Author name: Odalisque

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.

ROOM FOR THE LIFE – An Interview with Lan Krebs text Maya Avram stockings Swedish Stockings shoes Stylist’s Own jewellery Maria Nilsdotter Lan Krebs designs with his head in the clouds and strategises with his feet on the ground. Yes, he was inspired to become a designer from a young age, with romantic ideas about leaving his native Slovenia and going out into the world to make a big name for himself. But his path to the prestigious Swedish School of Textiles has been meticulously calculated, with Lan often making creative choices out of necessity and in response to challenges that, in the end, led him to where he says he was always meant to be.   Maya Avram: How did your journey into design start? Lan Krebs: I have always been interested in design, ever since I can remember. In primary school, I said I would be a fashion designer one day. My father was a bit terrified, but my mother said I should do what makes me happy. I was too late to apply for the Swedish School of Textiles, but everything happens for a reason, and I went there on Erasmus… After three months, they offered me a full-time study position, so I stayed. MA: What made you want to specialise in knitwear? LK: During my bachelor’s programme, I took a knitwear class, where the teacher introduced us to a guy who was selling old hand-knitting machines and yarns. That was when I knew I wanted to be a knitwear designer. I bought a knitting machine from him and some yarn, and started my journey. I’m very passionate about this practice because it holds unlimited possibilities. Knitting splits into circular knitting and flatbed knitting. When I started studying at the Swedish School of Textiles, my idea was to do flatbed, but we had limited access to those machines, which was very frustrating, so I decided not to go in that direction. I wanted to be free with my time, with materials, so I asked the lab technicians which machine is the most available one, and does not require their help to operate. I wanted to handle the machine on my own because it was the only way I could get more time on it, so that I could really hack it, even if it’s very manual. They said the circular single jersey machine is the only one that I can really handle by myself. It all came from that. bracelet ANI Jewels sneakers PUMA / Zalando bracelet Edblad stockings Swedish Stockingss heels Christian Louboutin MA: Sounds very responsive. LK: The machine itself is very simple, all I can knit with it is plain single jersey or striped — that’s it. No jacquard, nothing, just stripes in different variations. The technician was really happy I chose that machine because, according to him, “It doesn’t need to be complicated when it comes out of the machine. You can make it into so much more after.” Then I developed my material, and because I cannot do jacquard on that machine, I said, okay, let’s do print. This idea came very naturally, since the woven pieces are symmetrical and have this butterfly effect because they come out of the machine shaped like a tube. I didn’t want to cut this tube and do any additional sewing. I just wanted the tube to somehow fit the body, and the only way to do that was pleating, which makes the knit very elastic.  This is the process. Not so much “This is my inspiration, a tribute to my Slovenian heritage”, but a response to restrictions that we had, and wanting to get as much as I can out of the school’s facilities. Every part of my journey happened as it should have. It was a nice period of experimentation with different materials, of finding the techniques that drive me.  bracelet ANI Jewels stockings Swedish Stockings earring Maria Nilsdotter heels Christian Louboutin MA: If your creative practice came out of cold calculation, how does your creativity come into play? LK: This exploration process needs to be very intuitive. In my case, I don’t even do samples. The technicians in the print lab asked if I’d like to test colours, and I said no, it’s a waste of time. When dying fabric — it’s called space dying — I place wet fabric on a table, and I then start staining it with pigment. If I want the pigment to “bleed”, I add more water. It’s really hard to measure and control this process, making it impossible to achieve the same effect twice, so there is no reason to do samples. You just need to follow your gut and have a little bit of luck on your side. bracelet ANI Jewels ewellery Maria Nilsdotter jewellery Maria Nilsdotter MA: There seems to be a clear distinction between your design process, which is very intuitive, to your self-promotion, which is more strategic. LK: It’s key to getting more attention and having eyes on you. Social media is how you present yourself, how you build a name for yourself, and it’s something that a lot of students are afraid of. It takes time to create a post, and it takes time for your post to perform. I do social media for Fashion Week in Ljubljana, and I tested so many tricks to make a post work, to figure out why some posts work better than others. I’m applying that knowledge to my own profile. If you share your process, for example, people will engage with it. They will like it, they will comment on it, they will save it, and they will send it to someone else. I can show the final result, but the process is the part that really resonates with people and expands my reach. MA: How else are you innovating your process? LK: I’m using the burnout technique, which is toxic from a sustainability point of view. My garments are made of polyester for

