FASHION SCANDINAVIA MOVEMENT EXHIBITION AND SHOWROOM BRAND BIBLE
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CONTENTS 3
INTRODUCTION
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FASHION SCANDINAVIA MOVEMENT
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FASHION SCANDINAVIA
8 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 23 24 26 28 30 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 57 58 60
THE DESIGNERS Bang & Olufsen Becksöndergaard Freya Dalsjö By Malene Birger Dagmar FWSS Ganni Gudrun & Gudrun Elise Gug Haaning and Htoon Carl Hansen & Snedkergaarden Helje Hamre Ilse Jacobsen Georg Jensen Peter Jensen Kristofer Kongshaug Lindberg Billy and I Common Maska Muuse Mads Nørgaard Renouve Rodebjer Spirit of Hven Veronica B Vallenes Vadum Henrik Vibskov Wood Wood
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CONTACTS
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INTRODUCTION In the grand scheme of things and when taking into account its population and geographical size, Scandinavia is a highly creative area. Whether it’s music, architecture, interior design, literature or graphic design, Scandinavia excels and often keeps the rest of the world on its toes with its output. And that’s before even mentioning the fashion. Over the years, and especially in the last decade, this Northern European region has managed not only to establish an aesthetic that’s world renowned but also to revolt against the stereotype it created and develop a strong sense of diversity. As for any individual designer, it’s important to establish early on a look and find a few signature pieces that will attract attention. Scandinavia did that successfully; the Scandi look is known and appreciated worldwide. Simple lines, plain details, utilitarian functionality and a monochrome colour palette helped launch many a brands and, in the long run, Scandinavia as a fashion force. Saying that, such a sartorial proposal needs development. Fashion is a hectic and hungry business with creative deliveries expected twice a year – and the customer isn’t stupid. We, as consumers, need designers to further their aesthetic, for them to grow and change… so that they can do the same. In Scandinavia it’s been an evolution, not a revolution. The ideas of a few big hitting brands have slowly matured, while new and exciting designers have sprung up on the back of these fashion elders. Today, as we live in a multi-cultural Scandinavia, the fashion we produce mirrors the attitude, energy and diversity that fuels that society. Brands are now stepping back from what they traditionally are meant to design: a necessary backlash to a supposed DNA rules the catwalks of Copenhagen and Stockholm. Norwegian designers are stepping out, proud of mixing domestic culture with high end technology and eager to grow its own unique fashion take. For years, a few select Scandi designers have graced the international fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris while others have organically grown the local fashion scenes by attracting an international audience. Simultaneously, the above mentioned creative branches continue to flourish, feeding the fashion industry with inspiration. United, they are putting Scandinavia at the forefront of creativity. David Hellqvist Editor at Port Magazine and former web editor at Dazed & Confused
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Fashion Scandinavia Movement The Fashion Scandinavia Movement exhibition heralds a new moment in fashion – the arrival of Scandinavian designers onto the world scene Denmark
Dazed Digital, Italian Vogue, Bon Magazine and on Style.com. Johanna Pihl graduated from London College of Fashion with sharp fabric manipulation and tailoring skills that have been featured on the pages of The Daily Telegraph, Dazed Digital and Interview Magazine. She is widely regarded as one of Sweden’s brightest hopes. Sofia Bahlner, renowned for her incredible attention to detail and experimentation, recently took part in the London FashionWeek as a part of theVauxhall Fashion Scout.
Anne Sofie Madsen worked as a junior designer at Alexander McQueen and John Galliano before launching her own brand to huge international acclaim; American Vogue heralded her show as one of their favourites during Copenhagen Fashion Week. Astrid Andersen graduated from The Royal College of Art’s MA in Menswear as a winner of the Brioni Creativity and Innovation Award. She is now part of the Fashion East group, which showcases emerging young designers. Trine Hav Christensen is also a recent graduate of The Royal College of Art’s MA in Womenswear and was part of the team who designed the uniforms at the London Olympics 2012. Italian Vogue featured her as a ‘newcomer to watch’. Denmark’s final participant is Freya Dalsjö who, despite being a newcomer to the Danish fashion scene, had the official opening show at Copenhagen Fashion Week. She studied design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and her full collection has been featured on Vogue.com, and in Elle and Glamour.
Norway
Kristofer Kongshaug is one of Norway’s most promising newcomers. He studied at La Chambre Syndicale and has worked at Givenchy and Anne Valerie Hash. He was awarded collection of the year in Oslo, and has been featured on Vogue. it and represented by Creative Door in Paris. Trami Ngo, winner of the ‘Best Modelism Man’ at Esmod in Oslo for her graduation collection, was also winner of the redesign competition by H&M judged by Margareta van den Bosch. Ingvild Abrahamsen, who studied at the National Academy of the Arts in Oslo, fuses the futuristic with hip-hop. She has been selected to showcase her collection at the competition Designers Nest, and has been featured on Vogue.it. Pål Luis Sanchez worked as a junior designer in Stockholm at Ann-Sofie Back after graduating from the University of Oslo. He has also been featured as a newcomer to watch out for on Vogue.it.
Sweden
The winners of the 2012 Swedish Elle newcomer of the year award, Altwai Saome, combine clean lines and monochrome colours with superb embroidery. They have worked for Etro in Italy and been featured in Vogue. The designer Lamija Suljevic was chosen by Diane Pernet to participate in the Scope New York Art Show. She has featured in
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thamesandhudson.com
FashION sCaNDINavIa conTeMPorary cool by doroThea gundToFT
through apprenticeships with world-famous fashion houses and collaborating with well known stores and websites. Well established brands, such as Acne, COS, DAY, Peter Jensen and Marimekko, are featured alongside such exciting new talents as Anne Sofie Madsen and Johanne Pihl. More than 470 vibrant illustrations showcase catwalk photography, advertising campaign stills, design sketches, behind-the-scenes snaps, portraits and moodboards handpicked by Dorothea Gundtoft and the designers. Dorothea is a fashion stylist and writer who occasionally picks up a camera. She contributes to many international magazines, including Elle, Dazed & Confused, V Magazine, Vogue.it and Style.com.
