• photography Marcus Askelöf / Acne photography
    fashion Eilidh Greig
    jacket Blank Atelier
    choker Ebon Li
    earrings Avidue

    Nyarol

    Written by Fashion Tales

    Today, the 28th of MAY, 2021 R&B singer, songwriter and producer NYAROL is breaking the silence after years off the grid and outside of the industry. She is independently releasing her debut single ‘MMM’. NYAROL has been a songwriter for many years and has been active in her home country Sweden, but also overseas in the United States.

    ’I’ve always called my music nostalgic, classic RnB. But now I aim to kind of experiment with the format that is a song, ambiance and also just try to rebuild and reshape the classic idea I have around songwriting. But most of all I just can’t stay away from making music, it’s just too big of a part of me.’’

    When did you realize that music was for you and how did it happen?
    I was around 5 when my mom put me in a choir at church and I think I realized then that I could sing and express myself through melodies and song that way. As I got older, I would write songs in my room and eventually go off to study music in school. Once I graduated I’ve worked on my process, creating and spent most of my time exploring what’s true to me and who I am in this moment. 

    What is your strength as a woman in the industry you work in and how do you handle the macho culture that comes with the genre?  
    I’m still working on how I fit in and what I want to share with the world but I’ve come to trust myself and my decisions more over time and the space I hold with my voice as a black woman in this business. I more or less see the outside world as secondary to whatever Im doing and I keep incredible people around me who are like minded that have amazing ideas that do it for the love of music. 

    What was your inspiration for the new music that you are releasing?
    It's written from a place of missing someone and being in a long-distance relationship, I’ve had my fair share of it. This past year and a half forced me, and the rest of the world to spend time away from our loved ones and I wanted to make a song about what this weird time has been like. 

    Which singer would you dream to collaborate with, dead or alive?
    New Edition.

    What is your dream project?
    I am still working on it <3.

    shirt Adnym Atelier
    suit Adnym Atelier
    jewellery Avidue
    top Marni
    leather trousers Adnym Atelier
    jewellery Avidue
    top & pants Hope
    jewellery Avidue
    jacket & pants Blank Atelier
    choker Ebon Li
    earrings Avidue
    jacket BLK DNM
    trousers Blank Atelier
    sandals ATP
    rings Avidue
    leather coat Stand Studio
    t-shirt Calvin Klein Jeans
    trousers Arket
    jewellery Avidue
    photography Marcus Askelöf / Acne Photography
    fashion Eilidh Greig
    makeup Elva Ahlbin
    hair Khaddy Gassama / Swedish Hair Mafia
    talent Nyarol
    post production Moa Liverstam
    dress BITE Studios
    shoes Vagabond
  • photography Sandra Myhrberg

    special thanks to Boutique Två Tre Gånger

    all clothing throughout the story archive and vintage 

    top Victoria Beckham

    scarf Hermès

    earrings Christian Dior 

    Ani Connor - The One to Watch

    Written by Philip Warkander by Fashion Tales

    Restrictions have defined the way we live and plan our lives. We have been instructed to isolate ourselves at home, keeping the distance between us and the ones we love and normally share our lives with. It has been impossible to make plans, because who knows when this will have passed and things are back to normal? Who even knows what “normal” is anymore, after almost a year in semi-quarantine?

    Ani Connor witnessed first-hand the shutdown of an entire creative industry in response to COVID-19. Not only were artists unable to perform in front of live audiences but also the people working behind and around the stage were severely affected. She decided to take action and created Lockdown Live. This allowed performances to be streamed online and thus connecting artists with audiences and ensuring a paid position for people in the music industry, even with the restrictions for gatherings and events in place: “For me, being an artist means to be generous, it is about sharing creativity with people around me. To be an artist is to be of service to others.”

    All in all, it's been a busy year for Connor who, led by her creativity, found ways not only to survive but to thrive. Other than Lockdown Live, she created and funded her own charity live stream for a women’s shelter in Sweden, released her single and music video “Until Next Time”, began a design collab with Studio WMS, initiated and lead a live-streamed concert in Berlin with one of the world’s biggest fashion retailers and in the midst of all this,  Connor also recorded her debut EP to be released later this year.

