Elvine is a Swedish clothing brand inspired by Gothenburg’s unrefined subcultures and the legacy of traditional craftsmanship. We create sophisticated clothes for unsophisticated behavior and try to support up-and-coming creators of different fields.
4
About the clothes
About Our Clothes Elvine prides itself on a strong denim philosophy, but aims to produce a varied line that goes beyond denim, incorporating different materials, washes and treatments in order to give the clothes an effortless elegance. We strive to produce clothes that transcend seasons, that are easy to wear and combine with the rest of your wardrobe, clothes with a good fit and clean cut, ornamented with innovative details that force others to take notice. Daniel Mänd is the founder and Chief Designer of Elvine. Can you describe what Elvine clothes are all about? — I’ve always tried to create clothes that me and my friends can’t seem to find elsewhere on the market. Casual yet sophisticated clothes with a great fit. Clothes that you can feel comfortable wearing everyday and everywhere. How do you find inspiration before you design a collection? What inspires you? — Late nights, Gothenburg, traveling and Japanese people. But most of all, my friends.You can read about some of them in this booklet. Can you describe your design process in a few sentences? — It usually starts with a group discussion within our company, in order for me to find the framework for the collection and get a feeling about where we want to go with it. Then I travel to interesting places in order to get loads of impressions and inspiration. I always bring my sketch book and usually sketch about half the collection really fast in order to get myself started, and to get something on paper. But when I get back home I tend to revise the whole thing and start all over, before finishing the collection in two intense weeks. Designing goes really fast for me when I find the flow. What about the production? — During the whole design process I’m very conscious about the production process, thinking ahead in regards to which textiles to use, how it’s going to be produced and which details might be suitable for the different garments. Quality is really important to us. I love visiting our factories and finding out about new textiles and techniques, and to get a feel for the production process. I hope this is something you’ll notice and feel wearing our clothes.
5
About the clothes
the Story of Elvine Elvine M채nd may not be known by a lot of people, but her legacy and name is embroidered on the behinds and across the hearts of many. Read the story about how this remarkable woman inspired her grandson to start a clothing brand in her name.
9
This page Elvine Mänd grew up in the small village of Ülendi Kõpu in Estonia. On the family picture above, Elvine is found in the front row, third from the right. The other page Clothing brand Elvine’s founder, Daniel Mänd, as a kid.
10
The Story of Elvine
Elvine Mänd worked as a seamstress in Estonia during the Second World War. Taking pride in her work she produced clothes with great discipline, painstakingly ensuring quality in a strictly practical culture. When the Russians invaded, Elvine made a run for Estonia’s neutral neighbor, Sweden. Having lived through two world wars, Elvine persistently continued her craft in Sweden in order to provide for her four little girls. In 1975, Elvine’s youngest daughter gave birth to a boy named Daniel Mänd, who in his own time would revive Elvine in a whole new way. Daniel grew up in Kortedala on the outskirts of Gothenburg, and quickly became one with the streets. Graffiti became a way out for Daniel, who found the same thrill in tagging and bragging as the people around him did in fighting and stealing. Graffiti culture was just as real, only nicer.
11
The Story of Elvine
The lowest grades in Sweden Kids holding up an article from Sweden’s second largest newspaper, Goteborgs Posten, where the headline reads: “They have the lowest grades in Sweden”. Daniel Mänd, the founder of Elvine, is second from the left in the front row.
14
The Story of Elvine
Wanting to reach people from the street, Daniel found inspiration in his everyday life, and more importantly, in his friends. It was all about having a good time and bringing his community closer together, creating clothes he and his buddies could actually wear themselves, clothes they couldn’t find elsewhere. As time passed, Daniel learned he could make money from his passion. Graffiti was moving into the galleries, with people wanting prints on walls and t-shirts instead of pieces on trains and trams. With the opening of his own streetwear store, Daniel realized what it was he and his friends weren’t able to find in the clothing industry. The idea of bridging gaps came to mind. He wanted to create something that came entirely from him and Gothenburg’s unrefined street culture, but made in the tradition of his grandmother.
15
The Story of Elvine
Daniel spent most of his nights on the sewing machine, stitching on tags and re-tailoring clothes he got back from the factory. And somehow, the founder had become the very essence of his own brand. The unsophisticated boy from the streets became obsessed with quality and sophisticated craftsmanship. Daniel’s life on the streets merged with his grandmother’s functional legacy to create a new kind of Elvine : Sophisticated clothes for unsophisticated behavior.
