture from a distance, yes you can say that a lot of brands are using the same references, but there’s no Swedish brands like that yet. We think Swedes like to wear something local and our main focus lies in the graphics and clever prints.

Many people before us have just found a photo of Biggie and put it on a t-shirt and that’s it. New Black takes it a step further, trying to create something clever and make the customer interact and focusing on the humor.

So in this first release “Fake It Til You Make It” we can see a clear play on NBA and NFL logos as well as typical staple brand North Face, but how are you going to elevate the brand and keep it interesting?
This is just the beginning and somewhat of an experiment really to see where it could potentially take us.
Our focus lies in working with well recognized existing brands and like the name of the line implies – fake it all the way. We want the viewer to look at the brand and recognize the logo, then take another look and realize that some things off and eventually realize that it’s more than “just” a rip-off. The second delivery is already in the making, and yes you will see some of the same elements but not as much in your face.
We have to be real, if we’d start a line printing tee’s with just our logo, no one would have looked twice. we needed to reach out to people before delivering truly unique stuff.
That’s why we’re “faking it”.

Although it’s hard for them to pinpoint another favorite brand, Polo Ralph Lauren comes up as a cult brand that both bring back memories form their youths to still being a brand they rock. As far as their own genre, it’s more about who’s been able to stick around and create a following in the already over saturated street wear market.

It all depends on how you look at it; we’re not crazy about Stüssy, but they’re doing something right because they’ve been around for a long time. The Hundreds, Mishka and Undrcrwn have been doing some really nice stuff for some time now too.

It’s hard saying specific brands these days, because these days it’s all about finding pieces from different lanes and own it. Gone are the days when people stuck with one or two brands, you do that today and you end up looking like a human ad campaign.

Check out NewBlack’s premiere collection at www.newblack.se
The brand is on sale at Swedish street wear shop CaliRoots
www.newblack.se
By Louise Lund

It happens, ever so often, that the shape of fashion changes. If Balenciaga and Balmain defined the 00’s with their sharp and scultural design – culminating with pop wonder Lady Gaga’s signature style – the last season’s clean, minimalist silhoutte can be named ”The Céline Effect”. For Swedish designers, this wearable look is a perfect fit, but during the three intense days of Stockholm Fashion Week f/w 2011 there was something even more remarkable happening on the catwalk: The black–gray palette of Swedish fashion was shifting (and it’s not only to different shades of beige). The Swede Beat takes a closer look at some of the most protruding collections.

The New Color
Carin Rodebjer won her third Elle Fashion Award earlier this year, and her fall collection proves, again, that it was well deserved. The wearable design felt fresh, yet mature. Her elegant, amazon women strode down the catwalk in different shades of red – from metallic pink to soft burgundy – a palette you can be sure to see more of. For different shades of pink–red, check out Whyred, Minimarket, Stylein, Busnel and Filippa K.

The Darkness
Although not shying away from color, Cheap Monday – designed by Ann-Sofie Back and Örjan Andersson – showed a dark collection inspired by the apocalypse at the new Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre. Luckily, the clothes and styling held a touch of youthful playfulness, almost exclaiming: there is hope for the future! If you have a thing for the dark side, also check out Nakkna, The Local Firm and Odeur.

The Newcomer
You’ve already read an interview with Natalia Altewai and Randa Saome of Altewai.Saome at The Swede Beat. Their debut at Stockholm Fashion Week can’t be described as anything other than pure success. Their detailed and luxurious collection was inspired by a circuit board, which reoccurs in the beaded details. Another new face is Hernandez Cornet, who also showed an elaborate and elegant collection. With these newcomers on the scene, the future of Swedish fashion is taking a much more exclusive turn.

The Alternative Show
Acne weren’t present at all. Hope, on the other hand, teamed up with director Jörgen Ringstrand and made a movie. The film “The Cap of the North” was exhibited at Bonnier Konsthall and shows a ship on it’s way to northern Lapland, the cold brutality of the ocean corresponding with the raw feeling of the clothes. In Hope’s own words: ” A Ship in motion is surrounded by an ambiance of “The Cap of the North”. The onboard crew, representing different age and nationality, is getting dressed and preparing to move on. The Artic Ocean is steering the ship towards the land of Lapland. A calm and sensual curiosity lays with in the group, embraced by the northern light.” Minimarket also chose to present their fall collection, inspired by valkyries and Vikings, with the movie Vìkìngì. Their signature colors purple, read and crusty were adorned with prints by Martin Bergström and Klaus Haapaniemi.