Dorothea Gundtoft’s stylish new book Fashion Scandinavia: Contemporary Cool celebrates the arrival of Scandinavian fashion designers onto the world scene. Their appeal lies in simplicity, minimalism, attention to detail and high quality of materials so iconic in Scandinavian design, as well as in sustainable and ethical production methods. The book features over fifty notable fashion designers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. Whether they are well-established or up-and-coming, whether they work in menswear or womenswear, they all share a passionate commitment to a cool and refined design style that carries huge international appeal. Revealing interviews with the designers give insights into the world of fashion, including comments on starting out in the industry, staging fashion shows, learning 6
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bang-olufsen.com
Bang & OlufsEn
Beolit 12 is a tribute to Bang & Olufsen’s everpopular transistor Beolit radios from the 1960s, and similar to its early predecessors, it presents a compact form, yet a robust sound reproduction. Designed by the Danish designer, Cecilie Manz, Beolit 12 is convenient, robust and casual both in its use and design. Beolit 12 follows the success of the BeoSound 8 sound system for the iPad/iPod/iPhone docking, with a combination of excellent sound performance, distinct design and craftsmanship, and portable wireless operation. Choice and craftsmanship are at the heart of the Beolit 12: an Italian full-grain leather carrying strap is diagonally mounted for stability when the unit is carried, and the solid aluminium loudspeaker grille wraps smoothly around the unit, making the loudspeaker fabric visible behind the grille to allow for different colour options. 12
Founded in 1925 in Struer, Denmark, Bang & Olufsen is world renowned for its distinctive range of quality products. The brand is wellknown for constantly questioning the ordinary in search of surprising, long-lasting experiences for the consumer. The existence of Bang & Olufsen is, and has always been, based on the initiatives of incredibly innovative people. People with persistence. People with high ambitions. People who believe that creating is living. Bang & Olufsen manufactures a highly distinctive and exclusive range of televisions, music systems, loudspeakers, telephones, and multimedia products that combine technological excellence with emotional appeal. Attention to detail has always been at the heart of Bang & Olufsen products, and this is reiterated under the new B&O PLAY brand launched in 2012. 8
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will be available in all Bang & Olufsen showrooms globally and in select Apple Stores. It will be available in blue, grey and yellow colour variants. Alongside the Beolit, B&O Play has also released the Beoplay A3 specifically for iPad users with the new colours of red and white, which adds an acoustic edge without compromising on great design and functionality, alongside the new Beoplay A9 wireless soundsystem where the sound is big enough to fill the most spacious living space. It can be mounted to the wall or left freestanding. Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, VP at B&O PLAY, explains that the A9 is all about simplicity: ‘We asked the young designer Øivind Slaatto to create a design that was as visually clean as possible. We then had our engineers work with his design to fill it with powerful components that would create amazing sound. The result is a speaker that delivers premium acoustic performance, is incredibly easy to use and even looks stylish.’ Together with the Beolit, Bang & Olufsen’s new line B&O Play also intelligently designed a new flat screen conceived to deliver flexible placement possibilities, outstanding sound and optimal picture quality. The BeoPlay V1 liberates the viewing experience from the wall, and lets you regain control of your living space. Designed by Anders Hermansen, the BeoPlay V1 stems from a Scandinavian idiom of no-nonsense aesthetics and craftsmanship. The loudspeaker grille is stamped directly into the cabinet, below the screen and the stainless steel stands connect unobtrusively and simply at all four corners. According to Tue Mantoni, CEO for Bang & Olufsen, ‘BeoPlay V1 has been designed by studying the way people use televisions in their homes. We want it to fit into people’s lifestyles – so they don’t have to fit their lives around a television. It can hang from the ceiling, stand on the floor or a shelf, or even swing from the wall. But don’t forget that it’s from Bang & Olufsen, so BeoPlay V1 is absolutely uncompromising when it comes to audio and visual performance.’ BeoPlay V1 is available in 32” and 40”, in either black or white. Prices begin at £1,999. Available exclusively at Bang & Olufsen stores.
The existence of Bang & Olufsen is, and has always been, based on the initiatives of incredibly innovative people. People with persistence. People with high ambitions. People who believe that creating is living.
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becksondergaard.com
BECKSÖNDERGAARD when we were recognised as an innovative label on the Scandinavian Fashion Scene – and we haven’t looked back since.’ Becksöndergaard now produces six yearly collections across the full spectrum of accessories sectors, with its scarves in particular having become signature designs for the ever-growing brand. ‘Our designs are unmistakably Scandinavian,’ says Beck. ‘There’s a personal, quirky touch seen in our colour choices, details and hand-drawn, almost art-like prints on the scarves and bag linings, which have become a signature of the brand.’ As the label looks ahead to the new season, both Beck and Søndergaard are committed to maintaining the family-like set-up, which sees each individual employee take on as much responsibility as possible. And the result, as always, is a selection of striking prints, ethereal designs, stylish handbags and charming purses – all of which are part of Becksöndergaard’s ongoing rich tapestry. The brand counts internationally renowned department stores like Le Bon Marché, Galeries Lafayette and Takashimaya among its customers.
Becksöndergaard was founded in 2003 by Lis Beck and Anna Søndergaard. Despite having no former experience in or knowledge of the fashion industry, the two school friends decided to build their own brand offering affordable but timeless accessories that would last more than one season. The first Becksöndergaard collection was a small selection of colourful, handmade accessories in genuine eelskin – a collection that quickly established Becksöndergaard as an innovative brand on the Scandinavian fashion scene. Having built up a small but dedicated workforce at its Copenhagen headquarters, the collections will be sold throughout Europe, Japan and Singapore come the new season, a testament to the phenomenal growth of the brand, which saw sales boosted by 50% in 2010-2011, and which closed 2012 with a growth of 100%. For Beck and Søndergaard, it’s a million proverbial miles from the brand’s inception as a two-woman set up, which saw the pair knocking on the doors of Copenhagen’s leading fashion shops. ‘At that stage, we were primarily working with eel skin, which was alien to most people at that time,’ says Søndergaard. ‘That’s
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freyadalsjo.com
Freya DalsjÖ Freya Dalsjö provokes the establishment with her artistic and sculptural approach to fashion. Her work centres around the tension between opposites; internal and external conflicts; a chaos that emphasizes a confident and sexy vitality. Her AW13 collection is inspired by the search for balance among continual contradictions, interminable confusion, ups and downs. She draws on surrealism and futurism, taking advantage of quirks of perspective, distorting and manipulating body shapes with light, and letting outside factors shape the viewer’s perception.
Danish designer Freya Dalsjö was living in Berlin when she decided to move to Antwerp to study fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. In June 2012 she launched her first brand Freya Dalsjö in Copenhagen, and in the same year was granted the honour of opening Copenhagen Fashion Week SS13 with her debut collection. ‘We choose Freya because she is a young talent, with an already strong signature, which is so important for a designer. Furthermore, she has courage and dares to challenge conventional Danish fashion, which otherwise can be very practical,’ says Eva Kruse, CEO at The Danish Fashion Institute. 11
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bymalenebirger.com
By Malene Birger
Team, comprising CEO Lars Andresen, International Wholesale Director Trine Sveindal, Franchise and Retail Director Charlotte Egelund and Brand and Marketing Director Karl-Johan Bogefors. Together they are focused on driving the company to its full potential as a creative and innovative business. By Malene Birger offers affordable luxury to the growing base of fans of the Scandinavian aesthetic. Birger’s modern appeal and artistic angle has been on show at Shanghai Fashion Week, designed a Fiat 500, and been presented with a ‘Best Danish Designer’ award by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Malene Birger is extremely proud to be part of a select group of high-profile individuals appointed as special Ambassadors to UNICEF, a cause to which she is extremely committed. All the proceeds from special items designed each season go to
The fashion company By Malene Birger, formed in February 2003, marks its 10th anniversary this year with a collection featuring all of the founder Malene Birger’s eternal inspirations – men’s tailoring, attention to detail, interior decor and the art of foreign cultures. Since it launched in 2003, By Malene Birger has grown in size from ten employees to a staff of more than 100, with sales in forty-two countries. Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, North America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East are all part of a global distribution list and representation that’s growing every day. MTV Europe has crowned Malene Birger ‘The Queen of Fashion in Copenhagen’, while the international trend magazine Wear Global nominated her Copenhagen boutique as one of the world’s finest in terms of design and decoration. Crucial to the company’s worldwide success is its committed Management 12
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positive energy, confidence and persistence. And never giving up. Vital to the brand’s creativity is travelling the world to get inspiration and a multi-cultural perspective. Continuously developing the design DNA. Being open to an ever-changing world. Acting with courage and curiosity. The company is driven by the desire to do the right things, in the right way, at the right time. To stay one step ahead and to always have a Plan B. Insisting on a business structure and strategy that’s simple and focused. By Malene Birger introduces a prêt-a-porter collection each season, together with an extensive collection of accessories reflecting the look and styling, receiving international attention from the press, customers, celebrities and royalty alike. The company’s vision is to be seen as a designdriven, upscale, inspiring, well-respected brand on the international fashion scene. A brand people feel proud to wear – and to work for.