16
The Story of Elvine
17
20
FRIENDS OF ELVINE KÖTT FC This is Pelle Eriksson, one of the founders of the martial arts club KÖTT FC ( translates as “Meat FC” ) in Gothenburg, and part-time Elvine model. Can you tell us about KÖTT FC? — Kött FC is a modern martial arts club for people who don’t want to walk the narrow path of the samurai, but still want to wrestle, and throw some judo chops or karate kicks. We’ve been in business for a couple of years now and are about to move to a bigger training facility this summer. We basically play around with Thai Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling, but drinking, lying and laughing are also a big part of it.
21
When do you need martial arts? — Wrestling is a great excuse to get close to chicks at parties. But other than that, I don’t think it’s really all that useful besides the fact that it’s fun! What is your relationship to Elvine? ( Do you fight a lot? ) — I think Elvine makes great, nicely fitted clothes and I think that Daniel is a fun kid to be around! I fight almost every day, but never with Daniel. I usually fight imaginary ninjas, jumping off rooftops on my way to work. www.kottfc.se
24
Friends of Elvine
CHILDSTORE Johan Fahlnaes ( on the left ) is the owner of Childstore, a store that sells bikes and spray cans. It is located at Andra Långgatan, just around the corner from the Elvine office in Gothenburg. Why this fascination with bikes? — I was raised on an island called Hälsö, in the northern part of the Gothenburg archipelago. There wasn’t much else to do for me and my brother other than to ride our bikes. There is simply no better means of locomotion. Bikes are quiet, fast, simple and cheap – just absolutely wonderful. What about the name “Childstore”? — We are all really childish guys... haha. But it’s all about recognizing your inner child and being able to have fun riding bikes and painting graffiti regardless of age. What’s your relationship to Elvine? — Daniel, the founder, is my best friend. www.childstore.se
25
Friends of Elvine
26
Friends of Elvine
HUBERT Everyone knows Hubert. At least if you’ve been into any kind of music during the past ten or fifteen years.You might not know him by name, but you’re sure to know “the man with the neon green moustache”. This is the guy who’s everywhere, all the time. The muddy seas of the Roskilde Festival? Yup, he’s there. Deep house party on a remote island? Glitch electro mayhem? He’s there too, outshining every neon glowstick in the room. His moustache is like a light house for people lost on the dance floor, and his kind and sober manners make for a safe harbor in the night. When Hubert’s not out clubbing he usually hangs out near the old harbor area around Järntorget. We find him on the bench outside Childstore, having a conversation with Anna and Mikael. The Gothenburg spring has unmistakably sprung, and the city vegetation has slowly started to imitate Hubert’s moustache. What the locals say is true: any day with Hubert is a good day indeed.
27
Friends of Elvine
28
Friends of Elvine
HARALD This is Harald Francén. He runs Gothenburg’s most happening window-cleaning company, “GBG Glasklart”. When he doesn’t clean windows he hangs out with the Elvine staff and sometimes doubles as our model. He remembers the photo session where he ended up soaked in the shower. “On that day Daniel ( founder of Elvine ) and Mia ( photographer ) burst into our apartment, waking up both me and Olof, my window-cleaning mentor. We had just fallen asleep after a heavy drinking spree and heard Daniel babbling on about how he wanted to use his friends as Elvine models. I was way too tired and weak to refuse, and all of a sudden found myself in a cold shower fully dressed. I asked for warm water, but Daniel ignored me with a silly grin on his face. In retrospect, I think the picture sums up the slogan ‘sophisticated clothes for unsophisticated behavior’ pretty good.” www.gbgglasklart.se
29
Friends of Elvine
the Bachelor Party One of our autumn campaigns was shot during the real bachelor party for artist Christoffer Berg a.k.a Hird. We simply dressed up everyone involved in Elvine clothes, surprised Christoffer, and brought along a photographer to document the evening.
32
_19.06
_19.10
_19.12
The summer quickly turned to autumn, but Christoffer doesn’t seem to care too much about such formalities. We watch as he embraces the clouds and spontaneously screams like a hooligan. Not so much to express his love for football as his love for life. And he has every right to scream. He is about to get married to a beautiful woman and this is the day of his bachelor party. The day has already included fishing, swimming and barbecuing in the archipelago in company of his best friends.
