In recent years, Swedish fashion has seen a tremendous upswing of global attention. It’s not just H&M and Stockholm Fashion week that are receiving applause either—there are a plethora of street style icons that are popping up all over the small towns and blogospheres of Sweden.
“When you think about Scandinavian style, probably the first thing that comes into your mind are simple shirts in neutral tones, slightly oversized sweaters with traditional knit patterns and cozy black jackets to keep you warm on clear crisp winter nights,” says Style With Shannon.
In reality, what is frequently seen on the streets of Sweden represents a more minimalist attitude towards fashion. Though the style is undoubtedly trendy, it is also centered around practicality. To show off the understated appeal of the Swedes, we’ve compiled a list of today’s most prolific street style muses in Stockholm.
The Talents:
Fashion Designer, Blogger, Entrepreneur (@elinkling)
While many fashion trends attempt to be atypical and divert from the norm, simple and tailored styles can make an equally great impact. This seems to be the reason behind Elin Kling’s success, as her crisp-cut designs have launched her into street fashion fame.
Her typical look is impressive in its simplicity: Cotton t-shirts, black skinny jeans and black leather jackets are the norm. It seems altogether casual, but “The right attitude (and accessories) turned her into an icon, not only for Swedish style, but for every woman who is searching for a timeless and classy style far from the craziness of the runways,” says Style With Shannon.
In an interview with Into the Gloss, Kling discussed the origins of her achievements. “My personal style blog, Style by Kling, started because my friend forced me. [Laughs] I had a weekly column on another website, and he was like, ‘You should really start a blog.’ A couple months later, I decided I would try it. And in two days after starting, I became Sweden’s largest blog.”
She continues, “At the time, a lot of blogs were people taking pictures of themselves in the mirror and then just cropping their head. I thought, ‘Why are they doing this? This isn’t inspiring at all.’ So my first pictures were in locations and I would ask anyone—even a cab driver—to take my photo.”
Since the launch of her magazine StyleBy, the Swedish designer has since gone on has gone on to transform her personal website into a unique media platform called The Wall. In lieu of her already incredible strides in the fashion industry, Kling chose to also launch her own design collection, Totême.
When asked by Into the Gloss if being Scandinavian has affected the way she designs her clothes in anyway, she replied, “I’m sure it has in some ways. Scandinavians, and Swedes especially, have a very strong aesthetic—it’s a bit more unisex.”
She continues, “I’m not inspired by the trendiest women. It’s more about who a woman is and what she believes in.”
yooooo check out the blog for more pics of this look from copenhagen ?
A photo posted by Ebba Zingmark (@ebbazingmark) on
Blogger, Model (@ebbazingmark)
Compared to Elin Kling’s minimalist stye, Ebba Zingmark’s whimsical looks are starkly different. Though the two designers share the signature Swedish style, Zingmark adds a sense of zany to her outfits with various prints.
“Just like Elin, she’s not inspired by the label, but the potential that piece of fabric has. Whether it comes from a high-end brand or a vintage shop, that same black blouse gets a life of its own combined with a colorful print on a pair of pants or a statement necklace and a black hat,” says Style With Shannon.
In an interview with Wearona magazine, the designer discusses what inspires her fashion style in her blog. “Everything!” she says. She also lists her friends, colleagues and nature as inspirations for her style. In terms of her best color matching advice for outfits, she says, “Dare to mix many strong colors! Black and grey outfits often gets dull. Play with the colors and make unexpected new combinations!”
When asked by Wearona about what makes the fashion in Sweden so special, she explains, “Well, I think there’s many people in Sweden who dare to follow their own style and wear unique things. That’s fun! I also love that second hand and vintage is so popular in Sweden.”
Blogger (@carolineblomst)
Another global Swedish icon is Caroline Blomst, who runs the street style blog Caroline’s Mode. Her goal is to combine inspirational styles she sees around the world with her own personal stance on fashion.