children in need. Locally, By Malene Birger makes an ongoing donation every year to the Danish Children’s Aid Foundation (Børnehjælpsdagen), which focuses on increasing the self-esteem of children placed in institutions and foster families. She is actively engaged in a project in Togo, Africa, to improve the education and health in a region where 70% of the population lives below the poverty line, providing funding for schools, supplies, and providing training for teachers. All the proceeds from special items designed each season go to children in need, with over 500,000 euros donated to date. She has also recently published the book Life andWork, which is available in more than 72 countries worldwide. By Malene Birger is obsessed with not just having beliefs, but living them. A love for the brand expressed in the products. The business. And how the company acts towards the staff, customers and potential customers. Adapting to changes with
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houseofdagmar.se
DAGMAR Since the fashion label Dagmar was launched in the spring of 2005, its unconventional and sophisticated style has been widely recognised by the fashion industry, and acknowledged by the press throughout Europe, United States and Asia. The winner of several prestigious awards, the company is run jointly by three sisters – Kristina Tjäder, Karin Söderlind and Sofia Wallenstam – all of whom have backgrounds in the Swedish and international fashion industries. Kristina Tjäder, a designer, was educated at Esmod École Superieur de la Mode in Paris. She has worked for Christian Lacroix, H&M and other Swedish brands. Karin Söderlind supervised purchasing and product development for H&M for eight years, and has also worked extensively as a brand manager and PR consultant. Sofia Wallenstam, a textile economist, is Dagmar’s Head of Sales and has many years of retail experience. Dagmar’s design is characterised as unconventional and sophisticated, a style best described as relaxed luxury with attitude. The garments stand out for their unique combination of high quality, contemporary feel and sensual design, uniting glamour and tailoring with the finest materials. Their feel, colours and patterns draw heavily on the Art Deco period of the 20s and 30s, and are inspired by the era’s decadent films, architecture, art and music. Many of the garments are hand-knitted or feature beautiful hand-made details: safeguarding craftsmanship and drawing on valued traditions from the past are intrinsic to Dagmar’s creative process.
The sisters’ muse and principal source of inspiration is their late grandmother, Dagmar. She was a tailor and encouraged their interest in fabrics and design from a very young age. In the Dagmar Autumn Collection 2013, the new Renaissance flourishes with confidence and energy. The urge to adorn onself is a strong theme of the collection, which boasts daring features, generous cut and dusky colours. A muted, nuanced palette dominates – plum, blueberry, forest green, caramel, sooty black and greyish white. The sleeves are boldly voluminous, the cuffs adorned with smocking and lace, and the zips made of black metal.Their patterns bring the Renaissance’s expressive ornamental images to mind, but in a more poetic way. A new kind of cut – just below the shoulders – comes to the fore in many of the collection’s garments, which highlights both the decolletage and the contrasting colours and qualities of the cardigans, jackets and tops. Awards
2005: ‘Rookie of the Year’, the Swedish Fashion Council; 2005: ‘Garbohatten’, the Swedish department store PUB; 2006: ‘Best New Designer of the Year’, Swedish Elle; 2007: Dagmar was awarded a fashion show by Gen Art-NY during New York Fashion Week; 2008: Nominated ‘Best Designer of the Year’, Swedish Elle; 2011: Winner ‘Guldknappen’, Scandinavia’s most prestigious deisgn award.
Dagmar’s design is unconventional and sophisticated – relaxed luxury with attitude
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fallwinterspringsummer.com
FWSS
Combining the need for fast fashion with highend quality, accessible prices and a contemporary aesthetic, ‘Fall Winter Spring Summer’ is the brainchild of the Oslo-based collective MTHLVT, which was established in 2011 by Frode Grønvold to create products and brands for the forwardlooking consumer. Spring 2013 features: woven shirts, tops and jackets in washed silk, cold dyed tencel, washed cotton poplin, light chiffons, heavy cupro and silk georgette; sweaters in knitted
cotton and light knitted wool; and cashmere, silk and mercerized wool scarves to complement the tops. Details such as French seams, raw edges and hidden plaquets highlight the exclusive fabrics. Prints in marble, ombre, faded florals and miniature animal prints work alongside advanced techniques used in sportswear such as lasercut hems and collars, overlocks and taped zips to complete a selection of wearable classics with a twist.
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I’ve come to the conclusion that almost every collection I’ve done has a starting point in my youth
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ganni.dk
Ganni
Her dreamy poetry is mirrored in the collection’s beautiful dresses and seductive lace, while its sharp, hard-edged and deep nuances have inspired refined details and chic finishes. The entire collection embraces Woolf’s fashionable and uncompromising aesthetic. This season’s exclusive fabrics include silk, pure cashmere and soft leather paired with airy viscose, unique knit, corduroy and indispensable Ganni classics like isoli, moss crepe, striped cotton and lush wool. This autumn, Ganni is substantially expanding its popular outerwear collection. Among the outstanding pieces are a warm down parka, A-line leopard quilt, a woollen biker jacket, striped transitional suit jackets, bell-shaped mohair jackets and long hard-edged leather gilets. And this season’s Ganni shoe collection outdoes itself, launching leather sneakers available in leopard, metallic and patent leather, and presenting a range of iconic shoes including ornamental boots, 1960s style boots and timeless pumps. These styles combine the best of the 1960s and 1990s. The shoes come in patent leather, suede and grain leather.
Ganni pursues one idea: to create sexy and playful clothes. Nothing too tricky, nothing too fashion – just gorgeous. The type of clothes that project allure. By abolishing the diktats of a total look in favour of clothing adapted to each woman’s personality, Ganni creates much-loved pieces. Not necessarily iconic classics, but true favourites that always make a woman feel good about herself. At Ganni they don’t believe in one single designer stamping his sole personality on an entire collection – they prefer a constant exchange of ideas among the group, and that’s what happens within the design team and with other artists that inspire them. Ganni’s autumn collection is inspired by Virginia Woolf’s strong aesthetic and unconventional yet sophisticated life. Woolf transformed her vulnerability and dark side into poetry and art. She believed in fellowship and in female strength. She was also ahead of her time – in thought as well as in style. Virginia Woolf’s play with gender roles and her love of dressing in masculine clothes have been translated into a collection dedicated to stylish suits, cool shirts and sharply tailored trousers. 19
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gudrungudrun.com
Gudrun & Gudrun
brand.Their classic sweaters are made from 100% organic, untreated and undyed wool shorn from Faroese sheep, who graze on unfertilized mountain grass all year round. The duo also use fish leather in their new accessories line. All their suppliers are from the European Union, and so are bound by the strict environmental and ethical rules so important to the brand. They hark back to a slower pace of life, where everything was less hurried, where nature was unsullied and when natural materials reigned supreme. Gudrun & Gudrun have had extensive press, and have featured in such magazines as Womens Wear Daily, Glamour Italy, WAD, Elle, Paper and Vogue. They acquired international cult status when their sweater was worn by the fictional detective Sarah Lund in the Danish TV series ‘The Killing’, which was watched by more than 2.2 million viewers in Britain. Lund’s sweater has its own fansites, and one was recently given to The Duchess of Cornwall (a huge fan of ‘The Killing’) on a visit to Denmark. It is stocked across the world from Japan to America.