Even though Hannah and Filippa are two beautiful girls making funny faces, we can’t stop staring at the old boombox on the wall. Somehow it looks alive, somewhat like an Autobot Blaster Transformers robot that would suddenly eject an array of cassettes from his chest compartment that would transform into small helper robots. We are discussing what kind of robot the stereo-chrome C60 hi-fi cassette tape containing Christoffer’s favorite music would become, but Hannah and Filippa seem to to have their minds elsewhere.
Christoffer is a charismatic guy. Even when he does something as simple as putting on a sweater he is the natural center of attention, for girls, boys and already married men.
33
_19.14
_19.15
_19.23
Christoffer is strutting around paying his tribute to postmodern dance – a dance form claiming that any movement is dance, and any person is a dancer, with or without training. As a reaction to the compositional and presentation constraints of modern dance, postmodern dance hails the use of everyday movement as a valid performance art. The term could also be used as a more sophisticated way of describing it as “dancing like crazy”.
It might not be obvious to everyone, but Paul is truly a star. We came to this conclusion while exposed to his confident pose. Just look at the way he casually leans his soft body against the cold hard stone, while letting his leg linger a bit to show off his package. If the universe was a poplab, Paul would definitely be a popcultural scientist.
The golden can of beer was quickly passed to Alex, Christoffer’s younger brother, when he joined up. Everyone thought Alex had lost some kind of bet, since he was wearing shorts, but we never found out if that was the case. Either way, he and Hannah seemed to be on top of things.
34
The Bachelor Party
_20.04
_20.16
_20.32
At Andra Långgatan we ran into Childstore-Johan who had just bought a nice second-hand armchair from an antique shop nearby. Since it didn’t seem to fit in his car, we saw our chance and borrowed it to let Christoffer take a rest. It’s things like this we love about the Andra Långgatan area. One day you’ll see a man walking down the street completely naked, another day you’ll see a boy, soon to become a man, sitting in a nice old armchair making the international heavy metal sign of satisfaction and obstructing traffic.
Every time someone takes a swim in a public fountain people seem to use the same cultural reference when quasi-intellectually trying to describe what happened. This time is no different. While watching Christoffer and Paul living la dolce vita and getting their feet wet to manifest freedom and happiness, the air suddenly seems much warmer and Järntorget almost resembles Piazza di Trevi in Rome. By reflex we start looking around to catch a glimpse of Anita, but she is nowhere in sight.
Our bachelor party didn’t include strippers. However, it did include pole dancing. On edge and eager to please, popstar Paul displays all the features required when working the pole ; tremendous muscular endurance and absolute coordination. We’re all more or less impressed with this substitute for immodestly dressed ladies, and watch with excitement as Paul grins with what we believe to be concentration. Little did we know that Paul broke a rib while performing this sexy stunt. The grinning face was actually an expression of pain.
35
The Bachelor Party
36
The Bachelor Party
_20.36
_20.40
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Like a ship ready to leave, marriage awaits for one of us. In order to teach Christoffer this valuable lesson, we had strolled down to the harbor to watch the ships set sail into the setting sun and destinations far, far away. Accompanied by a soft breeze and seagulls screaming high above, we shared a moment of enlightenment. But like a gang of testosterone filled seamen, we quickly grew tired of the romantic setting and decided to head down town.
Paul had been a bit eager in his celebration and Artur is observing what happens when you drink cheap fake champagne too fast and straight out of the bottle. An initial burst of effervescence occurs which causes the sparkling liquid to force its way back and out of the mouth. It looks a bit disgusting but it’s actually mostly soft fluffy foam.This is quite similar to the foam in a bubble bath, which we are about to enjoy later on in the evening.
_20.41
_20.44
_22.48
The sun is setting behind the Göteborg Energi power plant, painting the evening sky in fluorescent colors. A bottle of cheap fake champagne has been passed around and we are just outside the tattoo parlour where we told Christoffer he was getting inked. Suddenly he decides to climb up to the lookout at Kungshöjd. Maybe he is doing this to lighten the mood a bit, because surprisingly enough he got a bit disappointed when we told him that the part about getting a tattoo was a joke.
When you have to go you have to go. But if you have to go in public why not do it with a big smile on your face while singing Badly Drawn Boy’s “Pissing in the wind” and hoping that the people below interpret it as “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” just as Christopher and Jesper are doing up at the Kungshöjd lookout.