Nicklas Skovgaard — Threads of Memory and Modernity text Ulrika Lindqvist Fresh from winning the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize 2025, Nicklas Skovgaard reflects on the journey that began with a child’s loom and a fascination for self-expression. His eponymous label, defined by sculptural silhouettes and emotional storytelling, continues to evolve from instinct and intimacy, blurring the line between nostalgia and now. In conversation with Odalisque Magazine, Skovgaard shares how character, contrast, and craftsmanship remain at the heart of his creative vision. Ulrika Lindqvist: Congratulations on winning the Wessel & Vett fashion prize, what are your initial feelings? Nicklas Skovgaard: Thank you so much. I feel deeply grateful, happy and humbled. Winning the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize feels like a full-circle moment – a recognition of years of work, curiosity, and persistence. It’s a very big milestone for the brand. More than anything, I feel very motivated – this prize feels like both an acknowledgment of what I’ve built so far and an incredible push toward what’s next.   UL: How has it been being a finalist? Nervous? exciting?   NS:  I’ve been both nervous and truly exciting. The Wessel & Vett Prize has always been close to my heart because it actually marked an early turning point for the brand back in 2022, when I was first nominated. Being a finalist again this year feels like revisiting that moment – but now with a much clearer sense of direction. The nerves were definitely there, but mostly because I care so deeply about what I do. It’s an honor to stand among such talented designers and feel that my voice has grown stronger since then.     UL:What initially drew you to the fashion industry?   NS:  My fascination with fashion began in childhood. I grew up on a small island in Denmark with no real access to fashion in the traditional sense – no glossy magazines or boutiques – but my mother had a strong sense of self. Watching her get dressed every day, shifting between different characters through clothing, really shaped my understanding of fashion as a form of self-expression. Later, films like Marie Antoinette and The September Issue deepened my fascination – they represented two opposite worlds, romanticism and realism, which I often use to describe my aesthetic today. Images courtesy of Wessel & Vett photography Nynne Henriksen/ moon  UL: What motivated you to start your brand?    NS: The brand began almost unintentionally – as an open-ended research project. In 2020, I discovered a small children’s loom in a thrift store and started weaving my own textiles. That process – of turning loose yarns into fabric – completely reignited my creative curiosity. I didn’t set out to start a fashion label, but the more I explored, the more I realized I was building something that felt deeply personal. The brand naturally grew from that place of experimentation, and today it’s still rooted in that same sense of curiosity and storytelling.   UL: What would you say are the three core values that define your brand?    NS: Character. Contrast. Silhouette. These three words really encapsulate my aesthetic. Every collection begins with the exploration of character – the emotional story behind the clothes. Contrasts are central to my process – between textures, emotions, and references. And finally, silhouette – how a garment shapes and responds to the body – that’s where the storytelling becomes tangible.    UL:What is your inspiration behind your designs and this collection in particular?   NS:  My inspiration often comes from a mix of personal memory, references and pop culture. My mother in the 1980’s – the ever-evolving eras of my life-long muse Madonna. These are som parts all inform the emotional landscape of my collections. My most recent collection was inspired by the private sphere of the bedroom – how the act of getting dressed, or even how we sleep, shapes the way we get dressed in the morning. I wanted to express that dreamlike feeling of intimacy, softness, and transformation. UL:Can you share some insights into your creative process?  NS: My process very often begins with the fabric or silhouette. I often start by exploring a textile or silhouette I don’t immediately like, then through research and experimentation, I try to transform it into something I love. Draping and constructing directly on the body are key parts of how I design. I also carry techniques and ideas forward from one season to the next, so the collections evolve like a living vocabulary – each new chapter building on the last.   UL:What are your core values as a designer?  NS: For me, it’s about authenticity, storytelling, wearability and emotional connection. I believe clothes have the power to evoke emotion, to connect people to memories and moments. And I always try to balance creativity with usability – even the most sculptural or nostalgic pieces should feel grounded in real life.    UL: Are there any particular projects or moments in your career that stand out as especially meaningful or memorable?   NS:  There are many, but one that stands out is my first runway show in 2023. It was a collaboration with performance artist Britt Liberg – a single performer surrounded by vintage mannequins in a performance-fashion-show about getting dressed and undressed. It blurred the line between fashion and performance art, and it felt incredibly true to my vision. Another highlight was our recent 7-hour long performance at Dover Street Market Paris during Fashion Week. Seeing the brand represented internationally – and witnessing people connect emotionally to the work – was a very special moment. UL: Looking ahead, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or goals you’re particularly excited about?   NS:  I’m very focused on thoughtful growth – scaling the brand while staying true to its creative foundation. With the Wessel & Vett Prize, I plan to invest in strengthening our international sales strategy and expanding our retail network in a thoughtful way. Creatively, I’ll continue to evolve the narrative side of my collections – exploring how storytelling and clothing can merge even further.