Sweden, The New Modernity by Laura Oliver

Sweden, the New Modernity.

FIG 1 Annalenna Leino] [Fig1:

Sweden and fashion may not be an obvious collocation but the city of Stockholm is turning into a major business export and a vital player in the fashion world. No, it doesn’t boast the glamour of Milan, the heritage of London, or the refined Haute Couture of Paris, yet there is, shining through in this time of economic hardship, the only country which has created a recognisable fashion aesthetic; home of the minimalist.

captured the Swedish cult, for grit and intensity. On the high street, our wardrobes have been invaded by ‘H&M’ who have mastered cheap, fast fashion, currently with 2,800 stores worldwide (H&M 2012) and are expanding with high profile collaborations; Martin Margiela and sub-companies; COS. Think flat-pack furniture, think IKEA. Sweden’s most famous export, with colourful, affordable furniture based on Scandinavian design. Porcelain cheeks, gap tooth and natural blond are the must have features It seems the Swedes are flooding into for the look of the ‘moment’, championed by our creative spectrum. Stieg Larsson’s Swedish model Frida Gustavsson, and recent bestselling novel, ‘The Girl with the Dragon phenomenon, 20 year old, Tove Styrke Swedish Tattoo’ was taken to all new heights in Singer. the December of 2011 by David Fincher who

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‘Stockholm Fashion Week’ (Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) and Stockholm street-style has grown in reputation over recent years; it is now not to be missed setting the tone for classic, timeless and functional fashion. This year is set to be bigger than ever, with interest growing year on year, more brands are added and the show now includes more than thirty brands. MercedesBenz Fashion Week’s focus on sustainable development is continuing, pulling in a bigger audience, and partnership with The Global Leadership Award in Sustainable Fashion.

“I never used to go but now I know I’ll always find brilliant things there” YASMIN SEWELL (The Guardian 2011)

FIG 3: MINIMARKET A/W 2012

“We focus on clothing that makes the wearer feel strong and beautiful. We always use masculine details and design for a strong, independent woman with a sense of individual style.”

SOFIE ELVESTEDT 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK

‘Minimarket’ and ‘House of Dagmar’ are two, up and coming, aspects of Swedish design. Both houses are run by a group of sister living and working in Sweden. ‘Minimarket’ started as a shop and was such a success it turned into its own label, winning awards with Elle Magazine for; Newcomer of the year in 2007 as well as Designer of the year in 2010. Their most recent collection A/W 2012 was based on magic and illusion; inspired by the ‘vaudeville phenomena’ (Minimarket Website 2012) [fig 3] the clothing is disaggregated, cropped and covered with exquisite embroidery. As a brand, they have branched out into accessories and have since become most well known for their gorgeous shoes – made for walking. ‘House of Dagmar’ has recently won Scandinavia’s most prestigious fashion award, ‘The Guldknappen.’ They have also been spotted by countless bloggers and now have their clothing selling on the likes of Asos. In their Autumn collection, Lisbeth Salander (the current face of Sweden) meets Sigrid Hjerten (20th century Swedish Colourist) resulting in sensual, contemporary clothing, packed with a punch, attitude and colour. The clothing may not fit easily into your everyday wardrobe, but they create an unusual sex appeal that you want to be part of; reveal your darker side. The photography of the collections capture movement and a mood, they go that bit further than the usual collection showcase. Both ‘House of Dagmar’ and ‘Minimarket’ are helping Stockholm fashion week to be a key appointment in fashion fanatic’s diaries.

NONCHALANT COOL The quiet revolution that Sweden is concocting has fashion house ‘Acne’ as a driving force. Co-founder Jonny Johansson created 100 pairs of unisex jeans in raw denim with, the now, trademark red stitching and gave them away to friends and family. From such humble beginnings ‘Acne’ now ‘Acne Studios’ has gone from strength to strength, expanding into other mediums; TV, Magazine and Film. The brand is an organic company; ‘Acne Paper’ ‘Acne Film’ and ‘Acne Creative’ all work together in an Old Bank in Stockholm. Here they face no major competition, the environment is relaxed, and they design with pleasure. Very different to many of the New York and Paris houses who work in a sleepless, caffeine fuelled environment day-to-day, in a bid to be, THE show come show day.

is strong emphasis on tailoring and shape, distorting the feminine figure rather than intricate detail and pattern. Androgyny and monochrome colours assist the eternal and elegant designs.

