• photography by PAULINE SUZOR

    Backstage at Cheap Monday AW15

    Written by Jade D'econzac Mbay by Michaela Widergren

    People are starting to form a line while waiting to get into the “open to all” show that Cheap Monday is arranging. The excitement's high, it’s outside and it’s freezing. Everyone gathers around the stands were you can get a hot beverage of tea. I take a seat close to the runway which is built up around the fountain in the middle of Kungsträdgården in central Stockholm. Then, suddenly the surrounding in the middle of the fountain goes into flames and everyone gets quiet, the show starts. My main focus besides the show is meeting one of the designers; Richard Hutchinson the former owner of the brand The local firm that is now creating menswear at Cheap Monday.

    JDM: Richard, Hi! Which is the most interesting piece in the collection and what has been your focus this year? 

    

RH: There are fanzine inspired prints which are unusually placed on the garments. Instinctive design is the most brilliant attribute in this collection. 



    JDM: What materials are given extra attention in the collection? 

RH: A lot of pieces that are torn apart and hairy surfaces. 

JDM: Inspiration for the show?

    

RH: The Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

    

JDM: Why did you choose to have an “open” show this year? 



    RH: Cheap Monday has always been very close to the customers and we are used to interacting with the crowd. To show to the public seems obvious when possible.



    JDM: Will you try to do the same next time?

    

RH: I don’t know yet!

    

JDM: You have been a part of Cheap Monday for almost a year, how does it feel to be part of that team?

    

RH: It’s overwhelming. I can’t think of any other place were my colleagues would be more creative, ambitious and decent. 


    
JDM: Tell me more about the project pocket Operators! 



    RH: It’s a super inspiring collaboration with Teenage Engineering. Everything started with Kouthoofd, the founder and CEO on Teenage Engineering, got in touch with a friend of his- our Creative Director Ann-Sofie Back and wanted Cheap Monday to design work coats and so on with the Teenage team. We thought it seemed nice so we went with it, and asked Teenage Engineering to design something for us as a counter-performance. The whole thing ended with Teenage Engineering and us together launching a series with three portable micro synths and matching gear such as t-shirts, pins and phone cases.

    

JDM: What's the biggest difference in working with Cheap Monday and your own brand The Local Firm? 



    RH: The most natural difference is that the companies are so different in size and structure. But the most surprising one is the powerful driving force behind creating fashion for the youth of our time.

    

JDM: And one last question, what's your feeling about the upcoming season?

    

RH: I haven’t had time to think about that yet! 



  • photography by ERIK LUNDBACK

    Backstage at Carin Wester AW15

    Written by Jade D'econzac Mbay by Michaela Widergren

    The show is over and the lights just got turned off. The Swedish designer, who a couple of minutes ago presented to us her AW15 collection on the runway, is named Carin Wester, the name that she also shares with her brand. Her design is suited for dressing the modern woman, who's not shy to play around with colors or abstract prints. The designer is surrounded by people praising the collection and people like myself eager to get some questions out of this popular designer. 


    JDM: Hi Carin, How are you? And a classical one how are u feeling? 


    CW: It feels amazing right know, I am super happy and I am always excited to see the result afterwards. 


    
JDM: Have you had time to get any response from the crowd that just saw your show yet?

    
CW: No not yet, I haven't had time to feel the atmosphere, but I will know how the collection is received sooner than later. 



    JMD: How was the feeling when the models headed out for the catwalk? 



    CW: I felt a bit sick, it’s like budgie jumping and for every show is the same thing, you love it and you hate it… 



    JMD: And for the new year 2015, what is happening for the brand? 



    CW: It’s a lot that’s happening and it feels like a positive developing phase, we are currently working with bigger collections. 



    JMD: Which is the funniest part to work with? 



    CW: I would say to really be a part of the fashion business and creating new and exciting prints. 



    JMD: Tell me about the inspiration for the collection? 



    CW: A lot of inspiration is taken from the 70s but not so much from the clothes of the 70s, more the interior part. We have been looking around Miami and Los Angeles for inspiration. The biggest source of inspiration was Frank Sinatra's House, the pool floor, the carpets, the furniture and overall the architecture and the house overall it self has an amazing color palette. 



    SLIM: Are you redo for next season? 



    CAW: Yes! I am so ready, I am starting the first thing tomorrow with the spring collection.

  • photography by ERIK LUNDBACK

    Backstage at Whyred AW15

    Written by Felicia Eriksson

    Stockholm fashion week just ended and first up was Whyred. The collection was full of well-tailored pieces, heavy and soft materials mixed with shiny fabrics and denim. The name of the collection “Time Will Tell” reveals the concept of time as one of the main inspirations. Odalisque had the chance to have a little chat with the designer Roland Hjort backstage after the show. 

    FE: Tell me about the collection that we just saw!

    RH: The theme for this collection is called Time Will Tell and the biggest inspiration for this has been the concept of time and its different dimensions. I had this idea about some pieces that stopped in time meanwhile other parts and pieces continued to expand. For example the pockets are really really big. We have also incorporated the shape of an hourglass, both in the silhouettes and in the cuts. When it comes to the women collection I found inspiration in this Edwardian dandy mixed with some kind of century rockabilly girl. The look I had in mind were these gang girls in London during the 50s. 

    FE: Time Will Tell might aswell be a commentary on the transience of fashion?

    RH: Yeah kind of, our design has always have been classified as timeless so we liked the idea about playing around with that thought. And also when it comes to the music played during the show, starting with PJ Harvey and so, we want to show off a more feminist view of a point. 

    FE: Whyred opened Stockholm fashion week by being the first one showing, how are the feelings after the presentation?

    RH: It was pretty nerve-racking because we got to show so early in the day, that was the hardest part for me. But it felt very exciting as well of course because we created a very strong collection. 

    FE: Whyred has been in the industry for 16 years now, how are you continuing the development? 

    RH: The next thing for us is to work towards the international market. Right now we’re having a very good base in Sweden and in the rest of Scandinavia so now we just have to push outwards.

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