Stories: Chapter One
editor’s letter:
Eloise Stone
& Other Stories was launched as a brand in the Spring of 2013. Since then, within it’s wide fan base, we’ve all grown to think of it as our go to place for clothes which are realistic and stylish enough to fit into every aspect of our busy day to day lives. We believe that your personal style tells a story and we see our customers writing their own as they return to & Other Stories time and time again. We have now developed Stories Magazine to give us a place to tell you more of our stories and for you to share yours. Inside you will find style, stories and photography from around the world. Personally, I am most excited to invite you to be a part of our SS17 campaign, ‘Letters & Other Stories’, where your stories will inspire our next collection; clothes that are quite literally tailor made for you. Stories Magazine is my next chapter and I hope it can be part of yours too.
Eloise Stone Editor in Chief
contents
4. trend edit think pink 6. inside the atelier sara hilden begtsson 10. art and culture focus on climate change 18. values sustainable shopping 20. meet and greet & other stories ambassadors 26. beauty edit radiant glow 28. tell us your story letters & other stoires 32. co-lab shoplifter 36. photo diary los angeles
trend edit:
Think Pink 1.
Infuse all corners of your spring wardrobe with delicate shades of rose, coral and salmon. Far from just feminine, these pink pieces inject a soft, elegant touch to any outfit.
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1. Knitted Sweater £35 2. Patent Leather Purse £35 3. Tailored Flare Trousers £55 4.Miami muse body scrub £10 5. Lipstick £12 6. Lightweight Wool Scarf £39 7. Rose Mirror Glass Shades £35 8. Nike Air Max 95 £115 9. Nike Air Force 1 Suede £90 10. Miami Muse Body Mist £12 11. Frilled Merino Wool Knit £55 12. Fine Lace Padded Bra £25 13. Frilled Lace Briefs £12 14.Pixel Jacquard Sweater £65
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inside the Stockholm atelier:
Sara Hilden Begtsson
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Her British accent is just as sophisticated as the suit she wears in the office. Sara Hildén Bengtsson’s cheerful nature is contagious and her aura radiates a distinct sense of confidence. Twelve years spent in London undoubtedly influenced her personality and style, fueling her pursuit of a creative life. Graduating from the Royal College of Art, Sara quickly became a part of the creative scene, contributing to various projects and working with Kenzo and Liberty. When the position of Creative Director at & Other Stories appeared, it was a match made in heaven. Together with Managing Director Samuel Fernström, Sara started forming ideas for the women’s clothing and beauty brand based on a segment from a documentary about photographer Bill Cunningham. A fashion magazine hired Cunningham to do a photo shoot. When he presented the photographs to the magazine, they divided the pictures of models by stating: “these women are in, these are out.” As a result, Cunningham refused to work with this magazine again. The notion of never viewing people, clothing or different styles as ‘in’ or ‘out’, is the foundation by which & Other Stories is based upon. During our visit to the & Other Stories HQ in Stockholm, we find out why Sara was destined to land a post as a creative force behind a brand and how she summons all of her experiences and skills to create utterly inspiring outcomes.
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“It is a kind of experimental
workshop. It’s very nice, because it gives us the chance to go through everything, without any rush or limitations.”
