Short interview with Josefin Strid.

A S: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

J S: I am a 24 year old fashion designer from Sweden. I've this far studied a year of pattern cutting, a year of mens tailoring, a 3 year BA degree
in fashion design and I am now doing a 2 year MA degree in fashion design while running my brand. I am very positive, filled with energy and
believe everything is possible, if you make it possible. I work almost all the time and when I (seldom) have some time off I prefere to travel.

A S: Why is it fashion important?

J S: To me it's a forum where I can search for things, learn and express myself. And I think it's important because people in general have a need
of some kind of beauty in their lives. And everyone get dressed!

A S: What do you love about living in your city ?

J S: That I have great possibilities to work. I work all the time when I am there and I have a great studio and access to a print and a knitwearlab that gives me many possibilities.

A S: Top 3 places to visit in your country.

J S: Stockholm since it's a very beautiful capital and biggest city in Sweden.

The very south, called Skåne, that is a bit more exotic. Flat landscape, nice food culture, beaches and beautiful nature.

The north in the winter when you can go skiing in the mountains, or in the summer to hike. It's very untouched, clean and the air is crisp.

A S: Describe your personal style and its influences/ inspiration.

J S: I myself dress very comfortable when I work, especially if I print since you always get stains of colour. I often wear black and comfortable
sneakers. Otherwise I like to wear silk, often my own hand printed or handdyed pieces. I am not too interested in how I myself dress, I try to focus in my job, what I do and not what I wear. I seldom go shopping.

A S: What is the most underrated item in menswear and womenswear?

J S: For men it's long vests and dresses and pieces in silk. For women I'd say it's nothing cause we can wear everything whenever!

A S: Are there any fashion icons or famous people whose style you admire?

J S: It differs from season to season. Sometimes I don't have a look in what others do and sometimes I trie to follow the shows. I do admire business women such as Natalie Massenet and Annica&Marie Eklund who have the flooring brand Bolon.

A S: What would you say to someone seeking fashion advice?

J S: It depends on what kind of advice. Trust yourself and don't think too much on prestige. And don't hurry! If you want to work in this business you need skills, take your time!

A S: Few ideas about your latest collection.

J S: Orange, turqoise, apricot, brown, dirt, soil, water, sky and sulfur were my first bricks while building this collection. I found them in the pictures I took in Yellowstone, in the summer of 2010. While being in Yellowstone I thought about the artist Georgia O´Keffee, an artist I’ve long liked. The landscape of Yellowstone reminded me about her landscape paintings so I researched her life and work. She was a genuine feminist without saying it, she just lived like she was equal to other women and men. This led me to a book about forgotten goddesses where I found references to drapings that I’ve developed and interspersed with flat pattern cutting. One of my key objectives, in this project and other projects, has been to push the limits of menswear towards feminine elements.

A S: What message you want to send to the world ?
J S: I want to create a brand for an urban man and an urban woman. To me it's important to develope good wearable clothing with nice details, finish and fabrics and I also aim to question the gender roles. I think that almost everything is done when it comes to womens wear and I think it's far more interesting to make good functional but still something special there. When it comes to menswear I give them the same opportunity as women, I want men to be able and accepted dress in silk, drapings, skirts and dresses, but adepted for men!

http://josefinstrid.com
http://rodeo.net/josefinstrid/
ttp://twitter.com/#!/JosefinStrid

Angelo S.