HOPE: http://www.youtube.com/user/HopeStockholm

MINIMARKET: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv62cJBM49E

The Make-Up
Ann-Sofie Back’s collection for Back was elegant and stabile, with a beautiful touch of green – named Robyn-green by the designer after a dress in the same nuance she recently made for the singer. But it was the Irving Penn inspired lips, by make-up artist Tomas Lenneryd, which stole the show. The Local Firm’s wetlook hair and raw make-up are also worth mentioning.

All photographs from the collection A/W 11 are property of Berns Salonger and copyright Kristian Löveborg. All usage reserved for editorial purposes and no commercial purposes.

By Katarina Matsson

It started as a final project project for graduate students in the graphic design program of Berghs School Of Communication in Stockholm. Now on its third issue Sweden’s first collection magazine S/S/A/W attracts the attention of photographer Mario Testino and fashion guru Stephen Gan of Visionary and V Magazine.
“Jakob (Hedberg, founder) met Mario at work for Stephen at Visionary in New York. They were doing a Swedish shoot and casting a lot of Scandinavian models. Jakob is a former model too, so Mario wanted to shoot him. It was love at first sight! Mario has contributed with a lot of good advice and help says” Isabelle Lundh, fashion/managing editor.

Lundh coordinates and produces the magazine with Jakob Hedberg (editor-in-chief and creative director) and Texas Olsson (booking/production editor) who all met during their studies. The magazine gathers a number of Swedish fashion collections, the countries top stylists and photographers in one place. Editorials, fashion features and photography are beautifully captured in one of Sweden’s most creative and new fashion publications.

“Our editorials are based on what we want right now. I develop the 3–4 editorials we have in each issue together with Texas and Jakob. It’s so much fun, we’re working on the next issue right now. It feels amazing” says Isabelle Lundh.

Which spring collection is your personal favorite?
“Rick Owens. Among the Swedish I think Ann – Sofie Back made her best commercial collection. Ann-Sofie Back Atelje was amazing as well.”

Which international role do you see for Swedish fashion now and in the future?
“Swedish fashion is like Swedes in general – pretty mainstream and not very protruding. But our little country “lagom” (can be translated as good enough, editors note) suffers from a touch of megalomania, which it’s riding on right now, especially when it comes to the more wearable clothes. I think Swedish fashion will be big when it comes to commercial, wearable fashion for many years to come. H&M does a lot for Swedish fashion, but I’m hoping for some new dynamic brands that dare take the lead. I would wish for all Swedish brands to take a leap from safety and dare to be more unique. Now it feels like everyone is looking through the same trend books. They should rip the pages out, burn them, gather their luggage and leave for Paris together. If you want to move forward you have to shake the walls. I think there are those who’ll change the frame for Swedish fashion and I think I know who they are.”

Pick up your copy of S/S/A/W at the following locations or order it online at www.stockholmssaw.se or www.papercutshop.se.

Hamburg:
Sautter & Lackmann, Admiralitätstrasse 71-72
Kyoto:
Media Shop, Vox Bldg.
Keibunsha Bookshop
Lier:
Boekhandel Van In, Rechtestraat10
Lisbon:
Rbmdc Livros Earte, Tv. Carvalho25
Los Angeles:
International Fashion Pub, California Market Center, 110 East 9th Street.
Maastricht:
BGN Distributie, Dominikanerkerkstraat1
Milan:
Frip, C.SoDiPortaTicinese 16
New York:
Visionaire Gallery, 11 Mercer Street
Moma
Osaka:
Shimada & Co.
Sao Paulo:
Livraria Freebook, RuaDaConsolação 1924
Singapore:
Bsheergraphic Books, 231 BainStreet
Tokyo:
Libro/Books Logos
Hachinoki Co Ltd
United Publishers Services Limited
Shelf (Colors, Inc)

Here’s a video of SS AW premiere issue release for S S A W 2009

STOCKHOLM S/S/A/W from Jakob Hedberg on Vimeo.