Gudrun & Gudrun is owned by two women from the Faroe Islands, eighteen tiny islands under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. Only 45,000 people live on the islands, but the nation retains its own distinct culture and language. Gudrun & Gudrun take their inspiration from Europe, but always return home to the islands to savour their peace and to escape the hectic world of fashion. The major part of the collection is handmade by Faroese and Jordanian women, all of whom they know by name and all of whom have spent hours perfecting ancient Nordic knitwear techniques. Knitting is the Faroese equivalent of a cigarette break: it distracts you from your surroundings and lets your mind fly. Faroese knitwear features different colours and patterns used by the fishermen, which allowed their wives to identify them after they’d been working at sea for long periods. Gudrun & Gudrun has reinvented the traditional fisherman’s sweater while also providing a workspace and opportunity for women to earn money by mixing two cultures into one 20
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elisegug.dk
Elise Gug
timeless style, creating a feminine yet chic and stylish look that nods at today’s trends without being dictated by them. Her sources of inspiration are such fashion icons as Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, and especially the modern Italian woman. Elise Gug is the first of only three Danish designers to have received two prestigious prizes: ‘The Gold Button’ in 1990 for Best Designer, and ‘The Blue Thimble’ in 1997, also for Best Designer. In 2010 she opened her first boutique in the heart of Copenhagen. The boutique is filled with beautiful cashmere, silk dresses, jewelry, shoes and everything a woman needs in her wardrobe. Elise Gug’s designs are sold in more than eighty stores around the world.
Elise Gug is a Danish designer of timelessly luxurious ready-to-wear, evening dresses, wedding dresses, shoes and accessories. An elegant aesthetic and carefully selected, exclusive materials combined with craftsmanship are her trademarks. The Elise Gug collections are all made in Italy with the finest Italian fabrics and produced with an eye for quality and tradition, but also with the Italian love for informal elegance in mind. She greatly appreciates having a close collaboration with the workrooms and therefore often travels back and forth between her two homes, Denmark and northern Italy. Her designs are classic with a modern touch, and beautifully cut. Gug acknowledges fashion by using new details and silhouettes, while remaining true to her own 22
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haaningandhtoon.com
Haaning and Htoon Haaning and Htoon’s inspiration for AW13 is the Scandinavian architectural style known as ‘Functionalism’, exemplified by the Ingierstrand beach complex in Oslo, whose bold and stark lines create a striking contrast to the nature that surrounds it. This new collection combines oversized clean-cut coats in bright Arctic Blue, paired with foulard printed blouses and cropped pants. Clean lines are complemented by soft angora knitted sweaters. Their sweatshirt/cape in spongy technojersey and classic tweed creates a contrast worth highlighting. It’s a wardrobe for the Scandinavian intellectual, a well travelled woman who needs versatile and clever options. Every season they feel drawn to tie in elements from a gentleman’s wardrobe, due probably in part to Htoon’s British upbringing. On the other hand, Marianne brings a touch of Scandinavian cool and femininity to the collection. Together they have created a unique brand that marries sharp British tailoring with the sublime minimalism of the quintessential Scandinavian silhouette.
Haaning and Htoon was established in 2010 by Marianne Haaning Groos and Min Htoon. The designers were to create a new style that would capture their mutual love of classic modern items, Scandinavian functionality and high-end quality. They coined it ‘The New Classic’. Min Htoon is no stranger to the fashion scene. Having graduated with an MA in Fashion from Central Saint Martins, the British designer started his career in womenswear at Dolce & Gabbana and went on to DKNY in New York. While on a trip to Norway he met the inspiring fashion designer Marianne Haaning, and together they were compelled to start a business together. Marianne’s Scandinavian upbringing and fashion education at Esmod combined the design duo’s strengths; although from two very different backgrounds, they shared a new and exciting vision. They won Norway’s most prestigious fashion award ‘Nåløyet’ in 2011 for their spring/summer collection, and the prize for Debutantes of the Year at Oslo Fashion Week.
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Founded in 1908, Carl Hansen & Son is one of only a few traditional cabinetmaker workshops from the era of great Danish design to survive to this day
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carlhansen.com / snedkergaarden.com
Carl Hansen & Snedkergaarden Nobody epitomises the Danish craftsmanship tradition quite like Carl Hansen. The furniture company has always stuck to its guns, believing in the virtues of exquisite quality. Founded in 1908, Carl Hansen & Son is one of only a few traditional cabinetmaker workshops from the era of great Danish design to survive to this day. While Denmark was once flooded with these workshops where skills had been passed down through generations, most went out of business over the last fifty years in the face of sharp competition from mass production. Now run by the fifth generation of Hansens, Carl Hansen & Son has managed to survive through its strong belief in the everlasting value of great quality and attention to detail. Carl Hansen & Son now looks stronger than ever. With brands in all industries striving to be associated with quality and attention to detail, Carl Hansen & Son can point back to a long-lasting legacy of always having been associated with and lived up to these standards. To this day Carl Hansen is strongly defined by its relationship with one of Denmark’s most celebrated designers, Hans J. Wegner. This relationship, which flourished from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, saw Wegner design some of his best and most successful furniture of this period, and the vast majority of Carl Hansen’s collection is still made up of Wegner’s furniture from this period. His reputation has only increased over the last sixty years, and Wegner is today regarded as one of the greatest and most important designers
of the 20th Century. With a workshop in the Danish town of Them, the cabinetmakers of Snedkergaarden have thrown their love and attention on one of Denmark’s more colourful designers As the first female designer to gain a real breakthrough, Nanna Ditzel was by all accounts a remarkable lady. In 1942, the 19-year-old Nanna took a up a position as an apprentice cabinetmaker in Copenhagen, a controversial choice for a woman of the time, but nonetheless the first step in a long and eventful career for the young Ditzel. She later made her name as a versatile designer, showing an insightful eye for the mode of production. Known for her playful and sensitive touch, Ditzel became the first female designer from the Danish school of design to get a real breakthrough in the 1960s. She sat up studios in Copenhagen and London and travelled the world with her One Woman Exhibition. For a long time Ditzel was known mostly for her textile designs and her iconic mass produced Trinidad chair. It was therefore like rediscovering a lost chapter of Ditzel’s story when Snedkergaarden restarted the production of Ditzel’s cabinetmaker pieces. The hand-turned Ditzel series from Snedkergaarden is not only a reminder of Ditzel’s beginnings, but also a unique and beautiful series showing the playfulness and feminine touch the Danish cabinetmaker tradition was given by Ditzel.
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heljehamre.com
Helje Hamre
Helje Hamre is an Oslo-based designer with thirteen years’ experience of the fashion industry in New York. He graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2002 and has since gone on to work for such established designers as DKNY and Narciso Rodriguez. In 2010 he returned to Norway and founded his eponymous collection. Helje Hamre
designs with the strong modern women in mind, a woman who values quality and likes to dress in classic clothes with a contemporary, individual twist. The Helje Hamre collection pairs fine fabrics, classic tailoring and modern clean lines with a keen attention to detail in fit and finish.
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ilsejacobsen.com
Ilse Jacobsen
Since its foundation in 1993, the lifestyle company ILSE JACOBSEN HORNBÆK has embraced a design philosophy based on Scandinavian simplicity, combining comfort, elegance and femininity with modern, urban living to communicate the lifestyle of Ilse Jacobsen. The idyllic seaside town of Hornbæk in northeast Denmark, famous for the relaxing atmosphere
of its small harbour, wide sandy beaches and dunes, is the backdrop for Danish designer Ilse Jacobsen’s life and creativity. Inspired by the natural, raw beauty of her surroundings, Ilse Jacobsen designs ready to wear, Rub&Rain, bags and accessories, harmoniously blending Scandinavian lifestyle, Danish design and modern urban living.
