6 posts tagged "Ann-Sofie Back"
What’s Old is New Again
Stockholm New was launched by Claes Britton and his wife, Christina, back in 1992. During its ten-year—and twelve-issue—run, the magazine became a cult sensation, showcasing the best in Swedish culture and design—fashion and otherwise. “We set it up as a marketing vehicle for the first fashion agency in Stockholm,” said Claes, who currently runs creative agency Britton Britton with Christina. “And then it evolved into a magazine about the creative scene of Stockholm.” Boasting that crisp, raw, eerily pristine Swedish aesthetic that we’ve been obsessed with of late, the magazine showcased the work of such Scandinavian photographers as Sølve Sundsbø, Mikael Jansson, and John Akehurst (not to mention the decidedly un-Swedish Mario Testino), and clothes the likes of Acne Studios, Ann-Sofie Back, and Sandra Backlund. “We never looked at other magazines for inspiration,” offered Claes. “And we never played according to the rules of the fashion industry—we had our own slower pulse, we were a bit more poetic, and a bit more complex. It really came from our own tradition, and I think that original code was appreciated.”
The publication folded in 2002, but tonight, in Stockholm, the co-EICs are launching a book that combines the greatest hits from Stockholm New’s original issues, as well as new images and new fashion talents—Claes and Christina made sure to include a few up-and-coming fashion students. “Sweden really has amazing budding fashion talent,” Claes told Style.com. “The problem, though, is that the market here is so small. They really have to go abroad. But it was fun to show all these creatives.”
Stockholm Fashion Week Comes To A Close
Throughout Stockholm fashion week, blogger Columbine Smille will report back on the best and brightest shows. To view our complete coverage click here.
Day 3:
The final day of Stockholm fashion week began with AltewaiSaome, a young label designed by Natalia Altewai and Randa Saome. For Fall, the pair was inspired by a trip to New York and showed a luxe take on streetwear. Featuring embellished dresses, emerald-green hooded silk jackets, and relaxed silhouettes, their wearable urban collection had an easy, sporty tone.
J.Lindeberg’s Fall ’13 (above) was all about traditional tailoring with a modern twist. Inspired by the Stockholm City Library, the men’s collection was filled with well-cut suits and coats, as well as a few splashes of color and playful prints. For women, the brand (which is sold in more than thirty-five countries worldwide) offered sophisticated separates in black, navy, and olive.
Over at Diana Orving, there were earth tones, metallics and flowerlike sheer organza appliqués. A few dresses were shown in a script print, which the designer wrote in her own hand, but the long lace dress paired with a transparent off-the-shoulder cardigan was the highlight of the show.
Tiger of Sweden—which some have come to call the Burberry Prorsum of Stockholm—closed fashion week with a standout show (a show that, it should be noted, included model Kirstin Liljegren, pictured above). Tweed coats and caps were mixed with color-blocked silky looks in black, deep purple, and neon. The outerwear, however, was the crowd favorite—a big fuzzy fur coat made front-rowers look twice.
Stockholm fashion week may be finished, but the Swedes still have two more local brands to look forward to: Acne Studios will be showing in Paris this season (they formerly showed in London), and Rodebjer has recently started presenting their collection in New York. Indeed, we’re excited to see what they’ll bring to the international fashion stage.
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Karl, Kidman, Elbaz, Et Al. Design The Latest Japan Tees, And More…
Uniqlo is the latest company to get the creative juices flowing for Japan. The retailer has tapped friends and collaborators like Karl Lagerfeld, Lady Gaga, Nicola Formichetti, Nicole Kidman, and Alber Elbaz to design a new series of tees to benefit the Japanese Red Cross. That’s Lagerfeld’s (left), which retails for a mere $19.99. It’s the most affordable Kaiser you’re going to get until his Macy’s collection finally hits stores. [WWD]
Speaking of Formichetti, the stylist and Mugler creative director has just been announced as one of the designers for BOFFO’s new season of Building Fashion, which allows those without freestanding stores to create pop-up retail spaces. Last season, Waris Ahluwalia, Richard Chai, and Siki Im created their own shops at BOFFO’s west Chelsea space; this season, Formichetti, Irene Neuwirth, Patrik Ervell, Ohne Titel, and The Lake & Stars will make their (temporary) mark in Tribeca. [Boffo]
It’s hard to miss Topshop’s towering Soho flagship, but it’s easy to miss its latest addition—a secret shop inside, where collaboration collections from Meadham Kirchhoff, Pamela Love, and Ann-Sofie Back will be on offer. Happy hunting. [Racked]
And today in collaborations: Christopher Kane x London taxis? Odd but true—the London-based designer has adapted a starry print from his Resort ’11 collection to “wrap” London’s iconic black cabs. [Vogue U.K.]
At Cheap Monday, Gray Skies Aren’t Going To Clear Up
The Cheap Monday look—the skinniest of skinny jeans—stays its course season after season, but for Fall, the blues are going gray. The Swedish label showed an almost entirely gray collection during Stockholm fashion week yesterday (its second with new creative director Ann-Sofie Back) that drew on some unlikely inspirations. “We were thinking a bit about the apocalypse, but with a feeling of hope,” said founding designer Örjan Andersson. “And of construction sites. We think construction sites are beautiful.” That may explain the city-street palette, as well as the silvery white hair and makeup accents, as if the models had trudged through the concrete dust of a live site without benefit of a hard hat. (The stiff bouffants worn by both guys and girls might’ve eliminated the need for those.) Back, for her part, played with proportion, cut, and layers but kept to the understated Cheap Monday aesthetic. “With my own collection, people always want more designed bits,” the Swedish-born designer told us. “If people buy Back, they want to show it. But sometimes I feel like you just need a pair of black pants.”
greece is the word
Is London still the capital of young, feral, and fearless fashion? So far this week, the most visible trend is definitively classic—as in classical Greek design. At Ann-Sofie Back, the models wore dove gray and buttery drapery. Marios Schwab sent legions of models sporting Spartan-inspired minidresses of loosely hanging folds gathered together with thick gold chains. And at Temperley London, many of the girls could pass as Pygmalion’s statue come to life. While most showgoers are still in structured suits and severe late-twentieth-century attire, a few back-to-the-future fashionistas like Kate Stephens from www.asos.com were already boning up on their classics.