By Katarina Matsson

Moving back to Sweden from London, Anna-Karin Karlsson, 35, finally found time to catch up on making some of her dreams come true. Karlsson, trained actress and musician now designs sunglasses . Her collection of beautiful specs are as beautiful on a face as on a table – and have already caught the eyes of Grace Jones and Skye Edwards from Morcheeba.

You’re first sunglass collection is out now. How did you get into sunglass design?
– I fell into the world of optics when I moved to London 1994 after finishing my acting degree in Sweden. I became a buyer and learnt to design for the bespoke service we provided at the Old Bond Street practice. I lived abroad until last year and when returning to Sweden I needed something to do and this has always been a dream of mine. Catching dreams time.

Do you remember your first pair?
– My first pair of sun glasses were a pair of Florida 80′s glamour that my friend’s mother brought back from the States. They were not dissimilar to what Tom Ford does now but with more gold details and sharper contrast lenses.

As a Swede, from a country where it’s pitch black dark six months a year, how do you handle sunglasses wintertime?
– My collection is made so that the sunglasses will always be beautiful, on a face or on a table. So it depends. If it’s a sunny winters day wear them and when not, put them on a table and enjoy!

Can you help us to finally put this never-ending question behind us: Is it okay to wear sunglasses inside? And why is this so provocative?
– I think the differences in people make up for some of the fun in life but also the friction. I reckon one should do as one pleases. Time Out Magazine ones wrote about my music. “Miss Karlsson proves to the world it doesn’t need to be so hard” and I think that applies to my collection and how I want my life. Fun and sure, it is fun to see someone in eyewear in a place not entirely suitable. I always try to wear something witty so if I feel lonely or unstimulated I can giggle by myself, at myself. Self-irony in others is rather charming, I reckon.

The collection is inspired by fairy tales, and each pair has a name that inspires stories. How did this happen?
– I went far into myself, worked day and night for months and this is what needed to come out. I see visuals, pictures. The name mirrors the visuals.

What can you tell about a person just by looking at their sunglasses?
– Quite a lot. It’s not often that collections or people’s personal optical wardrobes amaze me, so people hire me to do them. So apart from my new collection I design for private people and style people with eyewear from all different producers. I work on getting my clients a balanced optical wardrobe. Some romantic, some practical, some cutting edge, some glamorous and some fun eyewear. More like the variations of shoes people have.

Has Lady Gaga made an order yet?
– Time will tell. Skye Edwards from Morcheeba has a pair and she in turn ordered a pair for Grace Jones.

Who do you want to see wear your glasses?
– People in general. Brave people. Fun people. People I love. Gaga would be fun since my nephew is obsessed with her. Skye and Grace also float my boat. My niece will model for me, her face is real symmetrical and the prettiest ever so it will be fun to shoot her and slightly alienate her.

Bonus question: You’re also a musician, where can our readers find your music?
www.myspace.com/tripstar
www.myspace.com/theethnotroniceproject
www.myspce.com/nicotinearmy

The plan is to write songs to other artists from next year. Creativity feeds creativity. Catching dreams time.

Check out Anna-Karin Karlsson new sunglasses at: www.theopticalwardrobe.com/akk.php

www.annakarinkarlsson.com

By Katarina Matsson

Swedish fashion label Acne showcase elements from their S/S 11 collection with the short film ‘Concrete Island,’ beautifully framed by director/producer Daniel Askill. The video features models Mark Waddleton and Louise Van De Vorst with styling by Michelle Jank and art direction by Lorin Askill in association with Collider Films.

ACNE – CONCRETE ISLAND from ASKILL PROJECTS on Vimeo.

http://www.acnestudios.com/
By Lydia Kellam

With her new collection Swedish fashion designer Magda Marnell, 28, travels back in time. Like the Ernest Hemingway novel, the handmade, braided pieces draw inspiration from the lonely fisherman and the sea.
Walking along the river outside Swedish small town Uppsala Magda Marnell stumbled upon a winter lay-by for boats. She was captured by the beauty: magical and transient at the same time.

