• Layered

    Written by Chelsea Porter

    Layered + Michel Bussien

    Swedish interior brand Layered has launched their collaboration with artist Michel Bussien ; presenting the new collection in an installation exhibit. The furniture bears elements representing the artistic expression and blending of interior art and design.

    Here at Odalisque we couldn’t wait to get some Q&A time with the designer and founder herself Malin Glemme to discuss Layered, the new collection and collaboration with Michael Bussien.

    Where did Layered begin?
    I started Layered two years ago with the idea of offering high quality rugs in outstanding designs for moderate prices. The Furniture Collection is created with the same vision: to offer modern and elegant pieces at reasonable prices. Layered is creating collections for modern and elegant homes all over the world.

    How would you personally describe the new collection?
    The vision was to create elegant and contemporary design in combination with edgy and unexpected details. The collection is in rich velvet and you will find sofas, poufs, chairs and a day bed among the ten pieces. Colors range from dark, rich graphite gray and midnight blue to powder pink and emerald green. Details come in dark wood and brass.

    What inspires you?
    I find inspiration within different art forms- fashion, photography and architecture. For this collection, I was mostly inspired by the beautiful velvet fabric. Once I felt the soft and rich surface, the design and creation process started. And I love daydreaming on Pinterest, it’s a great source for all types of different inspiration!

    Where were you first introduced to Michael’s work?
    I first saw Michael’s work in Lamp Flag Store - his selection of ceiling light objects in sheep stomach and iron. I was so intrigued by these unique forms, it caught my eye right away.

    What do you hope people will gain from this experience?
    I hope to challenge people’s perceptions of their capability to explore other creative fields such as fashion, art, interior and photography. You don’t have to be in a box, you can explore other paths and still return back to your major craft. The work is nearly a meeting between worlds, surrealistically similar to the piece itself- with no direct story.

  • photography by ANNICA ZION

    HE EXPLORES THE HE(ART) OF (SUB)CULTURE

    Written by Chava Krivchenia by Stephanie Cetina

    Edit: Marge Grossfeld

    He brings nightlife into the art space through performance and installations, but conversely, does experimental art projects inside his nightlife arena.

    Esben Weile Kjær, known as a DJ, party organizer and activist, creates and fulfills our constant need for reminders about how we are all connected - without demeaning or underplaying our individual differences and site specificity.

    Through arts events and his refusal to limit his expression to one medium or approach, Esben, with his sister Anna Weile Kjær and other collaborators, explores the importance of subcultures or community.

    – I want to examine how strong a cultural identity can be, he says.

    He and his sister are now working on a show, which you can experience April 27th in Copenhagen at Future Suburban Contemporary.

    Odalisque was able to ask Esben Weile Kjær some questions about his life and artwork.

    CK: Can you tell me about your background?
    EWK: I am originally from Aarhus but I moved into a squat in Copenhagen when I was sixteen. I was doing activism and went to punk concerts and had a lot of fun.
    My DJing began in my hometown with one of my best friends. We played at some parties where the organizers were letting us in from the back door because we were way too young. It was really cute – our parents picking us up after the gig.
    I remember how fascinated I was by the energies at the club. I think that maybe it was the same that I found in the punk scene - like how music can transform the space totally and be a strategy to let bodies act differently and more autonomously.
    Of course, I was too young to get into the clubs and that’s why I started doing my own parties. My friends and I got some help from some older friends and we did some of the first queer raves in Aarhus.
    I don’t know how queer they actually were but we felt it was super queer at the time and maybe that is enough when you are 15 years old and you don't know anything about sexuality and gender and the only thing you want is to instantly run away from categories and norms.
    All this was a big inspiration and is now a big theme in my art practice. The movements of youth culture and the aesthetics of different sub cultures, and how pop culture all relate to each other. Subcultures can mutate really fast - through capitalism - and be something else.


    CK: Please talk about the difference between your subcultural educational experiences and more mainstream arts education background.
    EWK: When I moved to Copenhagen I thought that I would never go to high school. But eventually I attended one anyway, called Det Frie Gymnasium (Free High School). The school looked like a squat and it was a democracy - all of the students had as much to say as the teachers. Study there changed my mind of being a part of an educational institution. I felt comfortable and happy staying there. 