WHY DON’T ACNE AND ZARA MARKET THEMSELVES THROUGH TRADITIONAL CAMPAIGNS?

On the face of it, Acne and Zara do very little to promote their collections. For such massive fashion houses, it’s unusual to gain the success they both have, especially in this economic depression, without the help of glossy double page spreads and billboards.

In terms of advertising, Zara just doesn’t do it. Customers of Zara are savvy. There is ‘now or never’ feeling around the shop; things just don’t hang around for long! To some it might be unjust, rather than hiring The ‘Acne’ philosophy is for clothing which world class designers, Zara simply steal, I is functional and timeless; nothing dominates mean ‘replicate’ high end brands, The likes anything else, every garment must work of Celine, Balmain and even the red sole on in harmony. Despite the recent financial Louboutin shoes have all been mimicked by crisis, CNN News reported that Sweden’s the high-street chain, but you can’t deny textile exports hit SEK10 Billion in 2010, that nobody does it better. They hit the a 10% increase on the previous year, a time competition out of the park with their short when overall exports in Sweden fell by 17%. supply chain and we all rush to the shops Perhaps the ‘Acne’ and other Swedish brands to get our affordable versions of fashion have created a visual DNA that provides the luxury. To many brands, there secret is in perfect balance for the fashion conscious advertising, pulling in shoppers with high woman who seeks affordability. profile celebrity collaborations or innovate, edgy photography, but Zara simply don’t have the advertising budget. Instead, the company “Acne has replaced Helmut Lang in its directional simplicity spends an unimaginable about of money on the and cleanness. It is leading the shop location, getting the prime spots in market in accessible luxury, and amongst the luxury brands.

I can think of no more exciting brand in the world at the moment.” YASMIN SEWELL. (The Independent 2012)

Spanish high-street retailer Zara share many attributes with Swedish brand Acne. Both are vertically integrated retailers; they are in control of most steps of the supply chain: design, production and distribution. This means that Zara have become the leader in fast, yet high fashion with low cost. ‘Business Week’ suggests that Zara need a mere two weeks to design a new product and then have it selling in their stores compared to the average industry six months. Aesthetically Acne and Zara also have visual similarities, both are companies which prioritise wearable and practical clothing. Designs based often on minimalism; there

“Prada wants to be next to Gucci, Gucci wants to be next to Prada. The retail strategy for luxury brands is to try to keep as far away from the likes of Zara. Zara’s strategy is to get as close to them as possible” MASOUD GOLSHORKHI, Tank Magazine.

Likewise, Acne doesn’t market itself through the conventional forms of advertising. They instead have grown, bravely entering all kinds of communication area like Acne Advertising. Another is Acne Paper, a magazine which was developed as a visual form of communication, a way to showcase all aspects of ACNE studios and what inspires it. The Independent Newspaper describes it as “pointing to the future of

fashion publishing.” The magazine itself is stylistically beautiful, an opulent, engaging read. The layouts stay true to the minimalism that runs through all aspects of the brand; you could spend ages looking at the pictures alone. The content of the magazine is about news and consumerism, made personal with up and coming artist’s stories and experiences. The magazine isn’t pretentious or too tryhard, like many fashion publications. It sticks to what the brand stand for and like the fashion; it’s functional, useful and interesting. Rather than having celebrity features, they collaborate with industry professionals; Mario Testino, Noam Chomsky and Carine Roitfeld to name a few. The target audience is creative minds of all ages, it’s not often magazine, primarily for fashion can unite generations. The

content is so broad and contextual that it teaches anyone interested in the arts. Each issue has a key theme, and through this the latest collections are documented along with interviews, memoirs, art and photography. The issues below are based on ‘Eroticism’ and ‘Youth.’ The magazine stands out, [fig 4] in a cluttered market and advertises the brand essence and sells the exclusive aesthetic. Other brands, Zara being one of them, do have their own in house magazine. However, it is more like a leaflet, a free give away to show how-to-wear a few of the latest items or celebrity interviews. Acne has created a product people who can’t afford the clothes can go and buy, to get their bit of ACNE lifestyle.

[FIG 4] ACNE PAPER, YOUTH & EROTICISM

LESS IS MORE

Sweden is renowned for its minimal designs; clothing, interiors and furniture are stripped down to bare essentials. Typical Swedish designs have a very simple form, allowing function to prevail. The Swedes have mastered elegance and style as well as allowing for maximum practicality; although I’m sure all that white is difficult to clean! ‘Nordic Minimalism’ signifies the perfect balance of objects; whether it is a dress or a coffee table, if there is too much going on, it takes the attention away from all other elements in presence.