At the time, we liked to think the police came only because of us, mistaking our extrovert happiness for hooliganism. Even if that probably wasn’t the case, it ended our street party at Magasinsgatan and we decided to move on. It was time anyway.
37
The Bachelor Party
38
The Bachelor Party
_23.04
_02.11
We are a bit early visiting club Caviar and way ahead of the in-crowd. But so is former Swedish Minister of Culture Leif Pagrotsky. It was his impressive beard that attracted our attention, but it is his kind manners that make us want to stick around for another beer.
We had crossed the Rosenlund canal in order to find a place where we could display the effects of our highly anticipated fireworks. Something we had been bragging about at several night clubs as the evening turned to night. The moon is out but too weak to light up the dark park and people don’t seem to find us. In an attempt to guide them, Hannah lights one of our emergency flares. Looking at the strangely lit girls surrounded by smoke it reminds us of a Lo-Fi-Fnk album cover.
_02.25
_02.38
THE END
It seems everybody loves fireworks, but during most parts of the year fireworks are really hard to come by in Sweden. The day before we had therefore driven to a fireworks factory far outside Gothenburg to shop for explosive creations. When seeing its spectacular effects and how it put smiles on everyone’s faces, especially Christoffer’s, we all agree it was well worth the road trip.
It had just started raining when we found a second emergency flare in our bag of firework goodies. This time we wouldn’t let any of the industrial light and magic go to waste. It is funny how an instant can feel like an eternity when you are dancing in the blood red light of an ignited flare.
It’s early morning and everyone except Christoffer is tired ( it might have something to do with us serving him alcohol-free drinks during the long night ). Standing on a postbox he has taken off his sweater and is letting it flap in the chilly morning wind, ending this story with the same pose it started with. A week later, Christoffer said “I do” to his bride Anna, and she said “I do” too.
39
The Bachelor Party
Illustration by Guttan
Creators Inn by Elvine Creators Inn by Elvine is our hotel concept offering free short-term accommodations for visiting creators. An overnight at Creators Inn by Elvine offers all the standard features and comfort associated with a modern hotel, but the crucial difference is that you as a guest do not have to pay anything. That’s right , it’s free! As in no charge, complimentary, gratis. The guests are also offered wireless internet, towels, bathrobes, slippers and grooming products free of charge. The aim with Creators Inn by Elvine is to promote the local area and give something back to travelling creators whose presence contributes to a more interesting city. And by offering visiting creators free accommodations, we hope to remind people of a lovely little thing called hospitality.
43
44
Creators Inn by Elvine
Who gets to stay at Creators Inn by Elvine? We have a very wide definition of creators. The reason for coming to town is more important than the title on your business card. We try to support upand-coming creators from different fields, the ones who would normally end up on someone’s couch. To find them, Creators Inn by Elvine works first and foremost with local independent organizers, offering their guests a place to stay. But everyone is welcome to register online and convince us why they should be granted a stay. Foreign visitors are prioritized.You also need what we call a “valid reason” to stay at our Inn. A valid reason is some sort of creative activity, preferably together with local creators or something that incorporates the city in some way. For instance, meeting up an old friend to go clubbing is ( unfortunately ) not a valid reason to be granted a free stay.
Creative Social Responsibility CSR ( Corporate Social Responsibility ) has been a buzz word in the corporate world for quite some time now. CSR is basically about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. Too often, this tend to result in nothing more than superficial window-dressing. With Creators Inn by Elvine we tried to add some creativity to the equation, labeling what we do as CSR – Creative Social Responsibility. By offering visiting creators free accommodations, we hope to remind people of a lovely little thing called hospitality. And in addition to making the visiting creators happy and the cities more interesting because of their presence, we hope this simple idea can be exported and implemented around the globe. What a wonderful world that would result in.
Free since 2008
What? A hotel concept offering free short-term accommodations for visiting creators. Where? So far, in Gothenburg and Stockholm. Hopefully soon in other cities as well. Why? We want to support up-and-coming creators from different fields and hope to remind people of a lovely little thing called hospitality. How? Register online and convince us why you should be granted a free stay. www.creatorsinn.com
45
Creators Inn by Elvine
Creators Inn by Elvine was founded in 2008 as a collaboration between Elvine and design agency Next Century Modern. “‘We are your friend’ is Elvine’s core ideal, and as a friend you offer your guests a place to stay. At the same time, Creators Inn connects Elvine to its history coming from a creative graffiti culture by supporting up-and-coming creators from different fields, and also contribute to the cities as a whole. We call it ‘Creative Social Responsibility’,” says Johan Johnsén, marketing director at Elvine.
