Odalisque Magazine Interviews Leandra Medine Cohen & Linn Frisinger: Integrated Parts — Swedish Stockings
text Jahwanna Berglund
images courtesy of Swedish Stockings
When Swedish Stockings, the pioneering sustainable hosiery brand joined creative forces with writer and tastemaker Leandra Medine Cohen, the result was more than just a capsule of tights. Integrated Parts is a celebration of personality, contradiction, and self-expression where playfulness meets purpose. Odalisque speaks with Swedish Stockings’ co-founder Linn Frisinger and Leandra Medine Cohen about their creative process, shared values, and the subtle power of the “small things” that shape how we dress.
Leandra, you’ve described tights as the “outfit-maker.”
What was the first idea or image that came to mind when you began designing this collection, and how did you want these pieces to make people feel when they put them on?
LMC:
We went back and forth on concepts. I created a moodboard and we spent a lot of time on emails and Zoom calls discussing what would make for the simultaneously most fantastical, but also practical tights. A lot of the ideas didn’t make sense ultimately I wanted to create studded waist pants on some of the tights! But I’m very happy with where we landed.
What made this collaboration feel like the right fit, and how did both perspectives influence the design language in this collection?
LF:
Leandra is a true tastemaker, someone with a sharp point of view, a lot of character and a unique way of playing with fashion. She doesn’t follow the rules; she creates her own, and that aligns beautifully with our philosophy that fashion shouldn’t be too serious. As a fashion accessory brand, we believe in expression over perfection. Collaborating with her allowed us to stretch creatively, to be bolder and ultimately we couldn’t have wished for a better outcome. Her touch is evident in every detail.
LMC:
Swedish Stockings is one of the only tight brands I can think of that places a premium on image and creative direction while still delivering a luxury product. They balance classics on one hand and risky colors, finishes, and fabrications on the other. I’ve been wearing their tights for a long time.
How did that duality reflect both of your personalities and creative processes?
LF:
That duality is central to both the campaign and who we are as a brand. It mirrors how we work: intentional, but with room for surprise and spontaneity. Leandra has an incredible instinct for balance between loud and elegant, between classic and unexpected and that came through strongly in this collaboration. It’s also a reflection of real life: none of us are just one thing. The collection embraces that fluidity, offering a piece for every version of yourself.
What prompted the name Integrated Parts?
LMC:
Each pair reflects a different personality for a different look. The collection is about integrating the different parts of your style and making their common denominator you.
Each pair in Integrated Parts feels like a character.
Do you each have a personal favourite, and what does it say about your mood or style right now?
LF:
Right now, my favourite is Geri — both the silver and the red version. There’s something about the glossy texture that feels nostalgic and instantly elevates any outfit. The red Geri especially speaks to me at the moment: it’s vibrant, a little unexpected, and it pairs beautifully with my current colour obsession — brown.
LMC:
I think my most worn will be the Natasha, sheer white tights, which I can’t wait to wear styled under black tuxedo pants with black satin sandals on one hand, or with a camel mini skirt and casual t-shirt and black flats.
Where did you pull inspiration from? Were there any specific eras, icons, or even your own personal style moments that you referenced?
LMC:
I revisited some of my favorite tights and thought, what could make these better? That’s how we ended up with super sheer white tights. The tiger print was actually inspired by an old photo of Chloë Sevigny from the late ’90s. My creative process is quite pragmatic, though
I tend to think about what would make a piece work harder in an outfit.
How do you both see the role of “small things,” like tights, in shaping how we dress and think about sustainability today?
LF:
Tights are often overlooked, yet they’re one of fashion’s most wasteful items, over eight billion pairs are discarded every year. In many ways, they’re the plastic straw of fashion: small, but with a big impact. With this collaboration, we wanted to show that you don’t have to choose between style and sustainability. Tights can completely transform a look adding personality, contrast, or polish. Especially in colder months, they become a key styling piece.
LMC:
Possibly because as minimalism has seeped so deeply into all of our wardrobes, tights are a low-stakes and low-risk way to make an impact. They can be the centerpiece of an outfit and that’s what makes them so powerful.
Finally, when you imagine someone wearing these tights, who do you see?
LF:
When I imagine someone wearing these tights, I see an energy that’s playful and fun with fashion, someone who’s not afraid to be daring and experiment. The spirit of Integrated Parts is all about confidence, creativity, and joy in self-expression. It’s for those who embrace their individuality and use fashion to tell their own story.
LMC:
Someone curious, open, and a little mischievous, the kind of person who enjoys finding humor in style. That’s the essence of this collection.