1 (FIG 5) ACNE HAMBURG

2 (FIG 6) DIETER RAMS

3 (FIG 7) DONALD JUDD

4 (FIG 8) ZARA 2010

5 (FIG 9) ACNE PRE FALL 2013 6 (FIG 10) ANNE TRUITT

The minimalist art movement sums up the ‘Acne’ and ‘Zara’ brand ethos. Minimal artists, within visual arts, music and architecture capture the essence of the piece; ‘less is more.’ Minimalism was reinforced through artists post World War 2, taking consideration of light, form and space; three vital components in creating perfect minimal harmony. At this time, artists like Anne Truitt and Dan Flavin, developed the minimal necessity and abstraction that the famous De Stijl group developed some years earlier. De Stijl which is Dutch for ‘The Style’ transformed the art world, a huge pioneer for minimal art, using only primary colours and basic elements. To this day they are still an inspiration for some of the most innovative designs, including ‘Acne’ and Zara.’ Minimalism has an intrinsic link with Japanese design. Reduction through design is apparent in many cultures; yet the Japanese ‘Zen,’ capture simplicity in its highest form. Simplicity for the Japanese is about more than aesthetics, it is a way of life. Like the Japanese, Sweden design to reflect their lifestyle and from this they have created their own recognisable style; you only need to look at Swedish Interiors to see the influence that the bright weather has on Scandinavian design. Designers like Asberg Interior and Styling have created an universally loved aesthetic. This too, is evident in the Acne and Zara brand ambition to develop a lifestyle through desirable products. Fashion is about more than just clothes, Zara are the world’s top fashion retailer, yet they keep their originality and innovation, they have created their own market, their own woman. Perhaps the recession has altered peoples idea on fashion, buyers either turn to cheap brands where they can go and pick up and entire outfit for £20, or invest in functional clothing, an Apollonian attitude, which allows ‘Acne’ and ‘Zara’ to strive as they sell timeless, quality clothing.

“The more stuff in it, the busier the work of art, the worse it is. More is less. Less is more. The eye is a menace to clear sight.” AD REINHARDT. (BUZZLE 2011)

ANDROGYNY IS THE NEW BLACK

Another notable touching point for both Acne and Zara is the rise of androgyny in popular culture during the 21st century and beyond. There are many points throughout history which have made androgyny and gender, the way it is to this day. The 1920s flapper dress challenged gender norms, women wearing shapeless dress with short cropped hair was a complete paradox to typical behaviour. During the 1950s Elvis Presley, one of the earliest and most admired celebrities, made traditionalist riot as a result of his tight trousers, flares and eye makeup. Boy George and Annie Lenox rebelled in the 70s, seeking escapism and individuality in fashion, by the 1980s the pair became superstar cross dressing icons; ever since they have been massive inspiration to designers, makeup artists and hairdresser alike. Then came the 90s Heroin chic; skinny, unruly,

girls dressing like men, with attitude and rebellion ‘in their blood.’ As ever, fashion develops, things become more extreme, die out or are reworked, and this is true for the androgyny trend, which brands (like Acne) are taking a step further. Swedish designers use the androgyny trend like their favourite muse. ‘BACK’ is Sweden’s most awarded fashion brand, they creative innovate yet wearable garments, which are centred on masculinity and using clothing in unusual ways. [See Fig 11: BACK S/S 2013] The designer, Ann-Sofie Back is one of Sweden’s original bad-boys, setting out to produce fashion which breaks conventions. The edgy pieces are set of perfectly, sticking to typical Swedish styling; very clean and eclectic. Likewise, ‘Tiger of Sweden’ is centred on androgyny. They set up with a

“Clean living under difficult circumstances.” PETE MEADEN - THE WHO. (STOCKHOLM FASHION WEEK 2012)

FIG 11 purpose of altering tradition, taking the work suit to the street, mixing tailoring with a cosmopolitan Scandinavian lifestyle. The brand began with just menswear and has now branched into womenswear. Modernist brand ‘WhyRed’ are also from Sweden, they create clothes which are contemporary with neat shapes. The Autumn Winter 2013 collection mixes masculine and feminine virtues; masculine sensuality or feminine angularity? These brands will be part of the January line-up for Stockholm fashion week, along with Acne and previously mentioned House of Dagmar and Minimarket. It sounds amazing and that’s just a handful! I like the way you work it. Androgyny is about a lot more than just the way someone dresses, of course that

is important, but it describes a certain ambiguity; a blur between masculine and feminine. Female fashion is becoming more oversized and shapeless with masculine tailoring, whilst male fashion is becoming feminine and cute. Men are wearing skirts, and it’s not just Marc Jacobs anymore, perhaps it is society which has changed? Perhaps it’s due to the relaxed attitude towards homosexuals? Or, is it just a way to create a taking point; maybe the pioneers of androgyny were just rebels who wanted to cause uproar?

