Designers Finest - KappAhl

designers
finest
autumn
2 011

designers
finest
DISCOVER DESIGNERS FINEST!
A NEW LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION
THE FINEST SILK, THE SOFTEST LEATHER, FLATTERING CUTS AND EDGY
DETAILING THAT EXUDES CHARACTER, LUXURY AND EXCLUSIVITY. WHEN
KAPPAHL LETS EIGHT OF ITS 35 DESIGNERS LIVE IT UP, THE RESULT
IS TIMELESS CLASSICS INSPIRED BY STRONG FEMININE PERSONALITIES
SUCH AS SOFIA COPPOLA AND CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG.
Last autumn, Maria, Catrin, Ingela,
Gabban, Lollo, Annika, Cecilia and
Carina were asked if they would
like to take part in a fantastic -
yes, truly unique design journey!
An adventure with no limits but
with a clear goal: to give KappAhl’s
current customer a wider selection
and to give new, selective and
fashion-conscious customers a chance
to discover KappAhl’s range. And
to give women on-the-move, with
little time and loads of taste, the
chance to simply acquire an entire
wardrobe. With Designers Finest, we
also take the opportunity to bring
attention to KappAhl’s own talented
and creative designers!
Designers Finest is a womenswear
collection of extra fine quality,
which explains the slightly higher
price tag. It consists of 20
garments with matching accessories.
The design team´s work has been
a journey in which only their
imagination set the boundaries.
Nearly. Unlike other collections,
price, manufacturing or material
costs played no role in the design.
» The goal with this special
collection is that it should be easy
to vary based on mood, wardrobe,
and occasion. Every garment can
be combined, worn on its own or
as layers. That is why it is vital
that the collection is coherent and
unified when it comes to colours
and silhouettes«, explains KappAhl’s
head designer Carina Johansson.
She also points out that every
garment stands out and reflects its
designer’s personality, ambitions
and dreams, although when this was a
team effort!
Cuts and contrasts in materials
are key details for the collection.
Pure cubism and round forms
blended with draping and asymmetry.
Throughout the collection materials
such as leather and suede are
contrasted with thin, pliable
materials such as silk, lyocell and
cotton. The colours the designers
chose to stick to are white, black
and grey together with accent
colours such as bordeaux and dijon.
When the designers themselves
describe the challenge with the
collection, they are in agreement
that it is a dream project. To
create garments in their own image,
for women by women!
Autumn 2011 marks the debut of the Designers Finest, a
limited edition collection which will be available in all of
KappAhl’s boutiques in all markets. For those who want
to be sure they can be a part of this, we recommend that
you prepare yourself prior to queuing at any of KappAhl’s
almost 370 stores in Europe.
In Autumn 2010 the design process began for Designers Finest, a close collaboration between eight designers
to put together a unified and coherent collection.
A year later Designers Finest is complete and the result highlights a strong
partnership as well as solid designing from KappAhl’s designers.
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GABRIELLE
DESIGNER
designers
finest
TROUSERS
WHY PAIR LEATHER AND FABRIC?
» KappAhl is known for making great trousers with the right fit for
all body types and especially in denim. It’s great to play with leather
together with dressier materials. For instance, leather detailing on suit
trousers. It took a lot of trial and error to get the right cut, the right
sheen and exclusiveness in leather. I was inspired by the 60s and the
90s. You get freedom of choice, for instance, there are long zips on the
trouser legs, which means that you decide yourself if you want a bootcut or
slim silhouette. In that way, we’ve tied all these different time periods
together with zippers.«
THE TROUSERS HAVE SO MANY FINE DETAILS?
» I like the old thought with piping and binding, for instance when
you add leather around a seam. Or as on vintage tailored men’s trousers,
there’s often a white inner-side to the lining. It’s both beautiful and
nice against your skin. Good old-fashioned tailoring details that have been
absolutely wonderful to revel in.«
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?
» In books, films, online, fashion shows, different forums and when I´m
in town. I love the internet and sometimes I follow a thread that leads to
something amazingly interesting and then I forget where I started. You need
to be satisfied and not annoyed when you’re looking for something online.«
THE CHALLENGE IN DESIGNING FOR KAPPAHL?
» The art of creating something unique, yet mainstream and commercial.
And then timing, that’s the most difficult of all.«
» The art of creating
something unique,
yet mainstream and
commercial.«
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Working for KappAhl: It’s a great atmosphere, fantastic
colleagues and loads of possibilities. There really is room here
to develop. Background: When I started designing 25 years
ago, KappAhl was one of my clients. Now I have been working for
KappAhl for 12 years, and have come full circle.
These small details give the trousers a high quality, tailormade
look. And Gabrielle points out that you should dare to
spend time on those extra details.