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How did you end up working with & Other Stories? I worked with Samuel Fernström for many years at H&M, and then we were asked by the board to work on & Other Stories. Between 2010 and 2013, everything was top secret. It’s been building up for a long time with ateliers in Paris and Stockholm. Paris has more focus on design and the development of the collections, while our Stockholm office is more brand-focused, with graphic designers, architects, photographers, stylists, copywriters and art directors working closely to develop the brand itself. We stock everything from women’s beauty products to accessories and clothing. Could you ever consider doing something less creative? No, I’m the happiest when I’m in a studio; when we’re actually working with a store and have to get ready. I love that. Everyone’s running around and debating, moving furniture in our in-house store to see what should go where. I need to be creative. Was having an in-house store at the atelier in Stockholm something you always had in mind? Yes, it was. Having a space in our atelier where we can test things gives us the chance to talk about how we should set everything up, and consider what works and what doesn’t. We always get the store furniture delivered to the atelier first, and we’re able to try out different things. It is a kind of experimental workshop. It’s very nice, because it gives us the chance to go through everything, without any rush or limitations. Everything is very similar to how we do things in the real stores except we don’t sell anything. We don’t like to change too much in the places we set up stores, and in that way we’re almost like a pop-up shop. Every table is on wheels, in store and here at the in-house store, and we try to avoid making everything super fancy. We were inspired by how things look behind-the-scenes at fashion shows, where everything is rolled in on wheels, set up as a genuine backdrop in a kind of warehouse environment. You’ve claimed to not be perfectionists, even though everything about the brand seems utterly planned. Isn’t that a bit contradictory? Haha, yes it totally is! Of course we talk about all the details, about dimensions or how thick this paper is, or how big that marble sheet should
be. We are nerds when it comes to every single product. I still hope that people feel it’s very much about them being able to create their own style when they visit any of our environments. Like the online site, which is all about inspiration and really operates like a digital moodboard. You can click on any image and get the whole look. If you see an image of something you like, you can click on that image and find out what they’re wearing. That’s what we’ve been trying to do with our online presence. A lot of the ideas are pretty basic, but there is a lot of work that lies behind it. So the idea is mainly that any type of person can come to the store and feel like they can create their own style and identity? Yes, absolutely. People are different and have their own personal style, you know? The challenge of doing something with a brand this diverse, is that you have to create things that you’re not personally that into. And that’s perfectly fine! If I were to love everything, then the brand wouldn’t be this multi-faceted and we would be doing something wrong. I don’t have to love every image that we create. Of course I always need to feel confident with the way we do things, but the final result needs to be diverse and therefore not always in line with my personal taste. This is ultimately the set of values that ‘& Other Stories’ strives for. How would you describe your personal style of clothing? Oh, I’m quite boring. I think someone would probably describe my style as Scandinavian with the occasional Bohemian touch, or something like that. For example, I have stuff from my grandmother mixed with simple things from the store. My kids think that I wear too much black, which is why I got some lingering looks when I came into the office wearing a very flowery dress one day chosen by them. I looked like a really nice mom, picking up her kids on a bicycle with a basket in the front filled with some fresh organic fruit or vegetables! Are there any plans to do a men’s collection? It’s very nice to hear many people ask us this question. We’re still taking baby steps, and who knows what the future will hold. Who wouldn’t love to do a menswear line for & Other Stories? We need to have more people on board for that though.
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focus on climate change It’s no secret that climate change poses a singular and ever-worsening threat to our planet, but the science surrounding the topic can be difficult either to penetrate or to respond to. The Earth Issue, an online collective of artists which was founded to provide a platform for creative thinkers to respond to climate change. Simply by existing, the group bridges the gap between the statistics fired at bewildered bystanders via daily news headlines and those who are keen to do something to help but unsure of where to begin. Now, the collective has come together to create a new printed publication of the same name. In support of this desperate need for more attention to climate change, we’ve selected ten artists from the printed publication who find inspiration in the environment.
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1. Wara BullĂ´t
Her work looks at the built environment and its development, and the relationship between architecture and landscape. Her images are especially striking for their muted blue and grey colours; distinct lines of structures contrast with the wispy clouds and sparse greenery they sit amongst.
2. Luca Tombolini Self-taught Milanese photographer Luca Tombolini takes pictures of spaces so untouched by human presence that they are ethereal to the point of fantasy. Pastel shades and an overwhelming stillness dominate, serving to drum up a sense of awe for Earth’s (as of yet) untinged landscapes. The Earth Issue describes his practice as a “meditative inquiry” that relies on Tombolini’s endless sense of adventure, provoking an existential train of thought in their viewer.