    Right after high school I started at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory and meanwhile, as I studied there, my practice changed into something that was more comfortable in an arts space rather than a concert hall. So, I started exploring culture studies, performance theory and music theory through the ideas of sound. I have a BA from there, but now I am at an art academy which fits me better.

    CK: What groups and communities has inspired your work?
    EWK: I'm inspired by movements and subcultures and how they are communicating. I have been djing in 9 years now and have been playing in the most of the world. Visiting all the different clubs has been a kind of research that I use to produce art. Of course I also look at other artists. I'm a big fan of Mark Leckey, Evian Christ and Juliana Huxtable to name some artists who also have a DJ background and use it in their art.
    I can also name The New York based collective that were active in the 90's called Group Material. I am excited about how they used the art spaces as a social space. At the moment I really like the Spanish artist Antoni Miralda. I'm really interested in how he works with participation in he’s work. But this is only a few I like, the list could be forever.

    CK: What is your planning method for your projects?
    EWK: A lot of my research is from art theory and discussion with my sister who is an art historian. She has just finished a thesis about rave culture, and how its’ aesthetics have been implemented in the art world and have affected pop culture. I am reading a lot, going out, and am studying issues close by.
    For example in my performance How 2 Neo-tribe that was shown first time at Tranen Contemporary Art Center, I wanted the purpose to be questioning the identification of the attendants. I created flags working as ID tags for individuals at the show, each being a label of subcultures around the world. These flags were going around the exhibition space on people walking around and were a part of the performance. The labeled subcultures interacted and moved around depending upon who was choosing and adopting the identification on the label. There wasn’t a set plan or choreography. Humans are already naturally really choreographed without planning. That’s a method I often use. To add some elements or rules on a social situation that already exist.

    CK: Do you prefer collaboration or working individually?
    EWK: My practices are really social. I prefer to work together with other people. I’m interested in the collective. A big part of my practice is to do interventions of other institutions. You can maybe call it brand hacking. I try to fade into the structure of the place and use the way that they advertise (can be on social media for example) as a place for art. I did one last year called Institute for Success. It was a performative intervention where I acted as a curator and invited different performance artists to show pieces. Now we have turned this “Institution” into an art collective of seven artists and we will do a new intervention called Institut for Success 2.0 at the National Gallery of Denmark the second of June.

    The person I have been working with most, and still do, is my sister. We have been writing and organizing anthologies. Some months ago in fact, we had a show in Basel called Radical Togetherness. We also run an exhibition space together called Adult in Copenhagen together with our dear friend Mikkeline Sofie Larsson.

    CK: You also like to photograph the people around you?
    EWK: I do love taking pictures of my friends. Now I am starting to get asked by friends and art connections to photograph them. I really don’t see myself as a photographer, but I really like portraying specific people. I don’t really know why or what will come of it eventually, it’s a personal project for now. I see my portraits as a family scrapbook in a way, with nice memories.

  • A Discussion with Kristina Tjäder of House of Dagmar about Ethical and Sustainable

    Written by Rocío Garrido Rus by Stephanie Cetina

    It is hard to believe that at the point in time we are at, sustainable fashion is not a more comfortable topic to deal with. Not that there hasn’t been a change: brands are speaking out about it more and more every day. It seems that the more it is spoken about, the less one seems to be able to believe in such a contradictory concept. To make fashion more environmentally friendly is a challenge, and it is necessary to know what it is that one can do. An article or event on sustainability and fashion is still not as attractive as the launch of a new and unnecessary product. There is a need to talk about this more, because there’s a lot of work to be done still.

    Swedish fashion is one of the voices that need to be heard when it comes to this global conversation. We spoke to Kristina Tjäder, Founder and Creative Director at House of Dagmar, about her approach to sustainable fashion, the steps small, yet firm steps Dagmar is taking, and other miscellanea that a conversation on sustainable living has brought up.

    Who is the House of Dagmar woman? How do you relate to her?
    The House of Dagmar woman is sensual, sophisticated and progressive. She combines her private and work life with her personal interests in a successful way.

    How does sustainability relate to House of Dagmar?
    Sustainability has been one of our ground pillars since we’ve started our brand, we want to leave as few traces as possible on the environment and do our best to help saving our planet.