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ANNE-LOUISE
DESIGNER
designers
finest
COAT
THE AUTUMN’S MOST IMPORTANT FASHION TRENDS?
» Modern, minimalist garments that are inspired by the 60s and the
90s. Ruffles and the ethereal romantic are moving towards being scaled
back. Even trends from the 1930s and 1940s are making a comeback. And then
there’s the 90s grunge style, layer upon layer. There are a lot of vintage
touches in every trend. Historical scenes, rock and baroque style, lace
with leather and punk elements. A gorgeous and rather crazy combination
from many periods and styles.«
WHY LOOK BACK?
» These different periods are iconic. I think you need to know the
history before you can build something new. Today there are so many great
materials which means that cut and fit can develop. We designers always
have a modern perspective with what we do, but we need inspiration from
the past in order to design for the future.«
THE ROAD TO A FINISHED COAT AND PULLOVER?
» The three-quarter coat got a 60s touch in black bouclé with outer
pockets in real leather - the coat has a bit of an A-line shape. What’s
great with bouclé is that it’s a bit curly, alive and warm, similar to fur
yet elegantly simple and modern. The pullover is patent knit, is on trend
and I knew I wanted to make a pullover that was short in the front and
a bit longer at the back. Deep armholes and rollneck. At first it was a
little too long, so we shortened it a bit and decided not to make it in
black since the stitches are more visible in this grey melange.«
» What’s great with
bouclé is that it’s
a bit curly, alive
and warm.«
Anne-Louise has also
designed the pullover for
Designers Finest.
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Favourite designer: Alexander Wang because he mixes
masculine and feminine expressions in an exciting way Background:
Studied at Tillskärarakademin and Fashion Design at
the Swedish School of Textiles. Worked as a designer for JC
and then seven years for KappAhl. You grow with your target
group. Favourite garment: Jackets in different styles and
fabrics. If you weren’t a designer: Then I would be a florist.
Peonies are my favourite flower.
Visible details, sharp silhouettes and new material
combinations are typical characteristics for Designers
Finest – the details have been chosen with great care to
evoke a deliberately modern impression.
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designers
finest
INGELA
DESIGNER
LEATHER JACKET
» This is proof of
a fantastic
collaboration and
talented designers.«
TELL US ABOUT THE LEATHER JACKET’S DESIGN?
» This was the first time that I designed anything in leather and it
was more difficult than I’d imagined. Getting the right fit has been a
challenge. We had to change the leather several times to get the right
fall, and the leather couldn’t be too stiff. There was a lot of trial and
error before we got the right waist, fit and draping.«
THE BENEFITS OF WORKING TOGETHER ON A COLLECTION?
» The idea with highlighting a design collection and not just individual
designers has been on the agenda for several years. There are thirty-five
designers and thirty people working on so-called hidden designs. We want
to show variety and Designers Finest is the result when the designers
themselves get to decide what they want to wear. Taking the latest trends
and making clothes that are timeless and made in extra-luxe quality is
extremely rewarding.«
WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE?
» Allowing everyone being creative but still staying within the
boundaries so that all of the garments and accessories worked together and
didn’t stand out too much. This is proof of a fantastic collaboration and
talented designers with tons of experience.«
WAS THERE A RISK FOR COMPETITION WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY DESIGNERS WORKING
TOGETHER?
» No, everyone has worked together even if we didn’t always agree. We all
see a common vision and contribute to the success of KappAhl. Having fun
is far more important and that’s something we always have!«
There are many steps to the
final fit. Here the leather jacket
goes through its final fitting
before Ingela approves it for
production.
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The well-appointed leather jacket is made of the softest
leather for a luxurious feel. The raw edges add a modern,
on trend touch to the jacket.
Family: Husband and two sons. My 12-year-old son is extremely
interested in clothing and often comments on my sense
of style. Leisure: Skiing, yoga and Zumba. Background:
Started working in clothing boutiques, have been a costume
designer for TV, attended the Nordic Design School in Borås,
Göteborg. The charm of the profession: Being creative.
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ANNIKA
DESIGNER
designers
finest
BLOUSE
WHAT FEELING SHOULD CUSTOMERS HAVE WHEN THEY’RE SHOPPING IN THE STORE?
» They should see the clothing and think, ”ooh! I want that, that’s
gorgeous, how awesome!” She should feel joy and happiness.«
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO CONSTANTLY WORK IN THE FUTURE?
» At the moment, I am designing for July, September, October and just
fitted the collection for next June. You get a bit muddled when it comes
to the seasons. I can sometimes even forget what year it is. For instance,
once I didn’t notice that my passport had expired when I was about to go
on holiday. One lives in so many different times simultaneously, which is a
pretty amazing feeling.«
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH PURE SILK?