Work in Progress Change is good. Creators Inn by Elvine is a constant work in progress. The project is continuously improved on and changes over time, due to new ideas, complaints or wishes from ourselves, our guests or people like you. Please let us know your thoughts and ideas about this project by sending us an email at manager@creatorsinn.com.
46
Creators Inn by Elvine
47
Creators Inn by Elvine
Jomo ( SE )
Fagget Fairys ( DK )
Young soul musician Jomo stayed at Creators Inn by Elvine in Gothenburg together with his girlfriend Hannan during the music festival Way Out West.
Copenhagen-based lesbian ghetto-funk, pop-slamming MC / DJ duo Fagget Fairys met on the dance floor while DJ Sensimilla was spinning records and Ena stagedived hoping to get Sensimilla’s attention. She got just that, along with 20 stitches on her knee. Not long after that, they started dating, moved in together, got engaged and started making music together. Fagget Fairys stayed at Creators Inn by Elvine while in Gothenburg to play a live gig.
What are your creative talents? — I play the piano moderately and I sing a bit too. And I try to write as good songs and lyrics as Prince did when he wrote “Gotta Broken Heart Again”. Still got a long way to go though. What does soul mean to you? — Sam Cooke got the same question once. Or rather, he was asked to hum eight bars of what soul represents. I suggest you give it a listen and you’ll have the answer to your question. You stayed here during the Way Out West music festival. Which was your favorite concert and why? — I did. And my girlfriend did too. My favourite moment was without a doubt the climax of local artist Håkan Hellström’s concert. The climax being the time between beginning and end. God, I love Håkan. Another highlight was seeing Kelis pass us all by herself on the festival grounds, just as we were eating cheese. Where do you see yourself in one year? — In a basement recording studio, like the one Motown had back in Detroit. Hitsville USA. In one year I hope to have bought enough old analogue recording junk to create my own Hitsville GBG. Or Hitsville STHLM. We’ll see. That’s really my dream right now. Dylan’s mutiny group The Band had a big ol’ barn to record in. That would be cool too. Really any place where you can hang out and just do music day and night and eat junk food and stuff. And ask friends over to play rhythmic instruments, like those little egg shakers. www.disharmonics.com
48
Creators Inn by Elvine
You also run a project called ArtRebels.What is that? — ArtRebels is first and foremost a professional network and platform for artists, designers, musicians, DJs and other creative souls. The purpose of ArtRebels is to expose and support a wide variety of danish talent and to sell their products via our virtual platform www.artrebels.com. We strive to make ArtRebels the most important international platform for Danish creative businesses! How does Gothenburg differ from Copenhagen? — It’s a bit hard to say in detail but from what I have experienced Gothenburg is not that different from Copenhagen, except smaller. I believe we just have a little bit more of everything, plus we have Christania, which is a perl in an oily sea. Also, we are not as anal about following and making rules as the Swedes are… haha… What’s the next step for Fagget Fairys? — The next step is tour a lot and play gigs, sell a lot of records and become super stars… and then get a lot of kids and live happily ever after! Do you really have the boobs to make people gay? — We got the tits to make YOU gay! www.myspace.com / f aggetfairys
Olof Olsson ( SE / DK )
Patrick & Peter ( SE )
Copenhagen-based artist Olof Olsson brought his own blanket, matching his scarves, in order to give a personal touch to the room while staying at Creators Inn by Elvine. Olof was in Gothenburg giving a beloved 6 minutes and 40 seconds speech at Pecha Kucha GBG where he talked about some of his solo projects, along with some Esperanto projects he had done together with Daniel Salomon under the name La Loko.
Patrick Sobieski, film producer and Peter Pontikis, writer / director stayed in the room while in Gothenburg to shoot scenes for their movie “Vampyrer” ( ”Not Like Others” ).