“In a society where the roles everyone plays are obvious, the refusal to conform to any standard will excite interest.” ROBERT GREENE: The Art of Seduction.

GENDER BENDING CONFUSION. “My gender is open to artistic interpretation” ANDREJ PEJIC (DAILY MAIL 2011)

Sweden is a hive of creative activity. Another thing they have become known for is their courage for breaking the mould and conventions. Perhaps it is because they haven’t had the pressure that some countries have had, to live up to expectations with fear of losing the market. Therefore they have been able to be risky, and are now known for their cults and edge in music, film and fashion; androgyny being one of them. They have now created their own audience, and by chance, grit, edge and controversy is becoming more and more popular in fashion; the world loves a talking point. The current trend which is a taboo to some, is the rise in transsexual models.

FIG 12

Androgynous models like Agyness Deyn and have covered fashion magazines for years, but now for a slightly more risqué twist, transgender and transsexual models have become the face of our favourite fashion houses and changed the fashion world as we know it. The most well-known transsexual model is probably Lea T, who started modelling for Givenchy and soon after was pictured kissing Kate Moss for the front of ‘Love’ magazine [See Fig 12]. The Brazilian has also been photographed for Vogue, naked, covering her male genitals with her hand. There is a whole new attitude to gender forming. Andrej Pejic modelled in Australia for seven years before the male model was cast as part of the womenswear Jean Paul Gaultier. His delicate, feminine features made it impossible for those not ‘in the know’ to tell the difference. Pejic and Lea T have opened a door in the fashion industry; Lui Xianping is a 72 year old Chinese male model has recently been photographed in his granddaughter’s wares,

which has increased the sales of her online fashion store dramatically. Cross-dressing models have taken the industry by storm; models like Stav Strashko are now serious rivals for the young girls in the industry. Acne were one of the first brands to see the gap in the market, they collaborated with ‘Candy,’ a magazine which celebrates transvestism, transsexualism and androgyny. Editor-in-Chief of ‘Candy’ Luis Venegas and the ‘Acne’ team created a capsule collection of three shirts. Each shirt has both masculine and feminine qualities; ‘Krystle’ has big sleeves, ‘Sammy Jo’ subtle ruffles and ‘Alexis’ a large bow [See Fig 13]. At one point the transsexual model was only seen in the more ‘arty’ brands, but Acne and Zara have pushed the boundaries of what you would expect from commercial, affordable brands with an already existing target audience to hold as well as draw in more.