     

    Does House of Dagmar have a sustainability plan it follows? Could you elaborate?
    Yes, we do have a plan. First, we are always improving the environmental performance across our supply chain. Secondly, we have a progressive take on sustainability and always search for new and more sustainable ways to produce. Thirdly, we want to inspire our customers and their consumption behaviours. Lastly, we strive to create traceability across the supply chain.

    There are many different ways to approach sustainability in fashion: design, production, reusing and recycling are just some of them. How does Dagmar relate to each one of these?
    In terms of design, timelessness is a key word. Most of our producers today have closed systems where they handle and recycle all waste, as well as finding ways of using as little energy as possible. We are continuously searching for recycled, organic and sustainable qualities and aim to find new and better solutions.

    How do you think sustainable approaches to fashion have evolved recently?
    There are more discussions today than a few years ago, however there are unfortunately still too few alternatives. The fashion brands must push their suppliers to develop more sustainable ways of production.

    Even if innovative and sustainable materials are always attractive to the fashion industry, they’re not as explored as more traditional materials like cotton or wool – proved to have a greater cost for the environment. In what ways does Dagmar experience with them?
    When using traditional materials, our aim is to make products that are timeless, both in design and in quality. The amount of clothes that become trash today is enormous. We would rather have people pass items they don’t want any longer to someone else, instead of throwing them away. We are using alternatives to traditional materials, such as a fabric made of recycled PET bottles or recycled cashmere.

    What is the biggest challenge for a fashion brand these days, in terms of sustainability?
    It is still difficult to be able to control the whole chain as well as finding good sustainable qualities that can also last for a long time.

    How does sustainability affect the design process of a garment? Is it just a matter of fabrics, or rather a production issue, or both?
    It is definitely a matter for both design and production. In terms of production, we have to collaborate and to have a progressive mindset since the traditional ways are usually cheaper and easier for the suppliers.

    How do you manage to offer products made of animal materials but still label them as sustainable?
    We are trying to find alternative ways, such as the 100% animal friendly mohair fur that we have in the Fall 2016 collection. We have also made the statement of using  only leather and fur products that are part of of animals that we eat.

    Do you think that the fashion industry is ready to cut off the use of leather?
    No, I don’t think so, since there are no really good alternatives yet. But I am very interested in following the development of meat and leather made in laboratories.

    What is, in your opinion, a reference to you in terms of sustainable fashion brand?
    There are different levels of sustainability and it’s up to each brand to say how sustainable they should be. The most important thing is to set up a goal and to work your way up towards that goal. It’s better to start from a low level that not doing anything at all. Being 100% sustainable would be very difficult today, but hopefully all of us will be in the future.




    In a fashion system – and a society – so inherently linked to timing and abundance, would you agree that producing less garments and collections would be one of the most effective ways of being sustainable?
    Yes, I do. My philosophy is to rather buy a few really good products that plenty not so good.

    What’s the role of consumers when it comes to the impact of fashion consumption?
    In general people don’t ask for sustainability so much yet. However, I think that will change. So many of us already only eat organic food, for example. I think this greener approach will affect everything we do.

    Do you think that fashion brands are ready to produce less “needs”?
    I think that each brand needs to find their unique offer and focus on that. We also have a responsibility to make sure that we leave as few traces as possible on our earth.

    Do you think that there is an urgent need for a change of mindset when it comes to consumers and brands, regarding sustainable production and consumption?
    Yes I do. We need to be out there and educate the consumers and to inform them that they can make a change by doing the right choice.

    What’s your opinion on the common phrase “sustainability is just a trend”?
    It is a very good trend that we should really stick to and develop in new and inspiring ways.

    What is your hope for the future, in terms of sustainability?
    My hope is that there will be a bigger request and awareness from both the end consumers and the suppliers. Today we need to search very, very hard even to find nice sustainable qualities that can make a good alternative to the traditional.

    What do you think is the biggest step forward that House of Dagmar has taken in order to be more sustainable?
    So far we have produced recycled, organic and sustainable products, we will continue to increase the amount of these types and will communicate this to our customers. 

    What would be a dream “sustainable scenario” in the fashion business to you?
    My dream scenario is that people will care as much for what they buy as for what they eat.

Pages