In our modern world, the image of the lonely fisherman is slipping further and further away. Traditionally this way of working has been inherited through generations, but today the children of these fishermen can hardly survive and are forced to find a new meaning with their lives. I see this collection as homage to the lonely fisherman, says Magda Marnell.

How did you work with the collection?
My starting point was the body and from there the clothes have developed in a very organic way. This makes the work process fundamental for the expression of the finished piece. The braiding is inspired by fishnets, but also by the movement of water and the colors shift like water; from white to light gray to blue and the darkest black – and yellow like the suns reflection. Big parts of the collection are made fully by hand and the braiding is very time consuming. Behind some of the pieces there are 100 hours of work. I wanted to go back to traditional handicraft as a counterweight to the quick paced fashion culture of today – to make slow fashion. In that sense I see the pieces more like art, and I want the bearer to be aware of all the hours of work that lies behind them and feel unique.

You’re premiered your collection in Prague, Czechia, on November 24th. Why did you choose that city for your launch?
Prague is interesting because it is not the obvious fashion Metropolis, there isn’t a recognized and eastablished fashion scene, comparing to other European cities. I became friends with Yasmin Keshmiri Hejduk who started Minty Concept Club in Prague and is working hard to develop a scene for fashion and art in Prague. It feels exciting to be part in the creation of something new. Yasmin is an amazingly dedicated person who among other things launched Acne in Prague this fall. We both see our collaboration as a starting point for something that we don’t know the end of.

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Photos from Deconstructed fashion show, November 23 in Prague

Why did you want to become a designer?
I’ve always been sketching and painting. As a kid I made clothes for my teddy bears and dolls. So this urge to express myself artistically has always been present. When I was 14–15 I started to design my own clothes. At that age, designing my own clothes became an excellent way to express my identity. It’s hard to pinpoint why it was clothes and not something else, but it just came natural. I always get new ideas for garments and collections I want to do.

What have you done before?
I studied fashion design at London College of Fashion and Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Aside from fashion studies I’ve also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Art history, which has always been a huge inspiration to me, and studied architecture, which taught me to push boundaries and explore elements like structure and form. That’s why I named the collection Deconstructed. It’s fantastic to take these amazing materials, like silk, rip them up and then rebuild them in a new way.

How do you see Swedish fashion in an international perspective?
[I think] Swedish fashion is good at pushing boundaries and exploring itself. But sometimes I think a lot of Swedish designers get stuck in a certain Swedish style – the architectural, asymmetrical form inspired by Martin Margeela’s deconstructionism and based on the color shades of black, gray and white. I think we can use more experiments with colors. Especially during our dark winters we need the energy kicks that color and prints can bring!

What are your dreams for the future?
My creations are about building my own fantasy worlds and I will keep creating these and working with my design.

www.magdamarnell.se

By Katarina Matsson

There’s not much to say about Stutterheim raincoats. Plain, classic, elegant : these three words are actually enough to describe them. Raincoats the way they use to be, “simple, waterproof and straight-cut”. Its success, though, reveals something interesting.
Stutterheim Raincoats are made in Borås, a small city located 60km east of Gothenburg and that was long the centre of the Swedish textile industry. All coats are handmade and hand-numbered – because, yes, you guys are all special. Hence, the scale could not be smaller. Instead, the brand chose to do one thing very well rather than many things poorly, and that makes complete sense. The cut is perfect, it exists in black and white and you won’t be able to complain about “straps and strings dangling from every steam” anymore.
Stutterheim Raincoats are going to make you long for rainy days and long winter nights.
What more could you ask from a winter coat?

Available at Aplace online store.

By Noé Gandillot

Swedish fashion label Patouf displays their upcoming collection in this beautiful fashion feature that captivates the brands romantic and classic look perfectly. Read more about Patouf in The Swede Beat’s Swedish style issue.

Patouf from Bratislav Stankovic on Vimeo.

By Lydia Kellam

Pictures from Weekday website

Last week of August a new line emerged from Swedish fashion brand Weekday, home of MTWTF and Cheap Monday. The newcomer Diana Orving was the latest addition in their collaborative series and presented an innovative line of contemporary expressions shaped as beautiful draping, impressive tailoring and somber shades.