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REFERENCING W E BS I T ES

Acne (2013) Acne Advertising [Online] http://advertising.acne.se/about-us/ [Accessed 13th January 2013] The Atlantic (2012) Zaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Idea: What the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Fashion Retailer Tells Us About Innovation [Online] http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/11/zaras-big-idea-whatthe-worlds-top-fashion-retailer-tells-us-about-innovation/265126/ [Accessed 15th January 2013] Business Week (2012) Zara: Taking the Lead in Fast Fashion [Online] http://www.businessweek. com/stories/2006-04-04/zara-taking-the-lead-in-fast-fashionbusinessweek-business-news-stockmarket-and-financial-advice [Accessed 14th December 2012] Buzzle (2011) The Concept of Minimalist Art [Online] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/theconcept-of-minimalist-art.html [Accessed 27th December 2012] CNN (2012) Swedish Fashion; How Less can be More [Online] http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/07/ business/stockholm-fashion-week/index.html [Accessed 3rd December 2012] Cool Hunting (2008) ACNE New York [Online] http://www.coolhunting.com/style/acne-ambition-t. php [Accessed 15th January 2013] Dazed Digital (2012) Acne Heart Candy. [Online] Available from: http://www.dazeddigital.com/ fashion/article/9003/1/acne-hearts-candy [Accessed 14th December 2012.] H&M (2012) H&M About Us [Online] Available from: http://about.hm.com/content/hm/ AboutSection/en/About.html [Accessed: 7th December 2012] Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (2013) Stockholm Fashion Week 2013 [Online] http://www.mbfw.se/ press-info/much-more-just-fashion-shows-mercedes-benz-fashion-week [Accessed 18th January] Minimarket (2012/2013) Collections [Online] http://www.minimarket.se/collections/ howtobendafork-autumnwinter-2012 [Accessed 29th December 2012] Stockholm Fashion Week (2012) Line-Up [Online] http://www.stockholmfashionweek.com/schedule. php?tid=35&tbd=schedule_dwinter [Accessed 18th January 2013] NEW S PAPER A RT IC LES ABRAHAM, T. (2011) Male supermodel Andrej Pejic responds to controversy over his feminine looks.The Daily Mail [Online] 15th August. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ femail/article-2026319/Male-supermodel-Andrej-Pejic-responds-controversy-feminine-looks.html [Accessed January 2nd 2013] BARRON, K. (2008) Acne: A Clear Winner. The Independent [Online] 18th February. Available from: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/acne-a-clear-winner-783462. html [Accessed 7th December 2012] COCHRANE, L. (2011) Swedish fashion houses sweep UK high street as H&M enters Selfridges. The Guardian. [Online] Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/26/swedishfashion-high-street-hm [Accessed 7th december] KHALEELI, H. (2012) Androgynous models who ignore the gender rules. The Guardian [Online] 25th November. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/fashion-blog/2012/nov/25/ androgynous-models-ignore-gender-rules [Accessed 2nd January 2013]

IMAGE REFERENCING Fig 1: Annaleena Leino, (2012), Clothing Rails [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www. annaleenashem.blogspot.co.uk/ [Accessed 17 January 13]. Fig 2: Annaleena Leino (2012), Pyramids [ONLINE]. Available at http://www.annaleenashem. blogspot.co.uk/ [Accessed 23 January 13.] Fig 3: Minimarket (2012), How to bend a Fork [ONLINE]. Available at http://www.minimarket. se/collections/howtobendafork-autumnwinter-2012 [Accessed 29 December 2012] Fig 4: ACNE Paper (2012), Past Issues [ONLINE]. Available at http://www.acnepaper.com/ pastissues/ [Accessed 13 January 2013] Fig 5: Acne In-Store (2008), Acne Store Stockholm [ONLINE]. Available at http:// davidreport.com/200809/new-acne-jeans-store/ [Accessed 20 January 2013] Fig 6: Braun Dieter Rams (1955-1995) Less but Better Exhibition [ONLINE]. Available at http://3oneseven.com/12/braun-dieter-rams/ [Accessed 20 January 2013] Fig 7: Donald Judd (2011) Donald Judd Art [ONLINE]. Available at http://www.junejoonjaxx. com/2011/12/art-donald-judd.html [Accessed 20 January 2013] Fig 8: Zara (2010) Womenswear September 2010 [ONLINE] Available at http://www.designscene. net/2010/09/zara-september-2010-lookbook.html [Accessed 20 January] Fig 9: ACNE Review (2013) ACNE Pre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at http://www.vogue. com/fashion-week/pre-fall-2013/acne/review/ [Accessed 20 January 2013] Fig 10: Anne Truitt (1965) Perception and Reflection [ONLINE]. Available at http:// plugprojects.com/blog/?p=1222 [Accessed 20 January 2013] Fig 11: Ann-Sofie BACK (2013) S/S 2013 Catwalk [ONLINE]. Available from http://annsofieback. com/back/collections/catwalk-s-s-2013/ [Accessed 13 January 2013] Fig 12: Lea T (2013) S/S 13 Parties Berlin [ONLINE]. Available from http://purple.fr/ diary/entry/berlin-fashion-week-s-s-2013-parties [Accessed 21 January 2013] Fig 13: ACNE Candy (2010) Uni-sex Candy Shirts [ONLINE]. Available from http://thankyouok. blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/acne-x-candy-magazine.html [Accessed 21 January 2013] Fig 14: Uni-Sex Shirts (2010) Acne Hearts Candy [ONLINE]. Available from http://www. dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/9003/1/acne-hearts-candy [Accessed 21 January 2013] Fig 15: WhyRed (2013) Stockholm Fashion Week [ONLINE]. Available from http://www.whyred. se/web/home/home/home.php [Accessed 22 January 2013]

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