Swedish fashion scene

Rookies take over the Swedish fashion scene

 

The Rookies trade fair is one of the most eagerly anticipated shows during Stockholm Fashion Week. This is when up-and-coming fashion designers get their chance to shine; grabbing the attention of fastidious fashion buyers and the press. Fashion-guru Anna Blom picks out the hottest labels.

With love for knitwear. Clothes from Swedish design trio Dagmar. Photo: Andreas Kock

The knitting sisters

Created by three sisters, Karin Söderlind, Kristina Tjäder and Sofia Malm in 2004, Dagmar is one to watch. Named Rookie Company of the Year by the Swedish Fashion Council in 2005, the label also won Elle's best newcomer award at the Swedish Elle awards this year.

The Dagmar sisters say their clothes should last more than one season. Karin Söderlind: “The time span of a garment is an essential part of its quality, together with the choice of material and how it is made. We try to avoid short-lived fashion trends.”
Last season, Dagmar used materials like baby camel wool, an exclusive wool from the first shave of the baby camel often used by luxury international brands. 
“We love working with fine, living fabrics - that’s our passion. The handicraft and eye for detail is typically Swedish for us,” Söderlind says.
Fashion – a family traitWhile other designers scour the world for inspiration, its streets, shops and cafes, the Dagmar sisters look no further than their own doorstep. Their chic and naturally stylish grandmother, Dagmar, made such a strong an impression on them that the concept behind the label was crystal clear from day one. 

“We try to create fashion that differs from the general idea of what’s hot in Sweden right now. The women we dress have strong personalities and have already established their own individual style,” Söderlind says.

Designer Kristina Tjäder says: “Five years from now, I hope we’ve reached out to different parts of the world and established ourselves as a Swedish-international fashion label.”


Clothes from Robert&Blad. A collection dedicated to Johnny Cash, the man in black. Photo: Helene Toresdotter
A player among the rookies

The Rookies trade fair this year features a category for more established designers called Players. Helle Robertson Forslund, founder of Robert&Blad, is taking part in Rookies for the fourth time. She produces two collections a year for both men and women. The brand was founded in 1991 when Robertson Forslund opened a boutique in Malmö, southern Sweden. Her fall/winter 2006 collection takes as its inspiration the world of country music and consists of ruffled shirts, shiny waistcoats and denim. Her timing could not have been better considering the interest generated in all things country and western by the Oscar-nominated Johnny Cash biopic Walk the line, but according to Robertson Forslund it was just a coincidence.

“My ego said no when I heard the movie was coming out, but my business mind said yes,” she says.


Inspired by Rock ’n’ Roll. Clothes from Swedish designer Robert&Blad. Photo: Helene Toresdotter
Mixing business with fashionThe Rookies trade fair is just one of the many fairs and exhibitions taking place during Stockholm Fashion Week. Showroom Stockholm is another exhibit designed to catch the eye of buyers and agents in Sweden and abroad. The exhibition, which takes place in a car showroom in central Stockholm, was initiated by fashion journalist Britta Rossander. Dagmar, Robert&Blad and Ylva Liljefors (winner of Sweden’s prestigious Guldknappen award in 2002) are among the labels strutting their stuff this year.


A rock'n'roll goddess. Design by Ylva Liljefors. Photo: Mikael Eriksson

Facts:

• Dagmar’s fall/winter collection 2006 is called “Fisherman’s wife goes glamour” and is inspired by the barren landscape and colors found in the Swedish archipelago. The collection is super feminine, with high waistlines, empire dresses and A-line jackets.
• Inspired by country legend Johnny Cash, “the man in black,” Robert&Blad’s fall/winter collection 2006 is called “Cashing in/Selling out.”
• Ylva Liljefors’ fall/winter collection 2006 is called The Sacred Heart, and takes its name from a song by rock band Dio. The accessories designer has dreamed up a collection inspired by rock, romance and goddesses. Leather and thick wool are recurring materials.