    When asked how she managed  to create all of this during a time when others shut down, she smiles;
    “It is never only me. I may create the initiative of something, but I am always supported by family, friends, and colleagues. All my projects are the result of collaboration in one form or the other. The meetings between an idea and action.  My coming EP is a perfect example of a meeting. In this case between me and musician extraordinaire, Hosiannah, who together with an army of beautiful individuals will work this piece with me.  Ani Connors new single “My Brain”, releasing end of May, is another example of her ways of finding creative collabs with the goal of creating synergies and win-win situations. In this case, she has initiated a creative collaboration with Deadwood – a forward-thinking leather focused fashion brand that uses recycled leather to produce its vintage collection. “Self-made is never alone. Trust me.  Music, or society even, will never survive or thrive through the restrictions given to us if we act as if we are alone.”

    The pandemic has changed not only the music industry but also the world of fashion, a world well familiar to Connor who for a great part grew up in the industry. Fashion is an inherently social phenomenon, a means of wordless communication. For many, being isolated from other people has made them less interested in dressing up, even neglecting to change clothes or taking care of oneself on a basic level:
    “I have been fortunate to have strong, loving, and intelligent women as my role models, both in my mother, grandmother, and sisters. Amongst many things, I was taught to wake up and be ready to face the world, to do good, not only to others but also to myself.
    The importance to be present in the moment both when waking up and going to sleep. To give thanks for missions accomplished and adventures ahead.
    For me, this is a sort of self-care, it’s about being kind to myself, of making sure that my body – which is the vessel that carries me until it is no longer – is at ease and relaxed. Sometimes when I’ve worked really intensely, I realize that I have forgotten to take care of myself, and those are the times when it is particularly important to take a step back, to allow oneself a moment of rest.”

    “I do try to see the change in everything as an opportunity to be creative, including the way we dress. Comfort has always been important to me and probably more so during times like these where we are more freed from conceptions on how we “should” be mixing materials and moods. I don’t shop often, but when I do it’s most likely at H&M, who I find are often faster than most in offering both essentials along with interesting collabs, that I often combine with vintage design pieces. For this shoot most pieces are from “Boutique Två Tre Gånger”, a small vintage shop in Stockholm who are responsible for most of my wardrobe along with brands like Acne, Avance or Byredo who I feel are daring and brave not only in design but also in terms of creativity and communication.”

    For many creative minds, inspiration comes in waves. No one really knows where creative impulses come from, or how long they will linger if not nurtured. In many ways, creativity is like the sea; sometimes completely still, at other times in full storm and impossible to navigate securely. Can creativity be tamed, or does it have an agency and will of its own, independent of the humans that express it? And, how does this translate to the planning of creative work on a daily basis?
    “I value my time. ‘Time’ is really just another word for ‘life’, and I know that if I want to achieve the goals that I have set for myself in life, it is necessary that I spend my time wisely. I’m grateful and humble for the opportunities that I have been granted, but I also take pride in my accomplishments. That’s also why I strive to be present in the moment; I regularly take a step back, examine the situation I’m in and ask myself if this is what I really want to be doing. Does my day look like I want it to, or have I allowed myself to be side-tracked? If so, what can I do to get back to what I actually want to be doing with my time? I think it is important to ensure space for creativity to flourish and be expressed, otherwise it might turn into bitterness and resentment.”

    Cultural expressions such as music, literature, art, and fashion play a pivotal role during a crisis. When faced with an external threat, we need to find comfort and take shelter in human expressions that have the capacity to unify and bring us together.
    “I love being creative, it gives me so much energy to be making music and I don’t really separate work from free time – my family are often present backstage when I perform, my colleges and musicians are my friends, but it is also very hard work and it is important to remember to keep the balance between work and rest. Stress is the most stupid illness you can give yourself.”

    Listening to Ani Connor’s music as always sang with her deeply personal and instantly recognizable voice, one might (at least temporarily) forget the dreariness of life during a pandemic. When faced with uncertainty, it is more important than ever to live in the now and to value every fleeting moment. However, it is also essential that this spiritual approach to life is balanced with critical thinking or, as Connor adds when explaining her philosophy:
    “I like sentences that begin with ‘what if’. We shouldn’t take anything for granted, we should never stop asking questions, even uncomfortable ones that might lead to difficult answers about how we spend our time and what we do with our lives. Question everything”.

    top Dries Van Noten

    t-shirt  Acne Studios

    bracelett Yves Saint Laurent 

    earring, ring & necklace Chanel 

    coat Dorothee Schumacher
    sweater House of Dagmar

    t-shirt Calvin Klein

    dress Adrianna Papell

    t-shirt Miroslav Livaja

    track pants Adidas

    shoes Balenciaga

    scarf Hermès

    earring Chanel

    scarf Yves Saint Laurent
    dress Max Co
    jacket Adidas
    shoes Jeremy Scott for Adidas

    jacket Fila

    dress Dolce & Gabbana
    shoes Gucci
    bag Chanel
     

  • photography Sandra Myhrberg
    fashion Jahwanna Berglund
    hair & make up  Nike Ortiz Dahl
    talent Linn Koch-Emmery
    special thanks to Häringe Slott
    dress Marimekko
    dress worn underneath Felicia Åström 

