• Alexander Wessely - Corpus

    Written by Fashion Tales

    A new generation of postdigital artists and creatives are becoming prominent in the cultural world. The influential curator Hans Ulrich Obrist created the initiative concept “89Plus” that focus on the generation that are born in 1989 or thereafter and therefore have never known a world without the internet or digital tools. They move freely between disciplines and techniques and often present very tactile and physical works.

    Stockholm based photographer, director and artist Alexander Wessely (b. 1989) fits into this category. His career has quickly established him in the international music and fashion industry, portraying names like Rihanna and Drake or shooting for Vogue Italia. His style is an digitally enhanced, raw black and white aesthetic that fits the contemporary world. His first show took place at a secret location and sold out within the first hour.

    For his second show “Corpus” he has taken the photograph one step further. With Greek roots, Wessely has looked back at the classical Greek sculpture for inspiration. Bodies of humans and animals are photographed in a studio, then sculptured backwards in decay in digital postproduction making them appear as antique remains. The work is then printed in 1:1 scale on metal and mounted on classical marble and steel in order to create a new type of sculpture. Most apparent is this in Hippos (Horse) which weighs a solid 650 kg and measures 2.8 x 2m. Through this metamorphosis Wessely sets the tone of our postdigital world and makes us look at the process of a sculpture in new angles.

    The exhibition takes place in an old palace under renovation in central Stockholm, 3/2-4/2.

  • RODEBJER Q&A

    Written by Meghan Scott

    Photography by: Malin Hägglöv.

    Stockholm's fashion crowd was very excited to see the Rodebjer collection in real life after all these years. Sandra and I ducked backstage right after the show and asked the lovely Carin Rodebjer a few questions about her collection and being back in Stockholm.

    It's so great for Fashion Week in Stockholm that you had a show this season, how do you feel about being back in the arena?

    It is fun to be back. Stockholm has changed a lot since I showed here last time. There are a lot of familiar faces and also a lot of new ones, which is exciting.

    Your last collection was a closed show with a strict social media and media embargo. Are you going to try and keep this concept even though you've already being viewed and uploaded by many journalists and editors just now, do you have a plan to keep some sort of embargo going? Do you feel this is important?

    The foundation of the strategy remains, which is a strong focus on communication created for the end consumer when we launch the collection in stores. We did however realize that we had to make it easier for press and wholesale to do their job so now we have less restricted rules on social media coverage, pictures can be taken and published from the show. 

    Do you feel more inspired working in Sweden? Does the slower pace of life give you more connection to your collection?

    At this point Sweden is just the right place for me to be. We have opened a big new store, we have a lot of new amazing employees on board and we experience a lot of growth in Scandinavia, so it is inspiring to see and feel the flow. 

    Last collection was inspired by 'Judy Chicago', who was your inspiration this time?

    This time it was lots of women. It was about a multitude that form a strong unit. We were inspired by Hannah Wilke, Niki de Saint Phalle, Helen Chadwick, Marina Ambramovic among many.

    Do you or are you working on any concepts that reduce your carbon footprint?

    Out of that perspective I also suddenly felt that it is quite modern to stay at one place and not fly constantly over the Atlantic back and forth. For Rodebjer as a company sustainability has always been important. We choose sustainable options whenever we can and we are also developing a new strategy regarding sustainability that we hope to share with our customers soon.

    More backstage photos from the show here.

  • HUNKYDORY Q&A

    Written by Meghan Scott

    Photography by: Malin Hägglöv.

    Odalisque's Sandra Myrhberg and I had the chance to have a quick Q&A with the design duo behind Hunkydory, backstage at Stockholm Fashion Week. They were showing their first 'See Now, Buy Now' collection, the first fashion label to do this in Stockholm. 

    With major players like Moschino, Tom Ford and Tommy Hilfiger doing the 'see now buy now' concept with success, it is really cool that a Swedish brand is doing this also. What kind of approach are you going to use since this is an AW17 collection?