Olof, the Gothenburg crowd really loved your speech at Pecha Kucha GBG. How was the performance from your point of view? — What I found most interesting was the time aspect of it. As I remember it, I was on just before the break, so I had watched some of the other guys. And I got a sense of how long a 6 minute 40 second presentation is. But when you are on stage yourself, those 6 minutes and 40 seconds are something completely different. One could say that the time passes much faster, but that does not completely capture how it feels. It is more like being in another kind of time. Like swimming is different from walking. You have done several conceptual projects somewhat similar to Creators Inn by Elvine – how is this in comparison to what you’ve been invloved in before and how do you think the project can be improved? — Creators Inn is playing with fiction and reality in a way I often also do. On the one hand it’s a fictive hotel. On the other hand it’s a real hotel. And the realism and the fiction and the reality of the fiction drift in an out of eachother in a very fun and thought provoking way. I very much enjoyed my stay, and I loved the spectacular view. You always bring your own blanket when you are out traveling, how come? — It’s a practical thing to have, if I for instance want to take a nap on the train. And it also gives a sense of being at home, wherever you are. The last two years I have moved around between different places in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. And apart from that, I have travelled a lot. Bringing the blanket along gives a sense of continuation. www.laloko.org / olsson.html
49
Creators Inn by Elvine
You were in town shooting scenes for your vampire movie. How did that turn out? — Very well! Couldn’t be happier about it. Are we forced to sanitize the room now with garlic and holy water? — Probably yes! What is the modern vampire like? Have things changed since Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt were the blood red carpet stars? — Vampires are very similar to ordinary human beings, not much changes, besides perhaps trends. Exclusive pocket knives are trendy among vampires right now. Any tips or recommendations for other creators visiting Gothenburg? — We’ve always found the restaurants and cafés very likeable, such as the Palestine restaurant Silvis and the ramen / rice / noodle bar Mi. www.vampyrer.se
Birgit Bidder ( SE )
Mako Ishizuka ( J PN )
In november 2008, Birgit Bidder persuaded a relative to take the loan she needed to record her debut album, The Life Home. This spring she has started her own indie label Kerstin Records and the clothing brand B Bidder. Birgit Bidder stayed at Creators Inn by Elvine in Gothenburg and we asked her some questions about her experience.
Mako Ishizuka is a Japanese artist who stayed at the Creators Inn by Elvine while in Gothenburg to do an analog VJ set at club Cheesy Not Cheesy.
Tell us about your stay at Creators Inn by Elvine at LAT. What did you think about it? — It was inspiring! It surprised me that something as nice as this actually exists! I liked every bit of it, from rain-in-glass-art to the very small and nice little cabinlike room I stayed in. Maybe I could have asked for just one more thing – cats! Then perfect. What was your reason for visiting Gothenburg? — I performed at jazzclub Nefirtiti during Gothenburg Filmfestival Stipendium Night. I also met up with great photographer Martin Norberg ( who took the photos for the book Broder Daniel – When We Were Winning ). We took some photos, strolled around town and visited this great dock called Drömmarnas kaj! What’s next in the life of Birgit Bidder? — I’m looking forward to a couple of great releases in Sweden that I’m involved in! Then I’m gonna perform a lot with my band Orchestra, work on my newly started indie label Kerstin Records and plan to release my first single from my debut album, The Life Home, later this year! Keep an eye out for it! www. birgitbidder.se
50
Creators Inn by Elvine
Mako, you are an artist. How do you define creativity? — Sparkling ideas. Otherwise, ”creativity is a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts. An alternative conception of creativeness is that it is simply the act of making something new.” You told us Gothenburg reminded you of Amsterdam. How come? — It’s due to three aspects : people, cityscape and soundscape. I was told that I should not speak to strangers as I used to do in Amsterdam – it is common there but if you do it in Sweden, people would look at you as you are weird. I told this to a friend and he told me that I can do it in Gothenburg. So I tried it during the weekend I was there, talking to strangers, and it worked. I talked to a middle-aged couple, an older lady spoke to me, and I had a long discussion with a taxi driver even after we arrived at my destination. Another thing is cityscape. A gallerist I spoke to told me that the city was made by Dutch people so it resembles Dutch cities, with canals and buildings. I saw an old building partially lifted probably because the ground had moved, like many tilted houses around canals in Amsterdam, and it became my favourite building in Gothenburg. Also, the soundscape – with the alarming sound from trams ( ding-ding ) made me feel as if I was walking on a street in A’dam. Tell us about your analogueVJ set. — I work as a contemporary artist but had never worked as a VJ before. I tried to translate my personality into this practice – with the use of household things and food, which are reflecting my love towards small things in everyday life. I used alphabet biscuits, bubbled water, juices, olive oils, food colouring, dish soapes, salad bowls, cups, pie forms, straws, etc. to make it organic, playful and colorful. With the use of OHP, you see this micro cosmos magnified and distorted in a way that appears almost surreal – it suited the mood of fun-loving people at the club with a bit of intoxication, I guess.
