In the midst of her hyperpop rebrand, Camila Cabello caught our attention in one particularly daring outfit. Not necessarily because it was risqué, but more so because we were worried about her tripping and breaking her wrist. Cabello spiced up an otherwise classic outfit with a pair of legwarmers made of upcycled black leather belts, its straps trailing on the floor. Between being a literal fall risk and taking a more esoteric fashion risk, the singer clearly knows that sometimes you have to stand out. So she turned to Ellen Hodakova Larsson, mastermind behind the beltwarmers, and founder of the brand Hodakova.
The Swedish designer founded her namesake label in 2021 on principles of sustainability and utilitarianism. It’s an ethos seen across Larsson’s designs, from the outré—like a top made of 102 spoons, as seen on Cate Blanchett at the August 2024 Borderlands premiere—to the wearable, like the sexy, asymmetrical shirtdress Teyana Taylor wore to a party in Cannes.
Larsson’s humorous, yet edgy pieces have netted her a legion of fashion industry fans: she was a finalist for the prestigious LVMH Prize, was featured on the cover of Vogue Czechoslovakia, and was even fan-cast in the role of Chanel creative director by Culted Magazine. (Perhaps take the last one with a grain of salt.) But now, celebrities including Cabello, Taylor, Kylie Jenner, and Emma Corrin are also hopping aboard the Hodakova train.
Corrin, known for their avant-garde fashion sense (as engineered by their stylist Harry Lambert), recently took the Scandinavian label for a test drive on the Deadpool Wolverine press tour. For a stop at San Diego Comic-Con, Corrin channeled their character in the film, Cassandra Nova, with a fall 2024 Hodakova dress made of black leather belts. Standing among some very dressed-down men, the actor held their own in their funky take on the LBD. With black tights and buckled heels, they were undeniably more polished than the T-shirt-wearers among them but didn’t look overdressed.
Jenner, however, might be the most surprising person to get behind the Swedish label—though she was the first. In January 2023, the reality star and makeup mogul switched up her usual look for a sexy cat eye and bleached brows, wearing a strapless denim top made of pants.
With Larsson’s sense of inventiveness and play, Hodakova is well on its way to becoming a celebrity staple. Who will be bold enough to try them next?
