• The Essentials for a Glowy March

    Written by Yasmine M

    Say hello to glowy- and natural looking skin. We have gathered our favorites from the last month, focusing on sun protection, skin and that feeling of being kissed by the spring sun. Products we know work, from a glow screen, to a high-concentrate serum and body wash.

    C E Ferulic®, Skin Ceuticals
    Say hello to one of Sofia Richie's new favorite products. This C E Ferulic serum offers effective protection against free radicals and leaves the skin healthy and radiant for a great spring glow. The serum contains three antioxidants; L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E and ferulic acid, that creates synergy and makes C D Ferulic® an effective protection against free radicals. L-ascorbic acid consists of 15% vitamin C which effectively neutralizes free radicals, while vitamin E has soothing properties and contributes to cell renewal. Find it at skinceuticals.com

    Enhanced Body Glow Wash, Rahua
    As new to the brand, one of the first products I tried was the Enchanced Body Glow Wash. It’s enriched with plant-powered hyaluronic acid that plumps and gives moisture to the skin. The cleanser not only cleans but  nourishes your body’s beautiful skin without removing vital natural oils that protect the skin. Horsetail extract boosts and improves collagen production. With rainforest grown achiote extract protects pre- and post- sun exposure, smooths and gives skin glowing energy.  With a scent of coconut and guava for what the brand calls a ‘paradise escape’. Find it here

    L'Oréal True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum
    True Match Tinted Serum is a light covering foundation for a naturally nude look. The formula contains light-reflecting mineral pigments that instantly cover blemishes or unevenness in skin tone, but still allow your own skin tone to shine through. Gives your skin a radiant, natural and makeup-free look. Shades that are easy to blend out and blend perfectly with the skin to suit many different skin tones. Find it at your nearest L'Oréal retailer. 

    Supergoop! Glow Screen
    While the first time using the Glow Screen sunscreen was many years ago, it’s still a product that should get its spotlight. Especially when we talk about natural glow. The Sunscreen has a 30 spf and doesn't only protect your skin from the sun, but makes it glow. 
    Find it at Sephora.

    Lumene Nordic-C Day Cream SPF15
    For our day cream, there are many glow-friendly creams out there. But one of the tops are the kind and sensitive-friendly cream from Lumene. It has SPF15 to protect us during the day, when we don’t feel like doubling on the sunscreen. It moisturizes and increases radiance The fresh composition is enriched with antioxidant-rich Nordic gooseberries and vitamins C, B5 and E. The light-reflecting pigments provide instant radiance. All for a great reasonable price. Use it with the Nordic-C night cream, and you are all set. Find it at Lumene, or your nearest retailer.

    H&M Beauty Bronzed Actually 
    H&M has really stepped up their beauty game. Their updated beauty line is packed with new products to try. One of them is the pressed powder bronzer ‘’Bronzed Actually’’. Available in 3 shades of matte and shimmer finish to fit your preference. It’s also formulated with a highly blendable and buildable texture, to simply add that spring warmth to your skin. Read more about H&M's new beauty line here.

    CAIA Cosmetics Waterproof Mascara Get yourself some curly waterproof eyelashes with the CAIA mascara. A single coat of this mascara creates a thicker look. The waterproof formula makes your mascara stay both during your run, and though training session. With a silicone brush, you get separated and full lashes that last throughout the day, evening and night. Find the mascara at CAIA.com

    Double Rewind 0.3% Pro-Grade Retinol Serum by Ole Henriksen Ole Henriksen continues to create powerful products. This new serum is an encapsulated retinol, boosted with provitamin A from beta-carotene (a larger retinoid molecule). This all together creates an overnight sensation for those looking for a not-so-harsh introduction to resurfacing products. Starting by using this serum once a week, and twice after some use. It also contains hydrating aloe vera, antioxidant rich birch sap and moisturizing rowanberry extract just to make sure it’s kind to your skin. Find it at olehenriksen.com

    Photo: Sofia Richie, Skin Ceuticals

  • All images courtesy of Samsøe Samsøe

    The Samsøe Samsøe ‘Space’ for Paris Fashion Week

    Written by Fashion Tales

    Samsøe Samsøe is marking the occasion of Paris Fashion Week and the launch of its new Basic collection by setting up residence in Le Marais and creating a unique ‘space’ that will be open during PFW.

    The Basic collection is a focal line within the brand’s selection, consisting of refined essentials made from more responsible materials to build a capsule wardrobe with. Its monochrome styles in classic silhouettes have been conceived for the very purpose of becoming the perfect starting point of any everyday look.

    Capturing the aesthetic of this collection, a minimalist gallery offers itself up as the blank canvas to bring Samsøe Samsøe’s vision of Scandinavian simplicity to life: in collaboration with Set Designer Fatima Fransson the brand created special artworks that meets a conceptual modern setting to capture the sophisticated essence of the Basic collection – the line that has been at the core of the brand since its beginnings.

    From the 28th of February until the 3rd of March, this ‘space’ will become a moment in time during which timeless design can be discovered and engaged with in a more personal way. The brand’s foundational essentials gain a new purpose by becoming the literal foundation around which this gathering centres.