Momus ( UK )
Niklas Åström ( SE )
Artist, songwriter, blogger and intellectual Momus stayed in the room while in Gothenburg to speak at Pecha Kucha GBG and do a live music performance.
Niklas Åström needed a place to stay before going on tour with his multi-instrumental, epic and explosive post-rock band EF and then moving to Hong Kong.
What was your first impression of Gothenburg, despite the shitty budget airline airport? — I imagined Ingmar Bergman, dressed as Santa, riding down the main street of Gothenburg in a troika, three horses abreast.
What is creativity to you? — Creativity for me is to create something totally new, something challenging, without limitations and rules. To fulfill myself with some kind of new “knowledge” – that makes me grow as a person, as a creator.
What did you do during your stay here? What were the highlights? — In Gothenburg I offended some feminists, walked around a lot at night and played a much-too-long set in a disco with Jens Lekman watching. But all my highlights from the Sweden trip all probably occurred in Malmö, where Cindy from Krets Gallery showed me round.
You are constantly on tour with your band EF. Is life on tour as crazy as people think? — Haha, for some, maybe. But to disappoint you… “Sex, drugs and rock n roll” doesn’t really exist on our tours. Our music is a little bit special and nerdy, and no real party starter. We’ve done nine tours so far, and we’re pretty tour-grown-up nowadays : trying to sleep before the gig, and rather have a coffee and orange juice at arrival instead of starting emptying beer crates. Though I won’t say that we’re a boring band! We’ve been through some wild shit, and we’re usually ahead of our fans around midnight. Can’t even remember how many bars we’ve closed – every day in the week.
Any fun projects lined up or any other closing thoughts? — I’m writing a Book of Scotlands which is really a Book of Japans, but don’t tell anyone! www. imomus.com
www.efmusic.nu
51
Creators Inn by Elvine
The best rate. Guaranteed. Feel confident knowing that you will always get the best available rate at Creators Inn by Elvine. If you find a rate lower than zero, simply submit a Best Rate Guarantee Claim by emailing manager@creatorsinn.com and we will honor that lower rate.
54
Ekta in Madrid Gothenburg-based artist Ekta shares his time producing his own works, and as part of the team running the city’s ORO gallery. His output covers everything from self-published zines to larger paintings and murals. A look at his work quickly reveals the fun and humor that he injects in every piece with his use of characters and settings, even if a darker tone hovers just beneath. Ekta also finds inspiration in text, finding odd and unexpected ways to combine words in the context of his bold visuals, all done with a sense of exploration. Don’t call him a graffiti artist : Ekta describes himself as a painter, whose art brings life to the streets of Gothenburg, and in exhibitions all over Europe.
It takes two Ekta went to Madrid together with his friend and photographer Mario Prhat, who paid off some Spanish friends and locals with Elvine clothes in order to get them to pose for the camera.
How would you describe your style? — I don’t know. It kind of changes over time since I don’t want to get stuck, and repeat myself too much. Right now I would describe my style as : Good. What do you want to express when you are painting? — If I’m painting outside, the wall or the surroundings will play a big part in what I will do. I usually start with a vague idea and build on that. I don’t like to work from a detailed sketch. If I have time I prefer to paint without a sketch at all. I don’t like to know too much about what I’m doing until I’ve done it. What role does your gallery ORO play in your work? — It’s where I have my studio and a place where I spend a lot of time drawing and painting. Gothenburg has a strict zero policy regarding graffiti, but most of your pieces are left alone, both by the city and other artists, why do you think that is? — I think it’s because most people don’t consider my work to be graffiti. Also, I think my work confuses people a bit, they don’t know what to make of it. How did the collaboration with Elvine come about? — Through mutual respect and the internet. What was your reason for going to Madrid? — I was invited by a gallery called Rojo Máquina but also went to paint and see some friends. It was my 4th time in Madrid and I’ve been there before to paint in the streets. How does street art in Madrid differ from street art in Gothenburg? — There’s much more of everything. What are your plans for the future? — Spend time with my family and continue painting!
