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SvD KULTUR

Friday, 3 February 2012

FOOD CULTURE The sick should surely get good food too

Wearable does not have to mean anxious. SvD attended Fashion Week in Stockholm.

WISLAWA SZYMBORSKA 1923-2012 LUKEWARM IRON LADY ROSSY DE PALMA BUREAUCRACY FARCE RUSTIC DANISH FOOD

8 REPORT

SvD Friday 3 February

A uniform tone, from top to toe, applied to several of Stylein's entries. Model Åsa Engström gets hair and makeup done.

Toned down but not boring. SvD attended Stockholm's FASHION WEEK and found a small but VITAL fashion scene that is faithful to the Swedish ATTITUDE.

DON'T MISS

Read more about the fashion week's shows in tomorrow's SvDK.

TEXT MAUD LINDHOLM PHOTO KARIN GRIP

A British stand-up comedian stands on stage in Stockholm and asks what we have done with all the ugly people. It is easy to laugh along. Have you shipped them out to an island in the archipelago? he wonders. The audience is pleased: All of us sitting here must be good-looking! I react the same way when I read the British writer AA Gill's report in DN about Stockholm's restaurant scene — and he wonders where all the fat people are keeping themselves.

Even though we know that this is a beautification of Stockholmers, it is closer at hand to react with a smug smile than irritation over us being portrayed as superficial.

In Sweden, it is indeed important to be whole and clean and neat. The agrarian society may be gone, but not its spirit. Even if we in modern times have dressed both fashionably torn and dirty, it should show that we care about our appearance and style. We should withstand a closer look and not stand out in the wrong way.

Often the verdict on a Swedish fashion design is summed up with the words "and it is so wear- able". If someone commented on Chanel in that way, or Versace — or any inter- national brand at all — I would raise my eyebrows. It would sound completely wrong in a con- text where the clothes take center stage.

Easy-to-wear fashion might seem boring. "Sex- y Italian" or "eclectic British" undeniably sounds more appealing. But we get the fashion we ask for — and as long as we prefer and buy traditionally cut garments in dark shades, that is also where most designers with a survival instinct end up. Is it that bad then? And honestly — how innovatively and idiosyncratic- ally do people really dress in other coun-

tries? Fashion can look daring on the catwalk — but certain garments never make it further than that.

We have our style, just as the Italians have theirs and the French theirs. And the British for that matter. And besides: wearable needs neither be anxious nor conformist.

Dagmar showed this clearly during the fashion week that just concluded in Stockholm. The underlying idea was to let Sigrid Hjertén and Lisbeth Salander meet, and they have succeeded in creating a design that is typical of the brand but at the same time charged with something new. Tattoos have been translated into leather details on pattern- knitted fabric. A visible zipper as an accent on the

We have our style, just as the Italians have theirs and the French theirs. And besides: wearable needs neither be anxious nor conformist. ”

perfect little black dress. Beautiful, unique — and abso- lutely wearable. The same goes for Minimarket, with stylish high heels, a finely flat-knitted two- tone sweater and a wool coat with a snakeskin pattern — and a show combined with a magic show featuring Rossy de Palma as the perform- ing star (see interview with her on page 6).

Several of the collections shown would gladly be allowed to walk straight into my wardrobe. As often when it comes to autumn, black, dark blue and gray were overrepresented — but the color palette held enough

other elements for the overall not to feel gloomy.

A couple of my favorites right now are the duo Altewai.Saome who showed their collection. Perhaps it is because they are that they dare to run such a distinctive are they young enough to represent a partly new relationship to fashion? Back speaks against that thesis. She has been long but still manages to create something new. I her will, but suspect that I will not to buy the garments — because they are hard to wear.

Completely regardless of whether Swedish fashion commercial success or not, it that a Swedish fashion exists namely that awareness of fashion and spread outside the industry. began working at a fashion editorial desk there were few prominent fashion journalists. Many designer names came, but go. A fashion week of caliber was missing. University education in the subject was missing. There was no widespread interest fashion among Swedes. And for those who cannot find sufficiently clothes in Sweden, an endless exists online. But the question is whether even the fashion-interested Swedes seek idiosyncratic. My answer is "not yet" - from occasional fashion students and during fashion weeks. The rest of us to our last, keep ourselves whole and clean and at best in physical shape. Much for the British to be able to about us this autumn as well.

Maud Lindholm is fashion editor at SvD. maud.lindholm@svd.se

SvD Friday 3 February 2012 REPORT 11

Models ready to enter the catwalk. V ave shoe repair showed a dark dramatic apocalypse collection together with specially designed large jewelry by Alexander Lervik.

English translation of the original article. Text read from the scanned original; small transcription errors may occur.