Elin Kling and Karl Lindman have long been flag bearers for the minimal Scandi look that is sweeping through fashion. What differentiates Toteme from other clean-lined brands is the pair’s insider-outsider status. The company headquarters are now in Stockholm, but this husband-and-wife team started their brand in New York, and they do a good job of bridging their two cities. If Toteme loves New York, part of the appeal of the brand for Americans and others is its archetypal Scandinavian-ness. Nordic fashion sits under the larger umbrella of product design (all those midcentury teak chairs) and interiors. In the design of their headquarters and stores, Kling and Lindman have leaned into that connection. In choosing to show in what was the famed Pool Room of the late, legendary Four Seasons restaurant, the brand extended that story across the Atlantic. “We were intrigued by Park Avenue and this nostalgic modernism, these power lunches and steel and order,” said Lindman, who added that “the room is sort of shaped like our monograms.” A neat and orderly factoid if there ever were one.
The women in the Warhol silkscreen portraits that adorn other rooms in the Seagram Building project a dated sense of chic; Kling’s collection was a display of modern elegance, which she defined for spring as “undone beauty.” The models’ hair, looking not fully dried (on purpose), was loosely tied back, their bags (a new model called Clip) were unfastened, and some were grabbing their coats as if they had left home in a rush; flat Mary Jane slingbacks helped maintain a fast pace. There were summery vibes in the collection as well.
Kling called attention to the music, done in collaboration with Frédéric Sanchez, which went from strings to a kind of pulsing heartbeat onto a marked tempo and then closed with the sounds of slow breathing. It was synced with the airy lightness of the offering, which was found in knits that fit smoothly with silks released at the hem. “I quite liked the idea of working with more fluid fabrics but then sort of being hugged by compact knits,” noted Kling. The mood was pajama-dressing easy; Toteme is proposing a shirt and skirt rather than a shirt and pants for spring. Raw edges, crinkled fabrics, and washed leathers suggested a (relatively) lived-in look. (One imagines the Toteme women always being self-possessed and in control.)
Executed mainly in black and white, fluffy yarns and metal-woven materials created surface interest, which was also achieved through the use of matte and shiny fabrics. Some of the ivories looked almost pearlescent. Adding an unexpected touch of romance were the lacey, almost christening-gown-like openwork pieces that closed the show. These, the pair explained, were inspired by the tablecloths in their grandparents’ summer houses. “I like personal elements and also something rooted in reality,” said Kling. “That’s something that is always the key to Toteme—bringing inspiration from reality and continuing this dialogue with women about how to simplify your wardrobe and what you wear.”