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georgjensen.com
geORg jeNseN Founded in Denmark in 1904, Georg Jensen now has over 100 stores in twelve countries. Originally a silversmith creating exclusive silver hollowware and jewelry, Georg Jensen now applies its unique design, superior craftsmanship and outstanding quality to a wide range of gold, silver, platinum and diamond jewelry, watches, cutlery, hollowware as well as design items for the home and office. Its pure, elegant, Danish design style is favoured by millions around the world and is considered one of Denmark’s most recognized brands. Encompassing more than 1,200 individual pieces of jewelry, 1,000 home and hollowware designs, 15,000 drawings and an invaluable collection of prototypes, photographs and catalogues spanning the brand’s 100-year history, Georg Jensen’s vast archive is a valuable treasury for the brand’s designers and collaborators as well as historians. This season, Georg Jensen releases a carefully curated selection of iconic jewelry from its fantastic archives. The unique collection comprises never-before-produced pieces from the 1960s and 1970s that perfectly encapsulate contemporary design sensibilities with a nostalgic nod to the past. The collection includes designs by Ibe Dahlquist, whose enchanting bangle gently wraps around the wrist, its open sterling silver form undulating on its orbit. The stunning simplicity of Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe’s nature-inspired bracelets is manifested in sterling silver, set with
polished black agate, cornelian or green agate; and Astrid Fog’s exotic sterling silver bangle and neck ring hold cascading sterling silver droplets, which fall flamboyantly from polished elliptical silver. Georg Jensen has also launched a collection named ‘Fusion’, which offers endless combinations, made from the most precious materials, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and iridescent diamonds and is cleverly made to fit perfectly together in puzzle-like pieces. Another great collection is named ‘Sphere’, inspired by the curiosity and hopes of the charismatic crystal ball. It has been made to appeal to a younger fashion-oriented audience, and reduced in size to more delicate, refined pieces in translucent gemstones, smoky quartz, prehnite and rock crystal that still convey the mystique of the original, bold design. Georg Jensen has also translated their homeware into beautiful artpieces, such as the Supernova trays and bowls by designer Rebecca Uth. Both decorative and functional, the stunning pieces fuse the ancient craft of origami with the visual drama of the kaleidoscope, resulting in an explosion of light from the lustrous material. The facetted finish, reminiscent of glass dessert plates, perfectly suits the modern home; and referencing both contemporary aesthetics and materials as well as traditional craftsmanship, the collection is perfect for use on tables or as decorative floor trays.
Georg Jensen’s pure, elegant, Danish design style is favoured by millions around the world and is considered one of Denmark’s most recognized brands
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Above left: Sphere Bracelet Above right: Fusion Ring Below: Supernova Bowl
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Georg Jensen
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peterjensen.co.uk
Peter Jensen
are stocked in a variety of prestigious stores and boutiques in over twenty countries on five continents. These include Opening Ceremony in L.A., Tokyo and New York, B store and Dover Street Market in London, Side by Side in Tokyo, and UK Style in Moscow. Jensen and his design team work in a studio based in Dalston, East London. He has also taken on collaborations with super chain Topshop and Topman, Fred Perry, where he has reworked the iconic Harrington jacket, and designed a capsule collection for Dover Street Market. The designer lives with his long term partner in Primrose Hill in North London, in an apartment full of classic Scandinavian furniture, as well as his extensive collections of cushions and books. Jensen’s designs are known for being
Peter Jensen is a Danish-born but London-based mens and womenswear designer. Jensen initially studied graphic design, embroidery and tailoring at The Royal Danish Academy of Design in Copenhagen before moving to London in 1997 to undertake an MA in Menswear at Central Saint Martins. He graduated with a Distinction in 1999 and formed his eponymous menswear label immediately afterwards, subsequently also introducing womenswear. Peter Jensen has regularly shown his collections on the main schedule at London Fashion Week, upon the catwalk and in the form of installations, in a variety of venues. These venues range from Milk Studios New York, ICA Institute for Contemporary Art London to Queens Ice Bowl London. Peter Jensen’s designs 34
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artist Cindy Sherman, singer Nina Simone and even Jensen’s own Auntie Jytte, an ardent lover of fashion in the 1970s who ran a chip shop and taxi company in Nuuk, Greenland. Peter Jensen also has a famous following of stars such as Nina Persson from The Cardigans, Rhianna, Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning and Maggie Gyllenhaal to mention a few. Since 2001 he has been Head of Menswear at Central Saint Martins, and associate lecturer at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, alongside many associations with Danish design schools. To celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary in 2011, Dent-de-Leone Publishers released a comprehensive book, edited by Åbäke, Peter Jensen and Gerard Wilson, with essays by Susanne Frankel and Emily King.
inventive, playful, colourful and well-made. His work is inspired by a unique mixture of popular culture and often makes reference to infamous or cult figures. Jensen’s womenswear collections are consistently inspired by and named after female muses, though Jensen avoids obvious style icons. Instead he homes in on popular culture’s more marginal or complex females, who are as likely to be eccentric, wanton or even criminal, as they are heroic or overtly chic. His muses have so far included, among others, Hollywood actress Mary Miles Minter, American photographer Tina Barley, the character Candice Marie from the Mike Leigh film Nuts In May, the Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding, the legendary Helena Rubenstein, collector and more Gertrude Stein, 35
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kristoferkongshaug.com
Kristofer Kongshaug The talented young Norwegian designer Kristofer Kongshaug trained at three design schools – Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Esmod in Norway, and la Chambre Syndicale in Paris – and worked at Givenchy and Anne Valerie Hash before starting his own company. He fell in love with Paris and its rich history and tailoring traditions, and now lives and designs from his studio in the city, presenting two collections annually. His debut collection was awarded ‘Collection of the Year’ at Oslo Fashion
Week in 2008, and he is currently developing a men’s line. Kongshaug believes that everything that can be done has been done already, and that nothing can be shocking any more, so he focuses on the cut and quality of the product, using mixed and hi-tech fabrics. His pieces are now made exclusively in France and in Italy with 95% of patterns molded on a mannequin in Kongshaug’s Parisian studio.
