Costume Drama

A costume from The Brothers Lionheart.  Photos by Carl Thorborg.

I have long overlooked Dansmuseet, Stockholm's museum dedicated to all forms of dance, and probably wouldn't have made a visit if it weren't for my friend Gabi's urgings.  One of Stockholm's partially free museums (you have to pay extra for the temporary shows), the majority of the permanent exhibitions focus on the museum's extensive collection of costumes from all over the world, and is the closest thing we have to a costume institute in these parts.  In fact, the current special exhibition on display, Koroly's Costume Drama, is one of the most exciting sartorial installations I've ever seen.

The breathtaking survey of Swedish-American costume designer Charles Koroly's work features a wide span of pieces, ranging from surreal human-puppet costumes made for The Brothers Lionheart, to classic French rococo attire made for a production of Madame de Sade.  Each piece is incredibly constructed, and one of the most impressive highlights is a costume for The Brothers Lionheart that involves a metal cage skirt covered in floral branches, and is so large and unwieldy that it has its own set of wheels built into the hemline so it can be rolled along with the performer on stage.  What makes the show particularly special is the fact that visitors are actually allowed to touch all of the garments on display, allowing curious couture students to thoroughly examine the construction and enjoy every aspect of illusion creation.  That's a privilege that would be hard to find anywhere else.

Costumes from The Brothers Lionheart

A costume from Aurum

Costume from The Brothers Lionheart

Costume from Erik XIV

Costumes from Madame de Sade

Costume from The Brothers Lionheart

Costume from The Brothers Lionheart

Costume from The Misanthrope

Costumes from Richard III

Costume for Twelfth Night

-Tiffany

Springtime in Stockholm

At Prins Eugens Waldenarsudde. Stine Goya x Weekdays dress, H&M tights, Dieppa Restrepo tights, Devaki hat, Triskaidekaphobia necklace

I haven't been posting much lately, as I've been out enjoying my last few weeks in Stockholm.  I'm moving back to New York very soon, right as the days are becoming gloriously long (the sun is going down around nine) and the weather is finally taking a turn for the better.  I spent this weekend relishing spring at two of my favorite museums in Stockholm, Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, and Millesgarden.  While neither are very centrally located, they're a must see if you happen to be in Stockholm during the spring or summer; both are located on fantastic grounds, and best visited while everything is in bloom.  They also give a peek into what it was like to have a fun and fabulous life in Stockholm at the turn of the century.  Prins Eugens Waldermarsudde is the former castle residence of Swedish Prince Eugen, and contains his private collection of art.  Millesgarden is the former home and estate of artists Carl and Olga Milles, and includes a sprawling sculpture garden filled with Carl Milles's work.

Of course, spring wouldn't be complete without the Cherry Blossoms at Kungstradgarden.  I went to see them twice this weekend, and took some photos with Gabi after our visit to the Dansmuseet (more on that tomorrow).  I know I whine a lot about winter in this country, but I have to say, springtime is pretty wonderful when it finally arrives.

Millesgarden

Millesgarden

Millesgarden

Millesgarden

Cherry Blossoms at Kungstradgarden. Stine Goya jumpsuit, ASOS feather jacket, Ursidae New York scarf, Monki sunglasses, Triskaidekaphobia necklace

Gabi at Kungstradgarden

-Tiffany

Put on a Pedestal

Scandinavia has been well known since the midcentury for its innovative and forward thinking architecture and furniture design.  Within the last decade, Scandinavian fashion has also gained traction and become increasingly influential, and is similarly aligned with a minimalist design approach.   Still, I have never seen midcentury modern so fluidly applied to apparel as with FINSK, the line of architecturally structured, extremely high heels.  It makes sense.  Finnish born and London based designer Julia Lundsten was born to an architect father and an interior designer mother, and cites furniture and buildings as major sources of inspiration for her shoes.  Set on elegantly carved wood platforms, they look a bit like Constantin Brancusi's sculptural pedestals. I personally can't imagine a better thing to stand on.

-Tiffany

NORRBACK AW 2012 + Pop-Up Shop Opening Party

I've been working at NORRBACK while I've been in Stockholm, and a while back, I posted some behind the scene photos from the Autumn Winter Lookbook shoot. Here are the results, and a look at the new collection.  My favorite pieces are the zig-zag knit short sleeve jacket, and the illustrated black and white fox print dress.  If you happen to be in Stockholm this Saturday, you can pick up a goodybag with the same print at our Pop-Up shop opening party (invite below).  There will be drinks, snacks, music, giveaways and other surprises--Hope to see you there! 

-Tiffany

BACK Fall 2012

It's hard not to become obsessed with Ann-Sofie Back's particular brand of minimalism.  For the Autumn Winter 2012 BACK collection, she mixes her sharp aesthetic with elements that are less polished. Bright electric turquoise fabrics, sporty athletic materials, transparent plastic jewelry, and metallic pleather are all things that might look tacky in someone else's hands, but Back gives them a refined new look.  Juxtaposed with the more minimalist silhouettes, these elements not only make the clothes more accessible and less precious, but add an element of fun, play, and unexpectedness to what could otherwise become very serious or severe looking pieces.

-Tiffany

New York to Stockholm and Back Again: An Interview with Carin Rodebjer

Swedish designer Carin Rodebjer recently relocated to New York. After the Rodebjer show, which is always the highlight of Stockholm Fashion Week, I asked her a few questions on her move, and how it has influenced the design of her new Fall 2012 collection.  One of my favorite shows of the season, the collection was inspired by male style icons like Jean Cocteau, David Hockney, and Jean Michel Basquiat.

You moved to New York from Stockholm recently. How has that been for you, do you feel like a New Yorker now?
No not really! I just moved there one year ago. But I feel kind of connected to the city--It is such a nice city, and I feel that it is good to have both platforms, because you get so much inspiration and you see things from different perspectives.

Did New York have any influence on the design of your new collection?
Oh, of course it does. That's part of why I moved too, because I wanted to have the local and the global perspective.  That's why we chose to show here [at Matthias Dahlgren's restaurat] too, because Matthias works on both a local and global level. That's how I want the collection to be--more global.

You said that your collection was influenced by menswear this season, so what kind of menswear details did you incorporate?
The buttons, shirt collars, bags, and shoes are very masculine.  All those menswear details were things we added.  But we were also inspired by the mindset, all the men that we were inspired by this season were their own universe, so I wanted to have that mindset, with a very focused woman being the center of her own universe.

Would you ever consider doing menswear? 
Yeah, I am considering it! I would love to do it, but it will take a while because we can still dig deeper into what we are. I want to work a little bit now to focus on the design with the womanswear, and then we will move on to menswear.

I've also noticed that this season and last season you've incorporated more color and prints. Can you tell me more about the digital prints and the floral prints that you used this season?
Oh yeah, we wanted to have really rich prints so it kind of symbolized the rich lives that our icons were having, and the richness of their personalities. So it's kind of rich prints with a more structured outside. I like prints, even though that's not very Swedish.  I like prints when they are balanced, and when they're controlled and clean.

Do you have any plans of showing in New York.
I do a little in the back of my head. So we'll see, whenever we have a little more money, I would love to do it!

-Tiffany