» It is so incredibly luxurious to work with this type of material.
I wanted to do something with volume, something fun with wide sleeves,
lots of draping, a blouse that would hang beautifully over a pair of slim
trousers.«
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
» That there are always new things happening! I love seeing new fashion
shows, it doesn’t really matter what they are for. I get really excited
about new colours and models! You move forward, and I am always longing to
start new things.«
» One lives in
so many different
times simultaneously.«
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Hidden talent: I pull out my sewing machine and sew
cushion covers and quilted pillows, which are like mind maps.
Background: School of Design and Crafts, HDK in Göteborg.
Favourite designers this autumn: Marc by Marc Jacobs and
Gucci for their colour schemes. Leisure: Hmm, my own time?
Besides, I work every day with my greatest passion.
The work process is very complex, and there was quite a lot to
synchronise. Everything from sketches, fittings and establishing
quality controls.
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designers
finest
CARINA
DESIGNER
DRESS
» We want to put
a spotlight on
ourselves as a
design collective.«
DESCRIBE YOUR OWN STYLE?
» I love mixing it up and have a rather feminine style with high heels,
short jackets, dresses and I especially love accessories.«
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT WHEN YOU DESIGN?
» I always think about obtaining a good fit, what works and what doesn’t.
Every customer is different and should dress according to their body. It’s
important to highlight what is good and, at the same time, it should be
easy to wear and flatter the figure. That’s why it’s great to have a chance
to be part of this project and make a dress that is wearable, modern and
timeless. And suits every figure. The dress is sweeping and has an elegant
fall. This is something that we can’t always do every day and have so much
freedom. The entire collection and collaboration is unique with garments
and accessories that you don’t usually find in the KappAhl store.«
WHICH TRENDS ARE MOST IMPORTANT THIS AUTUMN?
» Tons of colour, Missoni prints, fur and velvet. More colour than usual
and even warmer neutrals.«
YOUR STRENGTH AS A DESIGNER?
» I am full of ideas and very creative. My weakness is that I am a bit
messy, and sometimes I’m surround by what I call creative chaos. But I know
where everything is at work and need my piles around me. I find it difficult
to throw away things like fabric samples and old press cuttings. I
always think that I might need them in the future.«
The creativity and commercial creation has to coordinate when
designing a collection for such a broad target group. The challenge
is finding a model that works equally well in size 34 as in 44.
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Collects: Everything from toys to handbags, I probably have
35 different bags. I also collect rocking horses and Art Deco
perfume bottles. Interior design: Has an 18th century house
on an island in the archipelago. The style is Shabby Chic
with a mixture of old and new. Background: Has attended
the College of Design, HDK in Göteborg. At that time, being
a designer wasn’t especially trendy and companies didn’t
understand the importance of having their own designers.
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CECILIA
DESIGNER
designers
finest
SKIRT
HOW DID THE DESIGNERS FINEST JOURNEY BEGIN?
» Everyone from our various divisions was asked to come up with loads
of ideas about what we wanted to do. And then we decided, among other
things, that we’d mix tricot with knits, leather with materials and play
with other materials. It’s great when you can use more exclusive materials,
it inspires new thoughts and visions. Just being able to choose lyocell,
which is similar to viscose but more environment-friendly and a little more
expensive, was a luxury. Finally, we figured out which garments we wanted
to focus on.«
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO DESIGN IN TRICOT?
» It’s great, there are so many things you can do in tricot and it’s
constantly developing new qualities that let you try new models. It’s
extremely important to choose the right quality. For instance, the
materials need to have the right weight or it twists, such as with a fabric
like lyocell, which we usually don’t work with. At the same time, you want
it to have that light, airy feel. Then the customers also have to like the
material and sometimes there are compromises. A lot of it is about gut
instinct, certain things you just won’t wear no matter how beautiful they
are.«
WHAT IS THE PASSION WITH DESIGNING?
» It’s so much fun to create something yourself. The feeling of being
able to take a trend and reinvent it so it suits our customers. And always
being able to work on new things. For the future.«
» It’s not about age,
it’s about your
attitude in life.«
Strength as a designer: I am good at seeing the big picture,
that everything works well together. Background: Every-thing
in textiles, manager, men’s tailor at Stora Teatern in Göteborg,
buyer, brand developer and designer. Favourite garment: All
types of cardigans. Leisure: I love my garden and my books.
”It’s important to have a critical eye in order to get a perfect
aperture”, says Cecilia, as she quality checks the distance
between buttons and visible seams.
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CATRIN
DESIGNER
designers
finest
BELT
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH DESIGNERS FINEST?