In an interview with This Is Collective, Caroline spoke about spoke about what drives her multi-faceted, creative lifestyle. “I’m blogger, stylist and now I’m starting my own clothing label, so I’ll have to add designer to my resume as well. My work is really varied, it can be anything from photography to fashion consulting, to styling and designing. This all comes together through my blog, Caroline’s Mode, too. I’m super glad I’m able to work with all these things, I could never choose just one thing!”
When asked about some of the collaborations she has worked on recently, she replied, “Having the blog has opened up a lot of doors and opportunities which I am super happy about. I have worked with big brands like for example Zara, Style.com, Vogue, SIX London and Gina Tricot.”
Finally, she reveals her reasoning behind the universal love for the Swedish aesthetic. “I think it’s easy to fall in love with the Swedish aesthetic, I live and breathe it everyday and still love it! In general the aesthetic is clean and simple which makes it easy to like. Also making business with Swedes are easy – most Swedes are very outgoing, honest and easy to work with. I think many companies enjoy these features!”
The Locals
In the district of Stureplan, known as the shopping central of Stockholm, many men and woman can be seen waltzing out of high-end stores like Prada and Louis Vuitton. Recently, the New York Times searched the streets for individuals who stood out in their personal style.
Creative Stylist, Dancer
One such person was Daniel Gill, who was wearing Ann Demeulemeester boots, Miu Miu sunglasses, BLK DNM boots and carrying a Prada bag. His style icon? Grace Jones, Hedi Slimane and David Bowie.
When interviewed by the New York Times, he explained that his personal style is inspired by women’s wear. “I feel that fashion doesn’t have any boundaries. You can wear women’s wear or men’s wear. Women can wear whatever they want, men can wear whatever they want. I carry a handbag most of the time. It’s kind of handy, and I like accessories a lot.”
When asked about the fashion in Sweden, he says, “The fashion in Sweden is different small groups of people. You have the back-slick kids; they kind of go around in red jeans, back-slick hair. They work in finance. You have hipsters; they kind of go around in chimney-sweep hats and tight jeans. Fashion people, mostly in black. And then you got the normal people that wear whatever they feel like.”
Salesperson
According to Anna Norman, who was also stopped for a brief conversation with the New York Times, “The fashion in Stockholm, most people like to wear black because it’s very easy and you can match it with whatever you like. I would say that I like very clean lines. I’m wearing a black suit from a Swedish brand and I think that it’s very classy, but not too up-dressed.”
In terms her opinion of the rise of Swedish fashion? “Well, I think that Swedish designers are very good, that’s why we are famous all over the world.”
Fashion Stylist
Nicole Walker, who undoubtedly stands out from the crowd with her Sia-esque hair, oversized white jacket, flared ankle jeans and oversized white shoes, says she is bold when it comes to fashion.
When speaking to the Times about the stylistic atmosphere in Stockholm, she says, “Compared to the rest of the world, I would say that people are very curious about fashion. My biggest interest is exploring things that necessarily wouldn’t go together—but then when you put them together they actually do!”
In reference to her own style, she explains what inspired her outfit. “I wear things that maybe feel too big, but on me they feel fine. I’m wearing a pair of Jil Sander shoes. I love the way clowns look sometimes, and these feel like clown shoes because they’re so big! They’re not big, but they look big.”
D.J. and Singer
Singer and D.J. Pauline Högberg looks ’60s Swedish chic in a white knitted turtleneck, a patterned off white fitted skirt and tan suede ankle boots.
She told the Times, “My personal style is very inspired by the ’60s. My style icons are Jane Birkin, Bridget Bardot, and Edie Sedgewick.” Showing off a tattoo of an empty birdcage that wrapped around her wrist, she explained what it represents. “Sometimes you realize that you’re not the caged bird anymore, that someone opened the door and you flew away.”
For a further look into the lives of street style savvy people around the world, check out The New York Times’ Intersection: Street Style video series.
