Looking back at 2000, when Swedish fashion shyly took its first steps towards what it is today, no one would have imagined it would come this far, with such strength, boldness and flair. Contemporary Swedish design aesthetics is far from being simple and basic – an attribute often used to describe it in the past – rather, it has become the synonym of courage and audacious research. Even though the local fashion industry was shaken by the bankruptcy of celebrated brands The Local Firm and V Ave Shoe Repair, new talents are now showing innovative collections and predict a successful and bright future. Ida Klamborn, Caroline Kummelstedt and Isabell Yalda Hellysaz are three young fashion talents who are steadily becoming Sweden’s most interesting upcoming designers. They are undoubtedly the future of Swedish fashion.
The award winning designer Ida Klamborn, based in Stockholm, is already used to receiving accolades both at home and abroad. A graduate of the Swedish School of Textiles, she describes her design philosophy as “a balanced union between colors, shapes and materials where the momentum is reached by exploring and developing simple ideas into intriguing collections”. Her first official runway show, held during AW 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion week in Stockholm, remained true to these ideas: graphic and colorful, her collection was in great contrast with dominating natural color palettes usually shown on Stockholm’s catwalks.
Caroline Kummelstedt is the founder and the designer behind the eponymous brand, currently based in Milan. Nominated for the 2012 Swedish Design Rookie of the Year Award, Caroline Kummelstedt’s design aesthetic is classic and timeless, with a feminine touch. Her aim is to create garments of long lasting quality, with carefully selected details, materials and making. With a background in entrepreneurship and experience in designing both womenswear and menswear design, Caroline Kummelstedt’s brand is bound to last.
Isabell Yalda Hellysaz – born in Iran and raised in Sweden – is a Central Saint Martins graduate who has already worked with several London-based designers as well as represented the prestigious college at British Fashion Council 2012. She has showed her collections both at the London College of Fashion annual runway show and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm. Her ambition is to slow down the process of manufacturing and her brand is working as a small scale producer, concentrating her projects on the essence of fashion, craftsmanship, details and materials.