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3. Samuel Zeller
4. Steve Léon Brown
Samuel Zeller aims to capture the serene beauty of man-made spaces through his practice, challenging accepted ideas of composition and colour association in the process. The images of his which feature in The Earth Issue are snapshots of scenes through textured translucent glass windows, a technique that produces a tactile and dappled effect reminiscent of impressionist paintings.
To tackle the subject of human impact on nature and produce photographs that are really very beautiful is no mean feat – especially when the artist responsible takes as his starting point the “growing conflict between nature and humans”. For Steve Léon Brown, it is a fine line to tread between adoration of the natural environment and a fascination with human development, but his images are measured in how effectively they convey the message.
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5. Alba Giertz For Stockholm-based artist Alba Giertz, taking photographs is a cathartic and emphatic process. She looks to her surrounding natural environment to find solace and solidity “in a world that can seem empty and vapid”. The photographs she produces are stark and sombre (her own admission) and wholly mysterious; a shot of a gently rippling body of water beneath rocks tinged with purple hues is titled Your voice was so soft, adding a distinctly human element to the intriguing natural landscape she chooses as her subject.
6. Marco Barbieri Water in the Desert, a collection of photographs by London-based image-maker Marco Barbieri, is founded on contradictions. It depicts the environmental contrasts of Uzbekistan, a landlocked country that boasts plentiful water fountains in parts of its cities, while just around a corner a feature that once carried just as much water is now bone dry. These contrasts are intended to draw attention to the steady diminishment of the Aral Sea, a lake that was once the fourth largest in the world but is now shrinking due to the diversion of its source rivers to Soviet irrigation projects in the 1960s.
7. Ram Vafa For art that conjures feelings of tumbling through the gemstone layers of the earth’s crust, look no further than the work of British artist Ram Vafa, whose work is intended remind the viewer of the state of being “a passenger in the process of life” via an increased sense of self-awareness. These enigmatic marbled creations are large in scale and rich in colour, and quite beguiling to look at.
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8. Vilde Rolfsen
9. Elsa Leydier
In Vilde Rolfsen’s photographs, billowing sheaths of plastic envelop the frame and come to resemble something like an ancient rock formation inside a cave. Rolfsen’s aim was to spark a dialogue on plastic; it was the eye-watering levels of waste of the stuff that she witnessed while living in London that inspired these pieces. While her shots do not serve up an immediate and acute hit of guilt over wastage, you cannot fail to confront the issue of plastic and its effects on the environment when miles of it float mysteriously across your view.
Photographer Elsa Leydier takes an approach akin to synecdoche to create her images; she looks to represent the Amazon by engaging in a process of construction and deconstruction of images depicting the region. Through this process she inserts a distinctly human element into the image – one that appears constructed and worlds away from typical photographs of the area. In her own words, it is “A construction made from fragments extracted from glossy magazine pages and from everyday life, paced by the rhythm of the Rio Negro and the Amazon River”.
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10. Ana María Guerra Of the myriad pressing environmental issues that we face, the disappearance of corals from the world’s oceans is especially devastating for its rapid progression. Future Fossils is a series of sculptures created by Ana María Guerra that combines dead corals with 3D printed iterations, forming surreal structures that are partly bright in colour and partly a despondent grey hue. This unashamed and direct juxtaposition of the declining natural world and the modern human elements that are detrimental to its survival is exactly what makes Guerra’s pieces so intriguing.
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Sustainable Shopping
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RECYCLING WITH US IS EASY We want to reduce the environmental footprint in the fashion world, and recycling is a big part of that. We try to find solutions for it in every part of our process and have, since our launch in 2013, established an in-store recycling program for our beauty packaging. Starting in 2015, our stores in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States offer in-store textile recycling too. To make the most of this exciting task, we cooperate with experts within this field, and rely on you to recycle with us.