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lindberg.com
LINDBERG From its base in a former lathe factory incongruously squeezed into a quiet small-town residential road in tranquil little Denmark, one of the world’s leading eyewear design companies has been shaking up the world of what’s possible with modern glasses. It all started in the early 1980s when optometrist Poul-Jørn Lindberg couldn’t find any lightweight glasses that he liked, so he decided to start developing and making his own, using just titanium wire to hold the lenses in place. LINDBERG has subsequently won more gilt-edged awards for design than you can shake a stick at – seven in 2012 alone, and a total of 58 to date. Every LINDBERG frame is a determined statement about aesthetics, technical innovation and impeccable craftsmanship, and everything they do is steeped in the Scandinavian design tradition of discreet, classic elegance and carefully engineered simplicity. LINDBERG’s design-driven mindset means that they can do more with less. They have taken away the screws, rivets and welds, and pared off every milligram of superfluous weight, resulting in supremely comfortable eyewear designs that sometimes weigh less than 2 grams. LINDBERG has a solid history of adorning the faces of fashion mavens from monarchs and business moguls to design hot-shots and mavericks. They introduced a game-changer modular design system that means wearers can choose from a myriad combinations of colours, materials, details and accessories to get the glasses their personal fashion mojo dictates. The most spectacular LINDBERG collection is the exclusive Precious range, where Scandinavian minimalism meets sumptuous dress-to-impress style.These statement frames are made of 18-carat solid gold and platinum, adorned with horn from buffalo, musk ox and Siberian mammoths, along with gems that include rare pink diamonds. Other fashion-forward LINDBERG ranges include the recently released n.o.w. collection. These futuristically minimalist frames feature fronts made
of translucent composite only 2 mm thick, with hardly-there temples in ultra-light extruded titanium wire.This all adds up to a mere 2.3 grams – like not wearing glasses at all. Competing with n.o.w. designs in popularity are the LINDBERG Acetanium and 9800 Strip ranges. Acetanium frames combine the best features of two distinctive materials – the colour and curvature advantages of acetate, and the resilience and easy adjustment made possible by temples, bridges and nose pad mounts made of highstrength titanium. By contrast, 9800 Strip frames combine details from LINDBERG acetate and titanium plate designs, resulting in 1950s-style retro fashion statements with pronounced Mad Men-inspired eyebrow curvature. Most people think the equipment, technologies and finishing processes LINDBERG uses are a bit out of the ordinary – there usually isn’t any mainstream, off-the-shelf equipment available for the standards on which LINDBERG insists. The building therefore houses an eclectic mish-mash of advanced technology, handcrafted expertise and unusual machinery that LINDBERG experts themselves have concocted, modified and repurposed. The LINDBERG of today is run by the son, Henrik Lindberg, who trained as an architect, which has rubbed off big time on his way of considering eyewear, and all the processes and details associated with its passage from LINDBERG workshops to the proud new owner. LINDBERG isn’t going to get much bigger – that’s something Henrik Lindberg has made a clear decision about. Instead, they’re all about continuing to do the one, same thing – making amazing eyewear even better. Keeping the company family-owned and relatively small means it’s agile and easily manageable, as well as in keeping with the distinctive Scandinavian directness and non-hierarchical egalitarianism. LINDBERG is determined to live up to its basic mantra that if you’re going to do something, it’s worth doing it exceptionally well. 38
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billyandi.com
Modeink
Billy and I
Billy and I is about relations, as conveyed by its name. It’s both about me (as in I) and Billy, the reference point.What is it with relations? Why this urge to ‘relate’? Knowledge and understanding is created through communication. It is born in the very interaction, in one’s relation to another.This is where inspiration comes from; you don’t just get inspired, you get inspired by something. Billy and I is clothes. We love fine material,
and using fine materials in unexpected ways. We also love how a single garment can have several expressions depending on the wearer. One can say that our designs are driven by styling ideas. In our world, the wearer (the ‘I’) is in charge: the clothes are merely tools. Billy, however, is the source of inspiration. It could be music, or art, or people. It could definitely be love. We don’t like to dictate a certain style or ideal. We want to inspire. 40
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commonblog.se
MODEINK
COMMON
GROUNDS, that will see them bring in a new Swedish creative. For AW13 COMMON explores the core and foundation of the brand, its identity and DNA. They dig deep in their Scandinavian heritage of minimal monochrome aesthetics and mix it with loud and bold print that has come to define COMMON. This results in a strong graphic collection in bold black, clean whites and graphite shades of grey. There are also accent colours of olive greens and gold. The graphic prints are inspired by the 90s obsession with logos and brand recognition that led to the term ‘Logomania’. Developed together with graphic design duo Stinsensqueeze who also created COMMON’s initial brand identity and are the new guest collaborators for COMMON GROUNDS AW13.
COMMON is a new Swedish label that offers a unique take on men’s fashion. Our collections are continuous, a story under constant development. Based in Malmö, Sweden’s multicultural and creative hot spot, COMMON proposes a new take on sartorial national heritage, mixing Swedish minimalism with international influences. House of Sparrows, the debut season from the one-time Wooyoungmi and Kanye West designers, offers a collection based around the idea of masculine elegance vs rebellious youth. The result is a sharp and focused collection with a selection of standout pieces like the classic bomber jacket in a desert storm bird-camouflage print, a collaboration with Lars Jonsson, one of Sweden’s most prolific illustrators which marks the beginning of COMMON 43
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maskaknits.com
MODEINK
Maska soft and precious materials in their aim to create the perfect knitwear: durable in both material and design, and reflecting a love for yarn and the craft of knitting. Amazing yarns, dreams, nature and a passion for visual expression inspire the collection.The materials are carefully chosen for their lasting beauty and only natural fibres are used; Inner Mongolian cashmere, mohair, silk, alpaca, Merino wool and Peruvian Pima cotton. Just like fine wine, each yarn has its own unique quality of shine, drape and softness. MASKA collaborates with artisan spinners and dyers and hand printed and hand spun yarns will be part of future collections. The garments are knitted by skilled crafts people and a big part of the collection is hand made on hand knitting machines. MASKA works independently of traditional fashion seasons to emphasize the timeless qualities of their clothes.
Founders Maria Svensson and Lisa Leierth met at Tillsk채rarakademin (textile craft school) in Gothenburg in the year 2000. Sharing a big interest in wool, materials and hand knitting they decided to create the kind of knitwear they both missed, and so MASKA was founded in 2009 and the web shop was launched the following year. Creative director Lisa Leierth (b. 1980) holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the renowned School of Design and Craft (HDK) in Gothenburg. She also works as an illustrator, and is an acclaimed textile pattern designer. CEO Maria Svensson (b. 1977) holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management. She has a background in textile buying and grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, among them a grandmother with a small sewing mill. Combining an industrial perspective with a devotion to quality and crafts, the aim is to offer high quality garments at a very attractive price level. They use lustrous,
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muuse.com
MUUSE MUUSE is a fashion label incubator for tomorrow’s design icons, an international community with roots in Scandinavian values of bold, honest design and well-crafted pieces made to last. They work with the next generation of talented new designers from across the globe, making it possible for these talents to achieve a platform of original fashion.Their website MUUSE.com features some of the top talent from leading design schools all over the world, such as Central Saint Martins, The Royal College of Art, Antwerp Fashion Academy and Parsons, to mention a few.They also go behind the scenes to publish the design coming out of the courses through their collaborations with schools and teachers. To scout talent, MUUSE collaborates annually with Sara Maino, Senior Fashion editor of Vogue Italia and Senior editor of Vogue Talents, to find the best new designers. More than 350 designers entered the contest last year. Ten finalists were selected, and Sara Maino picked the winner to be featured on Vogue Talents and receive a MUUSE contract. MUUSE sit on many school juries and are therefore able to preview designer collections while scouting directly at schools. MUUSE focuses closely on the great schools in their home region of Denmark, Sweden and Finland, since they value the strong design tradition that shines through in the graduates. After designers are invited onto MUUSE, the designer’s original prototypes are shown on MUUSE.com, where many can be ordered as custom-sewn pieces, sewn to fit by tailors. These tailors and material experts are behind the construction of every garment, ensuring the best fabrics selected for quality and comfort, and
that sizing and fit are optimal. Pieces are sewn in Copenhagen, and measuring and fitting services can be arranged with local tailoring partners in many locations. These outfits are sought after by stylists in magazines such as Zinc, Bon, Plaza, Vogue Talents and Dansk (coming out in the next issue) and worn by celebrities like Lady Gaga – and are now available to everyone on MUUSE.com. In addition to the exclusive tailor-made pieces, the MUUSE team of tailors and material experts collaborates with celebrated designers to create ready-to-wear MUUSE Editions. Together, the designer and the team translate designer signature details into high quality garments suitable for small runs at competitive prices. MUUSE manages all of the production to ensure quality control and the collaboration results in the MUUSE Edition. These ready-to-wear pieces are available both on the site, and through select partner retailers in Europe. The vision is that all great fashion talents can develop a global following who wear their pieces, and that fashion connoisseurs everywhere have direct access to the best new collections by the best talent. Yvonne Laufer caught their attention at a graduate show during Copenhagen Fashion Week 2012. They invited her to join immediately, and her graduate collection can be seen on MUUSE. com. They are currently developing two MUUSE Edition collections with Laufer – a Spring/ Summer collection, ready in March, and then a Fall/Winter collection, which will be in stores in August. A preview from the Spring/Summer collection will be displayed at The Scandinavian Fashion Exhibition Movement at Somerset House.