  • photography by Mathilda Engström and Alva Nylander

    Winners of the Nk Young Talent Award by Beckmans - Joel Andersson and Filippa Fuxe

    Written by Fashion Tales

    For the fourth year in a row, the NK Young Talent Award by Beckmans was presented. New this year was that the prize was awarded in both the women's and men's fashion categories, and NK had initiated a close collaboration with ASFB - Association of Swedish Fashion Brands and Stockholm Fashion Week. This year's winners were the newly graduated fashion designer Joel Andersson with his collection 'Ambivalent' and fashion designer Filippa Fuxe with her collection 'Re:incarnation'. The award ceremony took place on February 20th at Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm. The winners were honored with an exhibition at NK Stockholm Ljusgården and a shop window display which you can still admire until March 3rd, in addition to being visible in NK's digital channels.

    Since 2021, NK has been presenting the prestigious NK Young Talent Award by Beckmans in collaboration with Beckmans College of Design, where most of Sweden's most renowned designers have studied. The purpose of the award is to promote and celebrate the young design stars of tomorrow, who are ready and eager to enter the workforce after their education. NK has initiated a collaboration with ASFB - Association of Swedish Fashion Brands, which is the industry association for Swedish fashion with a mission to promote positive development of Swedish fashion both within Sweden and internationally. This year's winners in 2024 are Joel Andersson and Filippa Fuxe.

    Joel Andersson

    Joel Andersson was rewarded for his graduation collection 'Ambivalent', which explored ambivalence towards fashion and its role in his life. 'Ambivalent' was a reflection of his personal journey from the countryside to the fashion world by combining influences from his past with his current love for fashion. Joel created a unique collection that reflected a true representation of himself. Rooted in the inner conflict between the need for new fashion and awareness of the environmental impact of overconsumption, Joel explored ambivalence through the method of deconstruction. The method started from existing garments and minimized the waste of newly produced textiles. Joel's upbringing on a farm with parents who ran a carpentry business meant that he was constantly surrounded by practical workwear, which influenced his passion for workwear and his current relationship with clothing and fashion creation.

    Deconstruction as a method was one of the reasons I became interested in fashion. There was of course a certain interest in fashion before that, but perhaps it was at a more basic level that all young people are interested in fashion. Through music I listened to, I picked up references to different fashion designers that I had never heard of such as Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, and Raf Simons. My curiosity grew, and through the internet, I came across the anti-fashion movement and eventually the concept of “deconstruction”, so the method felt very suitable for my graduation project, said Joel Andersson.

    Filippa Fuxe

    Filippa Fuxe received the award for her graduation collection 'Re:incarnation', which was based on a depiction of a recycled and biodegradable material's own journey through time and between bodies. The collection highlighted sculptural forms, femininity, and originality as well as how the material could portray life history and background. With 'Re:incarnation', Filippa wanted to tell the story of the material's rebirth and its transformation into new, meaningful garments. She depicted the life of the material in the collection, inspired by works of spiritual artists such as Agnes Pelton and Emma Kunz. Another important part of the collection was shoes that were 3D-sketched and then produced in wood with soles made of reused tires. The sculptural silhouettes were inspired by Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese-American modern artist who worked in California in the 20th century.

    I developed the collection by using recycled materials that had been broken down from old clothes to pure cellulose, compressed into sheets, spun into thread, and then woven into new fabrics that I used to create new garments. The material thus had its own life, it died and was reborn, and its soul was transferred from one garment to another. The collection carried memories, stories, and experiences to tell about the life it once was a part of, said Filippa Fuxe.

    Images courtesy of Filippa Fuxe and Joel Andersson

  • photography Sandra Myhrberg

    special thanks Part Projects

    An Interview With the Artist Jan Håfström

    Written by Astrid Birnbaum by Filippa Finn

    Jan Håfström stands as a towering figure in Swedish contemporary art, celebrated for his multifaceted contributions that have left an imprint on the nation's artistic landscape. Born in Stockholm in 1937, Håfström's artistic journey has been marked by a profound exploration of language, symbols, and a seamless fusion of diverse artistic disciplines. His recurring theme is the presence of death in life. Influenced by the movements such as minimalism and pop, Håfström's artworks become a captivating synthesis of visual and conceptual elements. His canvases breathe life into a unique tapestry, where symbolism and storytelling intertwine to create distinctive narratives. They invite viewers into a realm of contemplation and interpretation.
    We met in his studio in Liljeholmen, Stockholm. Draped in a painter's overall, Jan guided me through a collection of both new and old works that punctuated the studio space. Amidst the canvases and creative chaos, our conversation unfolded over coffee, providing a glimpse into the labyrinth of his mind. We finally got lost.

    Astrid Birnbaum: Jan, you were born in Stockholm and you studied philosophy at Lund University, followed by artistic studies at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. How were your years in art school?