» I stepped in when the collection was in progress and was asked to make
a number of matching accessories that were on-trend, modern and would of
course complement the rest of the collection and make a certain statement.
A bit cooler, simpler and timeless.«
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND OTHER COLLECTIONS?
» Now we had the chance to work with more exclusive materials, real
leather, suede and wool. It was really exciting. Colour is big in all the
autumn fashion shows around the world so it was fun to have bright accent
colours in this collection and to work with trends like colour blocking.«
WHAT IS COLOUR BLOCKING?
» It’s when a garment is divided into different colour fields. You can
see this clearly on the bag and even the scarf. A huge graphic statement,
and also a way to tie together the entire collection colourwise with the
accessories.«
WHAT SIGNAL DOES THE BELT SEND?
» For me, an oversized belt is a type of statement. Not so cautious. And
big, bold accessories are a trend that’s been around for a while now. You
want to put yourself out there and show people who you are. Just look at
the blog sphere where people dare to stand out.«
» Bold accessories
help us make a
statement.«
A coherent accessories range that does a fantastic job of
framing the collection. The accessories are eye-catching and
stand out against the garments, all of them are ”statement
pieces” in their own right.
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Passion: Looking for vintage items. Collects: Bracelets and
rings, have around 50 bags and tons of bracelets. Sources
of inspiration: Concerts! It’s so great and you get a complete
experience with the set design and music. It’s a feast for the senses.
Autumn’s accessories trends: We’re going to see loads
of fur garments like fur hats, legwarmers, fur muffs and collars.
Coloured bags and belts. Lots of costume jewellery in gold.
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MARIA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
JENNY
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ILLUSTRATIONS / PRINTS
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE AN ILLUSTRATION OF A BIRD FOR THE TUNIC?
» I was inspired by the chance of having more freedom in our designs.
Free as a bird released from its cage. So I held on to those thoughts
around cages, butterflies and birds. I didn’t want to add a colour scheme,
rather I wanted it to be in black and white, which works so well. This
illustration is very me.«
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WEAR THE TUNIC WITH YOUR PRINT?
» It should be simple to wear, both for everyday and parties, preferably
with slim trousers and a jacket.«
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE FIRST BITTEN BY THE FASHION BUG?
» Unlike my daughter, who’s in seventh grade and already has her own
style, I didn’t really understand that I didn’t have to look like everyone
else until sometime after eighth grade. That´s when I started sewing my own
clothes and dyeing the garments myself.«
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEE YOUR DESIGN ON DISPLAY IN THE STORES?
» Extremly proud. It’s so much fun and it’s even more fun when your
garment is in demand.«
DOES YOUR WELL OF INSPIRATION EVER RUN DRY?
» No, not often. I find inspiration everywhere, online, in vintage shops,
books and in life itself.«
FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS
HOW DID THE FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS FOR DESIGNERS FINEST COME ABOUT?
»I was very happy when I was asked if I wanted to create the fashion
illustrations for Designers Finest. This time I’ve worked with a little
cooler style, a quicker sketch feel. It was fun to also clip in the
garments, a little like a collage. I wanted the sketches to be simple and
not take too much space from the garment. This style is very close to my
own.«
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE COLLECTION?
» Cool, elegant, simple, feminine, volume and contrasts. Classic pieces
that are amazingly gorgeous. I can imagine wearing all of the pieces and
Designers Finest is a style that suits everyone, no matter age.«
Maria found her inspiration for the print in the collection’s
concept – Free Designers. The designers and the working
process for the collection are symbolised in the form of birds
and bird cages.
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Background: Fashion Design at the Swedish School of
Textiles in Borås. Favourite artist: Nikki de Saint Phalle.
Favourite material: Natural materials, preferably silk and
cotton. Personal style: Change into comfortable clothing
as soon as I come home, preferably my two-piece tracksuit.
Relaxing: Have the privilege of being at home two days a week
painting acrylics and watercolours.
Background: I’ve always been interested in art, design and
fashion. I’ve worked in China for a Chinese clothing company
and helped them with their own brand. Favourite country:
Even though I am from Hong Kong, it’s Tokyo and Japan that
inspire me. The choice there is huge and, at the same time,
it’s very traditional so there are no limits when it comes to
imagination, colour and form.
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For more information about our clothes, please contact:
Sweden head office: monika.kostovska@kappahl.com
Sweden showroom: sanna.cederlof@kappahl.com
Finland showroom: info@marsaana.com
Norway showroom: annelie.lindwall@kappahl.com
Poland showroom: paulina.szwaj@kappahl.com
Czech Republic showroom: zuzana.cisternas@kappahl.com
PRODUCTION: ÅKESSON & CURRY