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Whenever Margherita Maccapani Missoni visits a new city, she begins a list. Where are the most satisfying vintage finds? The most amazing museum shows? The most exciting—and maybe unexpected—dinner reservations?
And while the Varese, Italy-based fashion designer—who recently debuted a new project with Svenskt Tenn in Stockholm—has only really just begun her relationship with the Swedish capital, she has quite the queue of favorites already. “I first visited Stockholm when I started conversations with Svenskt Tenn last year,” Missoni recently told Vogue at the opening of her new “Greetings From Margherita” exhibition at the brand’s flagship boutique. “I’m so grateful for having had the chance to discover the city.”
Warm and whimsical, the collaboration is an explosion of colors and patterns that celebrates the spontaneity of life and the joy of hosting. “A large garden picnic is the main inspiration,” explained Missoni, who recently launched her new brand, Maccapani. “Estrid Ericson, the founder of Svenskt Tenn, was someone who very clearly thought outside the box, and did things in her own way. She loved a good picnic, which I do, too.”
But “Greetings From Margherita” is far more than just a line of indoor-outdoor serving trays and linens, although there are plenty of both. From the store’s waterfront windows on Strandvägen—easily one of the most beautiful streets in the world—visitors are ushered into a realm of visual amusement, where interiors are infused with personality and each corner presents a new theme. “The exhibition is my personal interpretation of what is ‘typically Italian,’” said Missoni, who chose Svenskt Tenn wallpaper, textiles, and furniture by Josef Frank when she built her dream home in the same Italian town that she grew up in. “The fact that Svenskt Tenn has almost single-handedly made patterns and colors recurring elements of the Swedish design’s otherwise minimal aesthetic is quite impressive.”
Included in Svenskt Tenn’s product assortment are sprightly novelty textiles, joyous cushions romantically outlined with ruffles, and a cornucopia of other interiors goodies curated and created by Missoni. “I generally have a playful attitude to interior design and like to go by feel,” she said. “Mixing sophistication with eclectic, flea market finds with designer items and different colors and patterns is obvious to me.” Missoni’s taste in design for both new and old, eccentric and modern translates to her travel interests, too. Of course, her Stockholm itinerary always starts at Svenskt Tenn—as well as its in-store cafe by Swedish top chef Petter Nilsson—but it then stretches out to encompass the rest of the Baltic archipelago.
There’s food, art, and history aplenty—and room for more, as Missoni is not quite finished with Stockholm just yet. She’s quick to note that she plans on returning very soon.
Where to Stay
“Lately, I’ve stayed at the Diplomat Hotel, which is very central and beautifully located by the water.”
“I’d love to try the new Ett Hem houses as well.”
Where to Eat
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“Artist Carsten Höller developed the restaurant according to his manifesto of a ‘minimalist kitchen,’ and its title references Brutalist architecture. The main rule is that only whole ingredients are used in its dishes—water or salt are added and only if needed. The restaurant is a fun experience and an interesting concept!”
“Where we had our opening dinner for the exhibition. It’s a small café located within the walls of Svenskt Tenn, and run by chef Petter Nilsson, who is the founder and owner of another restaurant, Petri. The café offers smaller dishes, tea, and coffee, and is open during store hours.”
“A Stockholm classic that’s been open since 1897. A good place to go if you want to try traditional Swedish food like Toast Skagen (shrimp toasts) or meatballs.”
“A traditional food market that was renovated a few years ago. The beautiful brick building, in which the market originally opened in 1888, apparently has the city’s highest classification for cultural historic buildings.”
“Stockholm has quite a few of these smaller neighborhood places that offer courses to share and good wine. Babette is one of the most talked-about in the city’s creative crowds.”
“A tiny bar with a massive list of natural wine.”
What to See
“A museum and sculpture park on Lidingö island, and originally the home, studio, and garden of Carl Milles and his wife, Olga. The museum mainly contains works by the artist and sculptor, but there’s also temporary exhibitions. One of the houses—‘Anne’s house’— was designed and decorated by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn.”
“Carl Eldh was one of Sweden’s most prominent sculptors during the early 20th century. This museum used to be his studio, and its permanent collection includes sketches and models of his artworks. The current contemporary exhibition, ‘Miss Brunnsviken’ by Ingela Ihrman, creates a fun, beautiful, and thought-provoking contrast to Eldh’s works, and I really enjoyed seeing it.”
“One of Sweden’s largest art galleries. It’s privately owned, and located on Värmdö island in the Stockholm archipelago. Take the passenger boat if you’re heading there in summer for the full experience.”
“I like museum settings that are more than just a space with white walls, and this building is impressive on both its outside and the inside. There’s a lot to see, but I focused on its current fashion exhibition on couture, ‘Nordens Paris.’”
“You can’t go to Stockholm without making a visit to the massive—and very inspiring—Svenskt Tenn store. It’s been located in the same space since 1927, and is continuously developing. The exhibition ‘Greetings from Margherita’ is on until August 27.”
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“Well-sorted second-hand stores: Judits sells womenswear and Herr Judit sells menswear. Overall, I found Stockholm to be a good city for second-hand shopping if you have the time. There’s a lot of smaller stores around Södermalm and Vasastan and some more high-end vintage shopping in the ‘backstreets’ of Östermalm.”
“I love a good flea market! I didn’t have the time to go this time, but I’d love to visit next time I’m in Stockholm. Apparently, it’s been on pretty much every Sunday since the 1990s.”
“I suppose this park is sort of like Hyde Park in London or Central Park in New York, but to me, it’s so much more. You have all of the green spaces, but also a lot of museums and Gröna Lund fun fair, which I love! You can easily spend a full day on this island in the middle of the city and not get bored.”