55
56
Ekta in Madrid
57
Ekta in Madrid
01
58
Ekta in Madrid
01. ”This guy came riding down the street with his friends on their remixed bikes. I stopped him on the run, and offered him an Ekta t-shirt and Elvine pants to take his photo. When asked about his name he simply replied ‘You can call me the Pope’”, photographer Mario tells us. 02. Rojo Maquina, the gallery where Ekta exhibited : www.myspace.com / rojomaquina. 03. Luis, a talented Madrid-based artist and part of the Rojo Maquina collective, had never before posed as a model, but the free Elvine clothes made him do it.
02
03
59
Ekta in Madrid
This page Ekta in his studio at gallery ORO in Gothenburg. The other page Luis in his studio at Rojo Maquina in Madrid.
Gallery ORO : www.orosmoment.com EKTA Flickr : www.flickr.com / p hotos / 3 kta EKTA Blogger : 3kta.blogspot.com
60
Ekta in Madrid
Ekta in Madrid
CONTACT & DISTRIBUTION
Elvine AB Järntorget 2 S–413 04 Gothenburg Sweden Phone : +46 31 556 960 Fax : +46 31 556 961 Email : info@elvine.se Export Manager Mattias Edenholm Direct: +46 31 857 448 Cell: +46 73 370 35 80 Email : mattias@elvine.se
Finland
Italy
Element Wear Oy Slottsgatan 11 a 1 20100 Åbo Finland
JAT Spa Via Morimondo 21 201 43 Milano Italy
Phone : +35 8 20 750 0393 Fax : +35 8 20 750 0399 Email : stefan@element.nu
Phone : +39 2 89 12 40 20 Fax : +39 02 89 12 42 30 Email : sidney@jateam.it
Denmark
Spain
Menta Clothing Sandvångsgatan 3 216 15 Limhamn Sweden
MAD Showroom SL C / Pelayo 72 3 DCHA 28004 Madrid Spain
Phone : +46 704 92 86 74 Fax : +46 40 982 149 Email : johnny@menta-clothing.com
Phone : +34 91 31 92 634 Email : jon@madshowroom.com Norway
Germany Kemner Plc Geismar Landstr. 46 D-37083 Göttingen Germany Phone : +49 551 500830 Fax : +49 551 5008378 Email : thomas@kemnerplc.de
Streetlife AS Jernbanetorget 1 0154 Oslo Norway Phone : +47 22 17 22 26 Fax : +47 22 17 22 27 Email : roy@streetlife.no
Greece Prime Timers Sarantaporou 43 121 34 Athens Greece Phone : +30 210 898 62 93 Email : info@prime-timers.gr
62
Sophisticated clothes for unsophisticated behavior
Free short-term accommodations for visiting creators
www.elvine.se
www.creatorsinn.com
CREDITS & INFO
Clothes All clothes by Elvine except pages 10–16, 46–47 & 60 Photos Pages 4–5 © Patrik Careland Page 16 © Thomas Wal / www.wal.se Pages 20 & 22–27 © Daniel Grizelj / www.danielgrizelj.com Pages 28–29 © Mia Carlsson / www.miacarlsson.com Pages 32–39 © Jonas Mosesson / www.wolfgangdesign.se Pages 54–59 & 61 © Mario Phrat / www.garagereportage.com Page 60 © Carl Åkesson Additional photos by Elvine, Next Century Modern, Momus, Olof Olsson, Martin Norberg, Garth Jones & L. Posselt Illustrations & graphics Page 18–19, 30–31 © Ekta / 3kta.blogspot.com Page 6–7, 40, 52–53 & 63 © Beks, Nirr Crew, Svensktoppen Additional illustrations by Next Century Modern Text Copywriting by Next Century Modern, Jonas Mosesson & Jean Snow Design Art direction & design by Next Century Modern www.nextcenturymodern.com Print & Paper Printed by i / store ( w ww.i-store.se ) in Gothenburg on Brun Board 400 g, Rives Design Natural White 170 g and Galerie Art Silk 170 g. Paper by MAP ( w ww.mapsverige.se ) Cover Spraypainted by hand by Elvine & friends