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madsnorgaard.dk
Mads Nørgaard
the Kindred Spirits. Mads also designed four personal interfaces (or ‘skins’) for iGoogle alongside such other big names as Phillip Starck, Coldplay, Jackie Chan, House of Dagmar, Ivana Helsinki, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana and Diane von Furstenberg. He was the first Danish designer to introduce a 100% organic underwear line for men. In September 2009 Mads collaborated with the artist Garder Eide Eimarsson to make a Tshirt in connection with the exhibition ‘The World is Yours’ at Louisiana Art Gallery. MADS NØRGAARD – COPENHAGEN is deeply in love with fashion and change, yet they also think that the western world sometimes moves too fast. So in order to slow the pace a little, they love things that never change but are always stylish. Thus, they base their collection around a core of stylish classics for women and men. Their designs aim to make the girls more sexy and the guys more tough, but always with a modern slant. Mads Nørgaard believes that fashion is meant to support you and free you, not overrule or control you. He thinks that what you wear should support you in your ways and beliefs.
Mads burst onto the fashion scene with the establishment of his independent shop, MADS NØRGAARD on ‘Strøget’, a street in central Copenhagen, in the 1980s. The store specialised exclusively in men’s fashion, and featured his own designs alongside ‘Nørgaard under Jorden’ (Nørgaard Underground) in partnership with his father, Jørgen Nørgaard. ‘Nørgaard under Jorden’ featured both second-hand and high fashion clothes and accessories for men and women. Mads’s women’s collection was introduced in May 1996, and was sold in other outlets as well as Mads’s own shop. In 2001 The MADS NØRGAARD – COPENHAGEN collections were shown and sold internationally. Four years later, in August 2005, Mads held his first major fashion show, the first of three held in the Grey Hall at the free town Christiania in Copenhagen. In 2007, at the invitation of the Danish Royal Ballet, Mads designed the costumes for the world premiere of the ballet ‘American Mixture’. The ballet comprised three individual pieces, and Mads designed for the last and longest, Rhapsody – a ballet concert choreographed by Nicolo Fonte, with music by the prominent rock band Kira and
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renouve.com
Renouve
the years and has managed to produce everlasting designs that are as relevant and beautiful today as when they were created in the 1940s and 50s. The spirit of Danish design is a spirit that penetrates the Danish mindset, and is by no means exclusive to the design world. Minimalist expression and strict attention to detail are themes seen in Danish furniture design, architecture and art as well as fashion. As a cosmetics company Renouve feels a strong inspiration and bond with these industries, and is therefore proud to sponsor a Lounge exhibiting the development of the Danish cabinetmaker tradition. Often the greatest leaps forward and most beautiful pieces of art are products of dialogues and explorations going across industries and genres. That is why Renouve, the cosmetics brand, takes pleasure in sponsoring the Scandinavian Craftsmen’s Lounge at the London Fashion Week.
As a luxury cosmetics company Renouve believes in putting effort and time into creating innovative products that will set new standards for the industry. After two years of hard work, testing and development, Renouve launched its first product, the hand lotion Anti-Aging Everyday Defence, in 2012. Combining sanitising effects with anti-aging hand crème, the lotion is regarded as the ultimate hand product, making the skin soft and smooth while killing bacteria. Despite being a cosmetics brand, Renouve always keeps a close eye and its keen attention on industries with little or no attachment to cosmetics. For CEO and founder, Denis Borre, attention to quality and hard work is paramount when creating luxury. He finds these virtues inspiring where ever they are found. Renouve therefore has the deepest respect for the Danish cabinetmaker tradition, which has stayed true to its ethos of excellent craftsmanship throughout 51
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rodebjer.com
RODEBJER
future, translating it into both long-lasting style and fashion forward items. I believe in a style that is effortlessly elegant without losing comfort, allowing women the luxury to get on with life without restriction.’ Her deep interest in clothes and sewing has always been a natural part of her life, as her mother also loved textile crafts. Also, one of her mother’s most creative friends opened her eyes to fashion through her individual style. ‘The way she dressed was elegant yet relaxed. As soon as I stepped into her home I felt like the world expanded.’ Carin Rodebjer was discovered walking down the streets in New York City in her own design. RODEBJER has been awarded Best Designer of the Year by Swedish Elle three times and has won the prestigious award GULDKNAPPEN by Damernas Värld in 2005. RODEBJER was also awarded Fresh Face of Fashion by GenArt in New York City in 2005.
RODEBJER is a progressive international fashion brand offering effortless elegance for all occasions. Creative director Carin Rodebjer founded the brand in 1999. She has a passion for sharp silhouettes and the feel, weight and drape of the fabric. She designs for the modern and universal woman who is not restricted by borders; she is vibrant and confident; she believes in inner as well as outer style. Carin Rodebjer lives and works in New York City. She was born and raised on the Swedish island Gotland where she grew up on a farm, far removed from the fashion world.When she moved to New York in the late 90s and started studying at F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology), she was charmed by the fashion scene and the inspirations it provided. Her design philosophy is based on creating wardrobe essentials as well as items that the zeitgeist of the time: ‘I respect history and I am sensitive to the 53
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backafallsbyn.se
Spirit of Hven
the hand bottling – is made on site. This vodka is best drunk on its own, over ice or with a splash of water, but it also works well as a cocktail ingredient – just add a dash of ginger ale and a squeeze of lemon juice. The classic Swedish coffee drink – vodka, honey and coffee – makes a great ending to any dinner. Spirit of Hven organic vodka contains no additives and is handcrafted by the Molin Family on the island of Hven. It is unique on the market for being the only organic wheat-pot distilled vodka that undergoes oak maturation prior to the last copper pot distillation. The final product is hand-bottled on site at 40% ABV without any carbon- or chill filtering, colour corrections or additives. All bottles are individually numbered and signed before approval.
This unique handcrafted copper pot-distilled spirit is made on the beautiful island of Hven, which lies in the strait of Öresund between Denmark and Sweden. The distillery, established in 2008, is only the third copper Pot distillery ever built in Sweden. Its range covers all types of spirit, from organic gin to vodka, aqua vitae, apple brandy and various rums. However, the heart and soul of the distillery belongs to the Single Malt Whisky: smooth, non-peated and smoky. The distillery also has its own hotel, bar and restaurant, enabling you to visit and appreciate the production and heritage of the spirits. Only pure certified organic cereals are used in their production, with the best grains carefully selected from a few chosen certified farmers. The ingredients are distilled in the unique small copper pot stills at Spirit of Hven distillery. Everything – including 54
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veronicabvallenes.com
Veronica B Vallenes
Year’s Marketer in Vest-Agder, Norway, and a debutante award in her home country. She was also nominated for the Norwegian design award Nåløyet. Veronica B. Vallenes’ designs juxtapose the edgy and cool with the feminine and elegant. Focusing on straight lines and silhouettes, she combines vintage with contemporary references and adds a touch of the exotic. With a background in costume design, Vallenes downplays extravagance in favour of highly wearable yet edgy collections.
