Loving everything Nordic
In terms of books, films, TV series and food, these days, Nordic obsessives have a lot to gorge on. There's the Nordicana festival, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new TV show, Scandimania, and for those that long for Borgen, Katrine Fønsmark is presently on the capital theatre scene in Coriolanus (and live in in cinemas for 1 day only). Still starving for extra Nordic delights? As Stockholm Fashion Week kicks off, we present the very best of Scandinavian style.
The labels:
Bruuns Bazaar: The first Danish brand to be mentioned on the official calendar in the fashion capital of the world, Paris, it has a brand new optimistic perspective on account of the skills of Lene Borggaard. (Their last one, Rebekka Bay, went on to work for Gap - does that currently count as a Scandinavian brand too?)
Ann-Sofie Back: A tutee of Acne and joint creative overseer of Cheap Monday denim jeans, Back is a stalwart on the Swedish fashion marketplace. Take a look at her diffusion line, BACK, for Asos.
Acne: Currently you're not allowed to be a trend analyst if you don't own some form of piece made by Acne - essentially the zip-up, stomping Pistol footwear that inspired tons of rip-offs.
The H&M subdivisions: You can't wander down a shopping district without witnessing the Swedish behemoth's impact. Monki, &Other Stories and Cos are all smaller offspring of the brand, with a a little bit different price point (and status on the sharpness-plus-innovation scale).
The writers:
Caroline Blomst: The Swede manages a bona fide internet kingdom: Stockholm Street Style, which has successfully implemented just what it says on the tin for close to ten or so years; Caroline's World , a network system promoting other writers; and Caroline's Mode, where she collects her everyday looks and favourite things. All that, and she's acquired her own style range too.
Elin Kling : Nordic superblogger (she contributes together with the likes of Bryanboy and Anna Dello Russo for NowManifest), currently located in Big Apple, but is still the icon of muted Scandi elegance.
Hanna Stefansson : Blogs in (endearingly broken) English and Swedish about her individual style, travels, her equally annoyingly good-looking significant other John and fav dishes.
Peder Prahl: An oddity in an article brimming with ladies, Peter combines lifestyle, style, restaurant and movies reviews from his home in the UK.
Veronica Mike Solheim : The trend setter, tattooed Nordic typically writes in her native language (with a smattering of English), but her love of shiny things and pics of exquisite snowy Oslo make it well worth the click.
Hel Looks : An established, ultra-simple city fashion site shot in Helsinki. The stranger the outfit, the more probable it is to catch the eye of bloggers Liisa Jokinen and Sampo Karjalainen.
The look:
Blend gendered clothing items: The famously egalitarian Scandi nations share daycare tasks and fashion: ladies opt for mannish shapes and males aren't scared to lady-it-up.
Flats: Carrying on from that…biking and flagstone (everywhere in Denmark and Sweden) make a low, chunky shoe essential.
Cropped trousers: We're accustomed to experiencing a lot of ankle joints nowadays, but the eternally-efficient Scandi people have been pomoting that one for ages: a higher hem means less snow stains in the winter, and a lot less complicated cycling.
Accept the winter season: If New Yorkers dispose off all fashion sense in preference of a fluffy winter coat through the coldest months, Scandinavians continue to be elegant. The formula? Layers, layers and a lot more layers, and no being cheap when it comes to the overcoat.
Go b&w: Deep blue, grayscale are the key course here. Stretch out to a line... if you must. (Ignore this principle if you reside in the Finnish capital - see above)