    Jan Håfström: Yes, it was after finishing high school in Gothenburg that I ended up in Lund, where I studied philosophy. I had heard that they had excellent lecturers there. There was a guy named Carl Fehrman who had written a book called “The Poet and Death” – so of course, I had to go there straight away! Before that, since childhood, I had been drawing, but that I would become an artist wasn’t so clear. However, I felt that the academic world wasn't quite for me, so after moving back to Stockholm, I applied to the Royal Institute of Art. I suspected that being an artist was a way of life – independent, creating your own agenda, no one to boss you around. That appealed to me. There were groups outside art school that interested me. The magazine “Kris,” was run by people I spent time with, including my friend Håkan Rehnberg. Håkan and I met at the Royal Institute of Art. People at the school were theoretically quite boring, so we mostly socialised outside school. When I went to New York in the mid 70’s , Håkan –who is a painter –came along.

    A.B: New York, what does it mean to you? Which artists from your time there have inspired you? 

    J.H: It's hard to beat Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. We lived on Church Street, just below Canal Street. Everyone gathered in New York. Landing there in the mid-'70s was a gift, especially when PS1 had just started – a lot was happening. An artist I was particularly interested in was Robert Ryman. He did incredibly simple things, just swiping the brush across the canvas. He taught me a lot. I got a studio at PS1 in the spring of 1977. The exhibitions there were crucial for me. “Montezuma's Breakfast” by Richard Nonaswas one of them. It featured logs on the floor, moving in and out of rooms, creating a strange sculpture. Barnett Newman, the painter and sculptor, was also very interesting to us. We never met him; he died in 1970. But we were invited to his widow Anna-Lee Newman's home, where she showed us the bed he had slept in the day before he left and never returned. It's almost macabre – she preserved the bed exactly as it was.

    A.B: Would you say that your art draws much inspiration from your childhood?

    J.H: Yes. My dad was religiously inclined and wanted me to attend Sunday school. In Örebro, there was a Sunday school in Immanuel Church, an independent church. They were crucial. Their teaching for children around my age, about 5 to 6 years old, involved a big box with sand where we moved around small sculptures, replaying religious themes. Much in my art comes from that time, and from there I've incorporated the theatrical aspects.

    A.B: Certain authors like Joseph Conrad and Edgar Allan Poe seem to be recurring in your works. What is it that interests you in their work?

    J.H: They scared me a bit, perhaps, which I found interesting. Embracing them makes the reading experience extreme. Both Poe and Conrad attempt to delve into some kind of darkness, into a realm of death from . One enters but does one ever come back the same?

    A.B: References to death are often present in your art. Can you share your thoughts on this? Do you often contemplate death?

    J.H: My dad talked a lot about death. He was a bit narrow-minded, I think. But he introduced me to Edgar Allen Poe! With all the difficult things happening in the world now – in Ukraine and with wars worldwide – certain thoughts come back. I've thought a lot about why I return to death in my art, but I believe that by creating what I do, I find a way to process what’s happening. I have to survive mentally; otherwise I might go crazy.

    A.B: Last year, you released a collection with the fashion brandA Day’s March, featuring coats inspired by one of your famous works - Mr. Walker. The statue at Central Station is named “Who is Mr. Walker?” Do you have an answer to that question?

    J.H: Oh, that coat… Fabric and clothes have played a big role in my art. And who is Mr. Walker? I get the answer from people around me. The other day, I was on the subway, and I noticed a man staring intensely at me. Eventually, he approached and said, “I would like to thank you for the sculpture at Central Station. I go there sometimes and wash my soul.” For me, Sunday school and Jesus are still present – and they are connected to Mr Walker from the comic strip Fantomen – the Phantom. There are parallels between Walker and Jesus for me. Walker has energy, doesn't give up, continues his mission, serving the good. He's a paternal figure in a way. The Phantom is more than a human, just like Jesus. The Phantom endures terrible suffering. The curator Mårten Castenfors, commissioned the work for the city of Stockholm. He and I talked a lot about Walker at the station. We thought that place was a kind of “non-place,” putting him there would somehow tie that place together. So he ended up at that central site, and it's still surreal for me. There were no protests at all; that surprised me a bit.

    A.B: You've been active as an artist for many decades. What advice would you give to a young artist just starting their journey?

    J.H: You learn things along the way. When you listen to others and observe what you do yourself, it will tell you who you are. You have to make friends with your agony somehow. It's not easy to give advice. I start from some kind of personal trauma that gives me a shape. I hope that others can recognize it . I believe that if people are drawn to art and art exhibitions, it's to find out who they are. Artists are our guides – if you understand their language

    photography Sandra Myhrberg
  • Discover Stefania Esse new artisan collection

    Written by Lovisa

    Stefania Esse is an exclusive fashion brand founded in Stockholm in 2016 by Stefania Stroppiana. The brand is defined by unique embroideries and techniques, with each garment handcrafted in Italy to preserve the art of thread and ancient techniques. Their style blends ancient and contemporary Italian art, focusing on materials such as cashmere and silk as well as traditional embroidery. Stefania Esse strives for a “luxury with soul” philosophy through slow fashion, producing garments in small workshops in Italy with care for craftsmanship and sustainability. Their “Resounding Me” collection, launched in 2020, breaks with traditional seasonal collections, offering a permanent, ever-evolving line of clothing.

    All images belong to Stefania Esse

Pages