Veronica B. Vallenes is a prize-winning Norwegian designer based in Copenhagen. Vallenes’ latest collections have garnered international recognition in magazines such as Vogue, Dazed & Confused, PopWorld, Glamour, PIG Magazine, Collezione Donna, Fallen and SMUG, as well as coverage in high-end Scandinavian publications such as Cover, Costume, Elle, Eurowoman, Damernas Värld and Contributor Magazine. Vallenes won the prestigious Danish Design Talent of theYear at DANSK Fashion Award in 2011, the Max Factor New Talent Award, This 56
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vadum-cph.com
Vadum
Vadum blends richness with roughness, creating a no-fuss, sharp yet feminine look. The company was founded in 2005 by designer Charlotte Vadum and her partner Vibeke Bernhoft; this duality is an important element of the collection, emphasizing an independent spirit rooted in a modern aesthetic. Vadum allies the casual to a clean-cut silhouette, creating exclusive feminine styles that focus on great comfort and that create a cool look, as well as strong graphical prints influenced by modern art scenes, music and street life. The brand is based on two main stories, a white label for the casual roughness and a black label for the exclusive richness. The woman wearing this
collection is both looking for an everyday, wearable casual collection inspired by her boyfriend’s wardrobe, but is at the same time a woman who likes to don her heels in the evening and dress up in a more fluid, feminine sexy look. Vadum’s head office and showroom is based in a loft in the exclusive Frederiksberg area in Copenhagen. The showroom presents both the womenswear brand VADUM as well as the kids’ brand SMALL WINGS. The collection is represented in Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium, Germany, UK and Israel as well as in exclusive high-end multibrand shops and department stores in Russia, Asia and the Middle East. 57
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henrikvibskov.com
Henrik Vibskov The name Henrik Vibskov is most commonly associated not only with a fashion label, but a multitude of twisted yet tantalising universes created in relation to each collection. ‘The Eat’, ‘Panopticon and On’ and ‘The Shrink Wrap Spectacular’ are just a few titles of shows Henrik Vibskov has produced lately, each referring to a different but equally mesmerising world and set of logic. As a fashion designer Henrik Vibskov has produced twenty-one men’s and seventeen women’s collections since he graduated from Central St. Martins in 2001, and he is currently the only Scandinavian designer on the official show schedule of the Paris Men’s Fashion Week, which he has been taking part in since January 2003. In May 2012, he was elected an official member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine. Since the beginning of his career Henrik has frequently been invited to and taken part in such festivals, contests and talks as Swiss Textile Awards 2003, Hyères Festival 2003 & 2004, Expo 2005 Japan, the Noovo Festival 2007 in Santiago de Compostela, the LungA Art Festival in Iceland 2009 & 2010, the Notch Festival in Beijing in 2009, Gwangju Design Biennale in South Korea in 2011 and the Röhsska Museum in Göteborg in 2011. Although Henrik has a principle of never giving away clothes to celebrities for commercial purposes, people like M.I.A., Kanye West, Björk, The Arctic Monkeys, Little Dragon, Sigur Ros, Franz Ferdinand, MUM, Lou Reed, LCD Soundsystem and Devendra Banhart have all been spotted in Henrik Vibskovʼs designs. Between designing new collections biannually and creating the universes surrounding them, Henrik keeps himself occupied touring the world as the drummer for electronic musician Trentemøller, and exhibiting at art
museums and galleries around the world. Henrik has made exhibitions at PS1 – MoMA in NewYork, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, ICA in London, Zeeuws Museum in Holland, Kiyomizu-Dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan, Wilhelm Wagendfeld Haus in Bremen, NAI Nederlands Architectuur Instituut in Rotterdam, Holland, The Textile Museum, Washington, USA and Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris, in collaboration with Elmgreen & Dragset, just to name a few. He has collaborated with visual artist Andreas Emenius on an ongoing art project called ‘The Circular Series’, which they began in 2009. As in their earlier ‘The Fringe Projects’ collaboration, where the fringe is used formally, this project uses the circle as a clarifier, or visual glue, linking all the projects to the same universe. Henrik Vibskov’s collections are sold only through carefully selected shops across the globe. 10 Corso Como in Milan, Tom Greyhound in Seoul, RA in Antwerp, Magasin in Moscow, Club 21 in Singapore and his own Henrik Vibskov stores in Copenhagen, New York and Oslo are a few of the most influential stores, but countries in the burgeoning markets of the Middle East and Eastern Europe have embraced Henrik’s designs. Throughout his career Henrik’s designs have won him prizes, including the Beck’s Student Future Prize 2000, Årets Nye Navn 2003, Danish Design Council Award 2007, Brand of the Year DANSK Magazine Fashion Awards 2008, a Præmieringen from the Dansh Arts Foundation in 2009, the 2011 Söderberg prize and the Jury Prize at the Danish Fashion Awards in 2012. Henrik Vibskov has given many lectures and been a jury member at institutions such as Central Saint Martins in London, The Istituto Europeo Di Design in Madrid and the Antwerp Royal Acadamy of Fine Art, amongst others.
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woodwood.dk
WOOD WOOD
Wood’s biannual collections have evolved into more tailored and mature expressions. That said, Wood Wood is renowned for their playful graphic profile that often revolves around contrasts and symbols in a naïve-spirited universe. Wood Wood has been on the official show schedule in Copenhagen or Berlin every season since presenting their first show back in 2007. Called The Club, elements of sports, folklore and New York Rock’n’Roll are juxtaposed with the casual Wood Wood aesthetic in our Autumn/ Winter 2013 collection. The collection consists of a mix of recognizable styles that are redefined with new detailing and unconventional colour blocking. Today Wood Wood is sold in stores across the world such as La Garconne (US), Need Supply (CAN), Beams (Japan), Hunting & Collecting (Belgium), Koon (South Korea) and UK Style Moscow (Russia). Wood Wood is directed by co-founders KarlOskar Olsen and Brian SS Jensen.
Wood Wood is a lifestyle brand founded and based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with stores in Berlin, Vienna, Aarhus and Copenhagen as well as an on-line store. With a unique approach to fashion and the outspoken claim Not To Be Trusted, Wood Wood has an ability to continuously evolve and surprise. Wood Wood has managed to combine elements of underground and high-end into their very own aesthetic, which has positioned them as a driving force on the market. In 2002 Wood Wood opened the first store selling printed T-shirts along with art, sneakers and books in a basement in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since then Wood Wood has been involved in numerous collaboration projects often incorporating an international network of friends and likeminded creators. Recent collaborative partners include Barbour, Nike, Eastpak and Adidas. Built upon the wish to create apparel that the design trio would want to wear themselves, Wood 60
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Contacts Editor of Brand Bible and curator/author of Fashion Scandinavia Dorothea Gundtoft Dorotheagundtoft.com Thames & Hudson Press contact Fashion Scandinavia: r.stanyer@thameshudson.co.uk Fashion Scandinavia book sales a.levy@thameshudson.co.uk Danish Embassy Laura Thorborg Counsellor/ Head of Commercial Section Embassy of Denmark 55 Sloane Street SW1X 9SR London Direct +44 (0) 20 7333 0220 lautho@um.dk www.denmark.org.uk business sweden Sara Karte Business Sweden Winchester House 6th fl 259–269 Old Marylebone Road London NW1 5RA Tel: +44 (0) 20 7616 4070 Sara.Karte@business-sweden.se Press contact: tove@varg.co.uk www.business-sweden.se/en/ Royal Norwegian Embassy Siri Aronsen Royal Norwegian Embassy 25 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QD +44 (0) 20 7591 5500 Siri.aronsen@mfa.no www.norway.org.uk
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T&H Brand Bible COVER noSPINE.indd 4
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THE FASHION BOOK OF THE YEAR
Available at the Rizzoli Bookshop, Somerset House, and in all good bookshops.
thamesandhudson
thamesandhudson.com
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