On weekday’s website Diana Orving herself describes the collab:

“– I have created a collection based around what feels like the key elements of my design. This means that you’ll find draped dresses, coat dresses and tights but I have also added a few more tailored pieces such as the coat and a pair of trousers, says Diana Orving.”

Read more about Diana Orving in last year’s Swedish Style issue
http://www.dianaorving.com/
http://www.weekday.se/

By Lydia Kellam

From left Pa:nuu, I Saved Laurence,HUMöR and Lazy Oaf.

Farah Yusuf, MyNa and Pia Do (pictured below) the babes behind Mahoyo.com desired an alternative street wear store that set trends aside and the individual in focus. Offering an innovative approach to street wear mixing street style with high fashion with an impressive collection of up and coming brands such as HUMöR, I saved Laurence, Pa:nuu and Lazy Oaf Mahoyo becomes a great online destination for fashionistas wanting to stand out and create their own trends.
The ladies are always striving to keeping it real by represent emerging lines, each piece in a limited quantity.

Mahoyo is DJing The Swede Beat’s upcoming event at Trophy Bar. Event details here

http://mahoyo.com/

By Lydia Kellam

During Stockholm Fashion Week, August 16-23 forefront Swedish brands showed their collections. During a few days small but trendy Stockholm express what is coming up for Spring 2011. And to stand out to most fashion weeks world-wide, all collections on display during Stockholm Fashion Week are for sale in stores.

Cheap Monday, best known for their mass market jeans had a fashion show that was open for public. This was the first collection that their new Designer Director (with the exception of jeans) Ann Sofie Back has been completely in charge. Back who has been based in London for many years and also runs two labels by her own moved back to Stockholm earlier this year to work with Cheap Monday. Jeans which are still a fundamental part of the brand were mixed this season with Back’s designed tops and dresses, creating a great combination of high fashion and low price garments.

Rodebjer who recently had a cooperation with Urban Outfitters (in US stores now!) had in opposite to Cheap Monday an intimate show. Carin Rodebjer herself pedagogy presented the collection while five models showed the pieces. Rodebjer who grow up in Gotland (a small island on the Swedish east coast) but is educated at FIT in New York got the inspiration for her collection from a trip to Fisher Island outside Miami. A relaxing luxury summer life was transformed into loose long dresses big hats and fabulous silky coats.

The catwalk for Hope was decorated with birch trunks and the models were wearing clog sandals, big canvas hats and printed dresses similar to the Finish brand Marimekko. The brand expresses a Scandinavian simpleness, a style that never seem to get out of fashion. This year Hope won the prestigious prize Guldknappen that each year is given to a great fashion brand by one of Sweden’s biggest Fashion Magazines Damernas Värld. A great reason to celebrate for Hope that recently got a lot of success.

Scandinavian design, frequently connected to minimalism, got a more colorful and decorative expression in the design of Ida Sjöstedt. Characteristic of her design is a mix of colors, frilly garments and kitchy elements together with a great sense of humor. This season her collection was made of gold lace – a nice contrast to the well known Swedish grey-scale.

A few weeks after Stockholm Fashion Week the organization Fashion Play arranged Stockholm Fashion Walk (September 1-5). While the Fashion Week has its focus on commercial collections Fashion Play highlights designers that work more elaborate and conceptual. During a few days there are fashion installations, performances and talks all over Stockholm.
Stockholm Fashion Week and Stockholm Fashion Walk are great events by themselves but together they represent the full picture of today’s fashion scene in Stockholm.

By Maja Gunn

The Swede Beat’s favorite pieces from Monki’s 2010 fall collection. Read more about the brand in our Södermalm issue

http://www.monkiworld.com/

Kalle Tollmar and Kristian Rajnai started back in 2006 with the free magazine ODD at Large. With time, they created a multi functional platform for fashion called +46 that included the +46 Fashion Award that had a great impact on the Swedish fashion scene. Later, in 2007 they integrated +46 into being a part of the large fashion store Aplace that they opened in the department store called PUB, located in the city of Stockholm. They also keep an online store going as well as on line magazine. Aplace presents a large variety of clothes, ranging from smaller international brands as well as up and coming local brands, all very carefully chosen to be presented and sold at their store, aiming to offer the best of Scandinavian and international designers. Aplace has rapdily taken an important part in presenting fantastic fashion for the swedes.

