At the Swedish Embassy in Copenhagen, Josephine Bergqvist and Livia Schück presented a collection that deserves a rapturous (or whatever adjective surpasses rave) review. It was their best to date, and there is a delightful irony to the fact that the Swedish brand’s most grown-up work yet was inspired, Schück said, by “playing with the idea of the child’s way of seeing the world.” Both young mothers, the designers did use children’s clothing as a reference (note the big collars and pink A-line dress), but the aim was never to infantilize women. Rather the looks, which were more put-together and sophisticated than ever before, were expressive of Schück and Bergqvist’s maturity, which is built on the experience and skill they have gained over the past eight years.
The show opened with a skirt suit, once the uniform of a working woman. It was shown with sneakers with tasseled laces—part of RR’s latest Puma collaboration. Playful sweaters had ruffled button plackets that were skewed. Rows of buttons on a skirt with a foldover hem in a different fabric allowed the wearer to adjust the length and look of the piece.
The designers have always always been engaged with the world of interiors and often work with bedding fabrics. Blanket coats were among the brand’s first hits. This season they took a different approach. For starters, there was the location; not only did the elegant rooms of the consulate create a sense of intimacy, their elegance conjured the world of Fanny Alexander, said Schück, who also spoke of there being a Beauty and the Beast aspect to the collection “where things like the interiors and the domestic things come to life.” So poofy meringue-like tops, some made out of upholstery materials, had tufting button details, and there were swaying lampshade skirts with dancing fringe hems. This was a collection full of lightbulb moments.