    An Interview With Linn Koch-Emmery

    Written by Decirée Josefsson by Sandra Myhrberg

    Linn-Koch-Emmery was born in Hamburg, Germany, but grew up in Norrköping. Since she initially started releasing music she’s been touring in countries including The United States, England, and Mexico. Her songs glance towards the musical future, rather than the cultural past and are easy to connect with and easy to genuinely love. With her musical language, she wants to explore the modern ways of composing, which she completes by designing a territory of something unique and new. There's a space of recognition and well as free interpretation in her lyrics and together with her ways of shaping melodies, there's no doubt that she’s one of Sweden's fastest-growing talents of her genre. After two critically acclaimed EP:S, she’s currently active with her debut album “Being the girl”.

    How did you source and find inspiration for this upcoming project?

    This album, and my art practice in general, is an organic product of the place I come from. However, I don’t feel nostalgic that the sound, therefore, has to coexist with the traditional retro idea. The Indie genre and its crowd, tend to obtain answers to development by looking backward. Because of that, I’ve been drawn to explore not already used ways to compose by changing the focus towards my journey and the present time. “Being that girl” follows its own rules, is capricious, spiky, and unpredictable, contributing to both the modern and old world of Indie.

    Where does your appreciation for music come from?
    It has always been a passion of mine, ever since my early teenage years, I’ve been interested in Indie music as a concept. Not only were I enthusiastic towards the style, it more or less shaped a piece of my identity. There’s the old cliché about neighbours and a borrowed cup of sugar, in my case the sugar was a guitar. From not being able to strum a single chord, too ambitious late nights rehearsals in the music studio. Shortly after that my sister, a couple of friends, and I founded a band together and we performed and recorded for about five to six years until I properly started my solo career.

    What has it signified for you establishing a successful solo career?
    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that I wanted to make music on my own, but it took some time to figure everything out. When it all came together I remember instantly thinking “Finally it happens.” Being able to do what I want creatively, has been a possible way to rightfully own my historical past and express the contemporary thoughts of the present day.

    How would you describe your music practice today compared to before?
    Those ancient songs were developed with a more concentrated focus on the concept and were more consciously elaborated to deviate from established musical norms, more experimental. Today the spectrum of emotions is wider and I try to think rather freely, generously allowing the composed melodies to gently guide the song wherever it naturally wants to go.

    In what way can your identity be seen in your work?
    My music is very egocentric, and I’m typically a self-absorbed hole when composing. It’s cool that some artists successfully can cover wide and heavy subjects in their music. I’m just not one of them.

    You write from the first-person point of view with self-distance to the underlying subject in reference. Is it by choice?
    The most fundamental issue for me with commercial pop is that I’m not convinced about the essence. Because of that, I consider self-distance in modern music especially required today. When it comes to my music, there's a feeling of comfort being abstract. It feels scary to know that someone might interpret the underlying message, I do feel like I’ve dared to be more intimate in my previous and upcoming songs.

    Could you please describe the story behind your latest single “Hard to Love”?
    This song maintains a unique place in my heart. It’s about a relationship of two others that I ruined. A social trauma built up as a crime drama. The whole situation got dark quickly and I felt extremely accountable. When transcribing it, I got overwhelmed with all the feelings. However as time passed by and the water calmed, I realised that the message might not have been that obvious for others to understand as it was for me.

    What is something you dearly miss and look forward to?
    My upcoming album” Being that girl” is set to release on the 7th of May and I look forward to being back on the road again playing those songs live in front of an audience.

    dress By Malene Birger
    belt Stylist´s Own
    leather dress Stand Studio
    earrings Pilgrim
    foundation Lumene blur 16H longwear foundation
    contour Anastasia Beverly Hills cream kit & Linda Hallberg infinity palette
    brow Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pro palette
    lashes Tom Ford badass mascara
    eyeshadow Morphe 3502 & Linda Hallberg infinity palette
    lips Mac Cosmetics matte lipstick, chili
    hair Löwngrip all time high dry volume spray
    dress worn as a jacket Tiger of Sweden
    set Marimekko
    socks Happy Socks
    shoes Camille Wood
    dress For Love & Lemons
    necklace Camille Wood
    blouse Ganni
    skirt For Love & Lemons
    shoes Converse
    jewellery Pilgrim

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