You and Kristian Rajnai started with ODD at Large, today you are running Aplace. In between that, you had ODD Magazine and +46. What’s for tomorrow?
More of Aplace! One (or maybe two) new stores are coming up during 2010 as well as more work with aplace.com. Things that will still have left on our to do list are:
our own designer label and a sales agency for Scandinavia. We are hoping to be able to set all of this in 2011!

Fashion week is coming up. What’s your expectations for this year in regard as an international event, in comparison to previous ones?
Since we’re weeks away from our store opening in Bruno Gallerian (Södermalm) we’ll be running back and forth between the shows and to the store and the carpenting pants…
For me Stockholm Fashion Week is great fun since you meet so many colleagues and friends. But this year we don’t throw any parties because of our own opening which is sad because our fashion weeks parties are always so much fun!

How do you see Stockholm Fashion Week elevate to compete with other cities such as our neighbor Copenhagen for example in the future?
As a swede, I would love to see Stockholm sidestep Copenhagen regarding to Fashion week priority. But personally, I never think Stockholm will be # 1 fashion capital in Scandinavia. Not as it looks today. We have no funding from the state and the various players don’t collaborate as they should in order to make it worth visiting Stockholm as an international fashion journalist or as a key buyer.

Any favorites in the up and coming brands for this year’s fashion week?
Regarding to Sweden, there isn’t really any super new ones, but Our Legacy and The Local Firm are keeping the flag up high and really developing their style and collections!
In Denmark, I think “Moon Spoon Saloon” are doing something interesting and if they are able to make it a bit more consumer friendly without loosing their concept, it will be even better. Also, “Vilsbøl de Arce” are really cool!

Sweden is a small country. Why do you think Swedish brands have such an impact on the international fashion scene?

I don’t think Swedish brands have that kind of impact. Sure, we have a few ones that done extremely well and we together with the Danes are by far best up north…
But I don’t give much for the whole Swedish fashion wonder etc.

How would you define Swedish style?
Basic wearable clothes with a good finish and very well presented and communicated.

A few selected brands from A Place store

A Place, www.aplace.com

Text and interview By CK

While speaking of fashion, it is rarely mentioned that producing a pair of jeans requires the same amount of water as the basic needs of one human over the course of a year, or that cotton cultivation uses one tenth of the world’s agricultural chemicals. Yet, this and other interesting facts can be learned at the ongoing exhibit Eco Chic — Towards Sustainable Swedish Fashion at Scandinavian House in New York City, runs through August 21.

Swedish brands DEM Collective, Camilla Norrback, Nudie, and Reflective Circle are just a few of the companies included in this quiet show with a loud message.

Read more about Eco Chic in issue #18: Swedish Style

Text by EA. Photos by LK

5PREVIEW

The Swede Beat asked five questions to Emeli Martensson, founder of T-shirt brand 5Preview who recently moved her headquarters from Italy via New York to Stockholm.

When and why did you move to Stockholm?
After ten years in Italy and a period in New York I was kind of fed up with chaos and I needed to go back to where I’m from to find some peace. Stockholm is a wonderful place—clean air, beaches in the city, good-looking people, nature, great shops, and bars… What else can you ask [for]? Maybe a little less organization and stiffness—more spontaneity!

Can you tell us more about your recent T-shirt line for Lost and Found Records?
The T-shirt [series] is a tribute to Lost & Found Records, to the music we I grew up with. The collaboration is with the club organizers, DJs, and photographers from team LOST STHLM. 5preview is known all over the world, but not as much in Sweden so we wanted to be seen with the right people in Sweden [since] our headquarters is here.

How would you describe the 5preview LOST STHLM collection?
There will be ten different prints, all made by hand. [Making things by hand is] a great process where you can forget about perfection. We will release one print every week until the end of September when they will all be shown at an exhibition and party organized by LOST STHLM, of course!