BEAUTY RECYCLING We have an overall sustainable approach within our beauty range, using standard packaging and keeping the paper use to a minimum by printing all necessary information on the inside of the boxes instead of on a separate folder. To recycle & Other Stories’ beauty packaging, bring back the empty containers from our colour cosmetics, bath & body and skin care ranges to any one of our stores. Simply return one, or more, of our empty beauty containers to one of our stores, and get one voucher with a 10% recycling treat as a thank you. Please note that your voucher can be used once and is valid for three months.
TEXTILE RECYCLING Bring any textiles from any brand (old socks and tired towels are welcome too), to any of our stores in Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States and wish them luck in their new life as insulation material for the construction materials industry, geofleece, carpet underlay, and rear shelves in cars, stuffed toys, shoe insoles, among many, many other things. Simply fill a bag with any textiles (all brands are welcome!) and bring it to your closest store, and get one voucher with a 10% recycling treat as a thank you.
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RECYCLE REWEAR REUSE UPCYCLE
meet the new:
ambassadors
At & Other Stories, we believe in honest stories and real women. Our clothes are designed to accomodate for the busy everyday lives of women; you need a wardrobe that works for your leisure, job and travels. We have worked with ten beautiful, diverse and modern women who are trailblazing in their fields of work; they are here to show you how an & Other Stories wardrobe is made for YOUR life.
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Chloe Sheppard @eolhcsheppard
A 20 year old film photographer, Chloe Sheppard’s work is sensitive and feminine, empowering women particularly of her own age. Her work has been feautured in Dazed&Confused, Vogue and Oyster Magazine. Her self published zine ‘Lover, Loser, Loner’, is an ode to the women who inspire and the emerging creatives who surround her.
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Lera Pentelute @lerapen
Originally from Ukraine, Lera is a model and visual artist, signed to Next Models and experiments with her illustrations and photography and collaboating with others to creat unique visual content.
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Amelia Tavella
@amelia_tavella
Amelia Tavella is a French architect and works at her own firm, Amelia Tavella Architects. Her Instagram is a compilation of beautiful architecture and her own work and looks like an art and interiors magazine. Her classic French tastes is the epitome of elegance so watch out for how she styles our Paris atelier designs.
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Jacintha Verdegaal @urbanpixxels
Dutch travel blogger Jacintha Verdegaal is out for the authentic travel experience. She believes that exploring the local food culture is just as important as sight seeing and documents it all with her beautiful photography and film making. From Peru to Palestine and Spain to Sweeden, her travels take her all over the world and give her the need for a versatile and practival wardrobe.
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meet the others:
Hattie Fox
Andrea Monica Hug
Sophie Darling
@hattieflower
photographer
@andreamonicahug
print designer
Valentina Hara
Jeanne Damas
Christine Kaaloa
@valentina_yogadanceart
@jeannedamas
@grrrltraveler
florist
health maven
model
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@sophie_darling
traveller
beauty edit:
Radiant Glow
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1. KIEHL’S MIDNIGHT RECOVERY CONCENTRATE £38 2. AESOP HYDRATING BODY GEL, £25 3. BIODERMA SENSIBO H2O £5 4. MAC PREP AND PRIME FIX+ £18 5. CLINIQUE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT MOISTURISING LOTION £30 6. ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR £72 7. CLARINS CREAM MASK £34 8. NARS ILLUMINATOR £23 9. TOM FORD CREAM COLOUR FOR EYES £30 10. & OTHER STORIES FACE CONTOUR QUAD £15 11. & OTHER STORIES LIQUID FOUNDATION £18.50
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12. & OTHER STORIES RADIANT RESTORE CONCEALER £11 13. JO MALONE LIME & BASIL COLOGNE £88 14. ESTEE LAUDER POWDER FOUNDATION BRUSH £30 15. ESTEE LAUDER BLENDING SHADOW BRUSH £20 16. YVES SAINT LAURENT TOP SECRET INSTANT GLOW MOISTURE £35 17. NARS VELVET MATTE LIP PENCIL £20 18. TOM FORD HIGH DEFINITION EYE LINER £30 19. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS PERFECT BROW PENCIL £18 20. CHARLOTTE TILBURY MATTE REVOLUTION LIPSTICK £24
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letters & other stories
tell us your story Become part of the & Other Stories SS17 collection.