    We will be selling a limited selection of show pieces online directly after the fashion show. Instead of waiting half a year our customers will be able to immediately buy some of the extravagant pieces presented. This is a way for Hunkydory to adapt to the digital climate. We can no longer disregard the fact that costumers want to be part of the runway shows in a bigger extent.

    The industry has changed a lot, especially since the age of social media growing exponentially over the past 10 years, and you've been around for just over half of that. What sort of angle did you take when you first started seeing the fashion x social media rage happen?

    Hunkydory aim to be a digital and innovative brand that keeps up with the changing conditions of the industry. When e-commerce and social media boomed not all companies understood the potential and importance of the new tools. At Hunkydory we have always been open to the new and understand that a brand must evolve when the surrounding context does.

    There is so much to keep up with in the fashion world today, environmental awareness being a major issue for more and more consumers every day. Do you or are you working on any concepts that reduce your carbon footprint?

    We are constantly looking into this, and other parts of our processes that affect the environment. We are for example choosing to use a denim supplier that recycles and cleans their spill water.

    More backstage photos from the show here.

  • Swedish Fashion History - Theatre and Film

    Written by Fashion Tales

     

    Unique Exhibition Highlighting Swedish Fashion History of Theatre and Film

    Are there similarities between Greta Garbos dress in Gösta Berlings Saga and the clothing that Alicia Vikander wore in Guldbaggegalan 2011? Has Liv Ullmans clothing in Utvandrarna influenced contemporary fashion as Nygårdsanna and Swedish Hasbeens? The answers may be given to the visitors of the exhibition Kostym Kontra mode – svenska pärlor från scen till catwalk, which opened January 21 in Stockholm. Organised by Stockholm Costume & Fashion Institute (SCFI) and in collaboration with Castellum.

    - The idea of ​​the exhibition is to compare historically well-known theatre and film clothing with the fashion. To show how stage costumes can influence with contemporary clothes, says Lotta Lewenhaupt, Curator fashion SCFI.

    - In twelve scenographies we put the clothes against each other, with the assertion that the way to dress communicates who you are. Either in the role on stage or individual on the street scene. Now it's up to you visitors to find similarities and differences, or perhaps just enjoy the theatre and fashion history, says Anna Bergman, Curator costume SCFI.

    The exhibition runs from 21 January to 16 April 2017 in Erskinehuset, Hallvägen 21 in Stockholm (subway to Globen). Erskinehuset is in itself a piece of unique history. The building was designed by Ralph Erskine and was used in the 1950s as a top modern workplace. The house owned by Castellum is undergoing a careful renovation where the typical details are preserved for future offices.

    About Stockholm Costume & Fashion Institute (SCFI)

    SCFIs aim is to highlight and preserve the cultural heritage in the form of existing costumes from the stage and the film world. SCFI are now building up a collection of costumes and partly from the first theatre productions and films but also fashion items from the late 1800s until today.

    Exhibition work group: Curators: Anna Bergman and Lotta Lewenhaupt, Program Director: Louise Wallenberg, Set design: Anna Bergman, Lighting design: William Wenner, Video production: Mattias Högberg, Production Group: Andreas Bertman, Frida Sölvell, Jonny Jergander, Amilcare Astone, Rainer Lind and Sara Selander

    For further information, please contact:

    Johan Wallin, Producer, 076-267 52 50, [email protected]
    Martin Askman, Press Officer, 073-358 31 43, [email protected]

  • Arto Saari For Neuw

    Written by Fashion Tales

    An icon- Arto Saari is the epitome of remarkable, a world-class skater and accomplished photographer. He is creative and powerful- the closest representation of the Neuw man.

    Driven by purpose they captured Arto in true form, scouting photographic subjects in his home of LA. As a photographer Neuw saw his desire to capture history in the making using the camera as a recording device for his life.

    Neuw is a 21st century denim brand, “we know jeans- we understand jeans”, as ther describe themselves.

    “The uniform of the rebel, par of ever sub culture, counter culture and youth movement. At Neuw we create jeans with purpose, constructed with durability to wear the scars and repairs of our journeys. Wear with Purpose is the story of denim and the people who wear it.” 

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