Have you collaborated with other Swedish creators in the past?
[Yes.] We did two collaborations with Weekday (“5preview for Weekday”) last year.

http://www.5preview.se/
By LK

the heartbeat drum rhythm
the darkness
the brightness
the lonely guitar
the bodies
the skin
the fabric
the texture
the psychedelic layers
the eyes
the movement
the shape
the shade
the traveling lights
the unexplained patterns
the beauty
the erotic thought
the sex

These 18 words inspired Swedish designer Carin Wester to Beeping Sleauty, a film directed by Sandberg/Timonen and Fredrik Skogkvist for the A/W10 collection.
The reel beautifully captures Wester’s signature style – minimalistic, clean lines, creative draping – packaged in a contemporary visualization that is demonstrating the artistic character of Carin Wester’s design.

Beeping Sleauty from Fredrik Skogkvist on Vimeo.

Directors: Johan Sandberg, Henrik Timonen, Fredrik Skogkvist
DP: Fredrik Skogkvist
Models: Ania Chorabik / Stockholms Gruppen, Gustav Hagberg / Mikas.
Styling: Ursula Wångander-Maiden
Hair/ Make: Carina Finnström
Editor: Robin Siwe
Post Production: Johan Boije / Stopp
Grading: Nanna Dalune / Stopp
Music: Jean-Louis Hutha “Halfway between the world and death”

by LK

The past years Swedish label Weekday has extended their brand with collaborations with other Swedish fashion labels. This time around its Stockholm based The Local Firm, known for designing an innovative blend of high fashion and street wear. The Local Firm’s contribution to Weekday’s popular selection of stylish and affordable garments is a modern mix of sporty pieces and accessories in the color of gray and metallic.

»For this collaboration we designed a sports collection inspired by the 80s tracksuit while also reminiscing Olympic teams of the former East Block. The range of grey tones throughout the line and the team spirit of ›strength in numbers‹ is typical of The Local Firm’s design philosophy«, says Richard Hutchinson, one of the founders of The Local Firm.

The new collection for both men and women will hit Weekday stores in Sweden this week and hopefully go international later this season.
http://www.thelocalfirm.com

Clairvoyant by Cheap Monday Part II is the latest line of sunglasses from Swedish denim giant Cheap Monday. The new line of vintage inspired shades range from the classic aviator style to the 90ies inspired circular style in tons of summery colors – all unisex. The sunglasses bargain for $35 in Cheap Monday’s flag ship stores located in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen. Brooklyn boutique Alter carries the line stateside.

By LK

Asa Westlund’s shoe line, There Goes The Neighborhood has taken the traditional Swedish clog and revamped them into something new and trendy. The quality of the classic clog is still there, all of Westlund’s products are hand-painted and totally unique—think of them as foot art.
Read more MDH’s piece in The Swede Beat’s Spring issue here
Available at Tjallamalla in Sweden

BEA SZENFELD
Fashion designer Bea Szenfeld is like sunshine in the Winter.
She founded her self entitled brand in 2002 and is known for a playful attitude combined with
killer competence. She adores the past so vintage and recycling are essential in her design,
and her pieces often stem from unconventional materials.
(One of my all-time favorites, the avantgardish pasta-dress, being one example.)
Still, her innovative creations never loses its sophistication; wrapped up in a Bea-dress
you always feel marvelous.

Her way of treating fashion like art is observable in her collections, as well as in the various side projects
- there’s usually a thought-provoking idea behind them.

This weekend her exhibition “Sur La Plage” opened at Designgalleriet in Stockholm.
The haute papier collection is inspired by the ocean and conjoins the 50’s silhouette – wasp-like waists and ample width -
with futuristic and architectonic compositions.
“I made up the phrase Haute Papier”, Bea says. “It’s a French word game combining the highest form of tailoring, Haute Couture,
with my favorite material: paper.”

The exhibition stays open until the end of April.

By ETS

ANN SOFIE BACK + CHEAP MONDAY
Swedish fashion designer Ann Sofie Back decided after 10 years of calling London as her home to move back to Stockholm, Sweden to venture two new projects as a fashion designer. Last year her she opened her first very own brand store, “Hostage”. The store carries Back’s collection and portrays her for flair for ground breaking fashion very well.
The relocation also coincided with Ann Sofie Back’s new responsibility as head designer of Swedish denim brand Cheap Monday. She shares the duty of designing for a forward-thinking denim favorite together with founder Örjan Andersson.

Pictures of Ann Sofie Back’s first collection with Cheap Monday
(pics from Refinery29)

Collection available world-wide.

By LK