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Inside our ateliers the discussion is always about what you want and need in your clothes. Whilst we’re sure that we understand our customers, & Other Stories wants to hear your story. We are asking you to write us a letter or send in a captioned photo telling us your story. We’e not fussy, you can tell us about yourself or someone else. About how you created your own personal style, an experience that you treasure or how someone you love inspires you. the choice is yours. All that matters is that your story is honest. Telling stories brings people together and creates meaningful connections, which is what we want to share in the & Other Stories community.
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At & Other Stories we will select four of our favourite stories to shape our SS17 ready to wear collection. Four stories, four personalities, four design directions. By May you will be able to shop a collection of designs that are inspired directly by you. The four winners will be invited to our Paris atelier to see the collection brought to life, have the chance to tell us your story in person and enjoy a & Other Stories Beauty spa weekend. Our four storytellers will also take home a brand new wardrobe from the SS17 collection. So what are you waiting for? Time to pick up a pen.
Use #letters&otherstories to share your story on social media or do it the old fashioned way and post it to us at: & OTHER STORIES 30 SACKVILLE STREET MAYFAIR LONDON W1S 3DY
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Shoplifter In our new co-lab contemporary art embraces fashion, as New York-based artist, Shoplifter transforms her signature artwork into a collection of vibrant and colourful wearables. Together we’ve worked to create playful ready-to-wear pieces accompanied by jewellery, bags and beauty products. Elevate your mood with this happy and humorous collection, available in selected stores and online now.
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Who is Shoplifter? Icelandic born, Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, is a visual artist currently residing in New York City. What´s the backstory of her name? Shoplifter´s unusual moniker is the sesult of a pronunciation gone wrong during her first months in NYC. A stranger struggling to repeat back the native Valkyrie name, Hrafnhildur, resulted in an awkward, “Nice to meet you, Ss..hop...l.li.ft..er?,” that sent everyone into a fit of laughter. Proving to be easier to pronounce, her alter ego, - “Shoplifter” was born. What´s your fasination with hair? “I´ve been intrigued with hair since I was six and discovered my grandmother´s braid lying in her vanity drawer. As I grew older, I came to realization that we all have to make a creative decision when dealing with our hair. This inspired me to use it as a medium to make art.” Hair is a focal point throughout Shoplifter´s artwork and within this collection, as she states it best,”Hair in general is beautiful to me, it´s a magical fiber.” Shopli Small talk with Shoplifter Describe your collection in three words. Euphoric, playful and fuzzy What inspires you? Colors, textures and humanity Favourite story/book? The Lorex by Dr. Seuss Finish the following sentences: Woman of today... should be proud of their emotional complexities. We´re super proud of... people that discover new ways and different things that can help the rest of us heal our planet. Do you have a favorite piece from this collection? I love the bag! It goes with absolutely anything you´re wearing for almost any occasion!
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"I wanted this collection to be colourful, playful and humorous. Everything in this collection can be paired with closet staples, making them pop whenever you want to stand out." 35
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photo diary
Los Angeles At & Other Stories we like to travel the globe as much as you do. Our ateliers in Paris and Stockholm have perfected the translation of culture into design, so that our clothes reflect the city they came from. For our third atelier we looked to LA as the perfect place to develop urban clothes with an attitude.
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Los Angeles & Other Stories
Atelier Launch Party
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For the PR purposes of generating sample content, some of the contents in this magazine has been reworked from various online sources, to give an idea of the kind of content that would appear in a Stories Magazine. The content directly linked to the campaign (Meet the Ambassadors and Letters & Other Stories) is entirely original work, save the credited photos from the ambassadors Instagrams. stories.com freundevonfreunden.com anothermag.com selfridges.co.uk instagram.com urbanpixxels.com Full list of references available.
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with love from,