Disciplines© by Ron Dorff

Ron Dorff Launches a New Limited T-Shirt Edition: DiscipLines©

RON DORFF, the French-Swedish sportswear brand behind the claim “DISCIPLINE IS NOT A DIRTYWORD” is launching a new, limited T-shirt edition carrying the name “DiscipLines.”

The name is explained by the graphic prints themselves based on iconic sports lines from legendary sports disciplines such as tennis, swimming, baseball, lacrosse, and badminton.

The limited edition consists in this first series of 5 different graphic prints in black on white developed by Swedish graphic artist Johan Oxe.

The edition will be launched on rondorff.com as of 15th February and also in select boutiques around the world such as Jeffrey in New York, NK in Stockholm and Club 21 in Singapore.

Additional items in the Spring/Summer 2011 collection include jogging shorts, sweat shirts (with big and small print), briefs, tank tops, and jogging trousers.

See the other Disciplines here.

Photos & text Copyright Ron Dorff, Courtesy Pressing.

Björn Borg: A Champ from Tennis to Tees

Born 1956 in Södertälje, Sweden, Björn Rune Borg nurtured an interest in tennis at an early age out of a fascination with a golden racket that his father had won at a table-tennis tournament.

By the age of 13, Björn was already a hard-hitting champion in Sweden, conquering anyone on the courts under 18.

Included in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Björn won more than 70 top-level tournaments throughout his career.

After the star player retired in 1983, he founded a fashion line. Now, Björn Borg is a popular Swedish brand of underwear, sportswear and accessories.

Both Björn Borg the player and Björn Borg the brand name are champions!

Check out more runway shots and stills here.

Photos Copyright Björn Borg.

Nikolaj d’Etoiles' Bombers for SS11

For spring/summer 2011, Sweden’s Nikolaj d’Etoiles hase provided the ‘sports casual’ obsessive in all of us with an absolute beauty!

This lightweight shower proof ‘bomber jacket Harrington hybrid’ style piece comes in 3 color-ways that are befitting to all sides of the gentleman's wardrobe.

Available with contrasting gold ‘track style’ zippers for some eighties hip hop styling or tone on tone to translate to a more preppy styled equation this is easy to pair with a sweat, some chinos and the Jack Parcells—equally at home partnered with trousers, penny loafers, and a shirt or tee shirt—versatility maketh the garment!

The Windard's aesthetic is a considered a mixture of breakdance-esque eighties hip hop, collegiate prep and pure 1950's sartorial menswear making it THE jacket for SS11.

See more colors here.

Photos & text Copyright Nikolaj d’etoiles.

On the Catwalk with Marc O’Polo

As I have posted previously, Marco O’Polo is taking us on an adventurous journey for spring/summer 2011 to explore the globe with a new collection called “At Ease.”

As you will see from the catwalk photos, which I have just received, “At Ease”—appropriately named—is all that—a casual collection that will put the most restless of travelers at ease.

The stills are taken of the Marc O’Polo Organic Collection. For those who experience cooler summers, the organic sweaters, pullovers, and hoodies are perfect choice.

I have also thrown in some images of Marc O’Polo shoes, which come in leather or suede and a variety of colors.

Besides travelers who want to look sharp on their journeys, the collection is ideal for engineers, facility managers, campus life, and young professionals who want to look relaxed and casual but still ready for business.

So, now, I guess it’s “Bon voyage”! Check out the shots here.

Photos Copyright Marc O’Polo.

Happy Socks are for Everyone…Everywhere

On a cloudy day in April back in 2008, an idea was born in Sweden to bring happiness to the world through socks!

Now, the innovators are doing just that, bring people Happy Socks in 40 countries.

Manufactured in Turkey with Cashmere, merino, and Hemp, the socks are churned out in contrasting colors, patterns, dots, and strips.

Whether on Wall Street or your street, you can be happy with Happy Socks!

See more socks here or go to their website!

Photos Copyright Happy Socks, Courtesy of Sane Communications.

Unisex” by Odeur

Nocturnal Dreams
A journey within a journey. The Odeur Autumn/Winter 2011 collection takes place in the awakening from the state of nightmare. The collection - named Nocturnal Dreams - is based on the combined feeling of fear and relief. A peculiar mix of darkness and hope.

The dark colour palette of the collection, including variations of black, dirt and charcoal are set in contrast to a bright white and a sober dusty colour. The details are, as usual for Odeur, in focus. Zippers, prints and buttons made of gun metallic colours complete the silhouette.

The unisex collection is somewhat more solemn than earlier Odeur collections. A playful relationship to the silhouette, a focus on details and unexpected cuttings characterizes the garments. As always.

A brief history
Odeur was founded in Stockholm in 2006 as a brand experiment, using a specific white, light and clean scent instead of a visual logotype to label the graphic and dramatic, yet playful garments. The first collection included a few t-shirt styles that where distributed amongst a few initial clients in Sweden and Japan.

Today Odeur is designed by Petter Hollström and Gorjan Lauseger and has spread to 17 countries, selling jeans, outerwear, accessories and fashion clothing. The collection is represented at, amongst others, Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong, Temporary Showroom in Berlin, Oki-Ni in London and OAK NYC in New York.

Check out the whole collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Odeur, Courtesy Temporary Showroom.

“Follow Your Passion” with Marc O’Polo

The 2011-12 autumn/winter collection of Marc O’Polo has been inspired by people who possess a passion for something or someone.

These passionate people tend to be motivated by the exuberance of what they feel concerning something special or a special kind of lifestyle.

So I ask, “What is special to you?”

The design team at Marc O’Polo says that the collection is about “Joe, who loves old motorbikes and vintage clothes with a story to tell.”

They go on to explain that it is about “the small but elegant boutique in Stockholm’s trendy Södermalm district where customers are treated like old friends.”

The collection has been created according to individual styles with powerful personalities.

It has been influenced by rugged men, yet easy-going guys who dress well, as well as a scenic view of urban wilderness.

So be on the look out for army jackets and chinos…

Watch out for olive greens, alpine blues, and cornflower colors…

What is your passion?

Follow it with all your passion! Have a sneak peek here.

Photos Copyright Marc O’Polo.

Nikolaj d’Étoiles & French Indochina

In the late Eighties and early Nineties, I spent much time in Southeast Asia, which, before my lifetime used to be known as Indochina.

Indochina was a French colony that consisted of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, each of which were added and liberated at different times, the entire colony lasting from about 1887 to 1954.

The region has changed drastically since the time of my wanderings and even more so from the time of the French colonizers, whose power began weakening in the 1930’s.

Dreams of an independent country were riding high back then, as clandestine groups fomented revolutionary fervor and strikes broke out on every level of society.

The first uprising, which was crushed in 1930, was led by the Vietnamese Nationalist Party whose activities were continued by Nguyễn Sinh Cung—otherwise known as Ho Chi Minh.

Colonial zeal in Paris remained strong throughout the Thirties as exemplified by the 6-month Exposition coloniale internationale, which attracted 33 million visitors in 1931.

The French influence was undeniable. Architecture, language, cuisine, culture—every aspect of life in Indochina was impacted, including menswear.

During the 1930’s, outdoor activities were growing in popularity, leading to sports attire called “sportswear” or “for sport” and laying the foundation for “ready-to-wear.”

Shoulders were widening (as with the drape cut), while the straight-leg was tapered at the bottom of the pant.

Summer seaside resorts became the inspiration of the casual evening suit. Ties were wide. The head was crowned with the fedora.

It is on this backdrop that Nikolaj d’Étoiles has created its 2011 spring/summer collection.

Nikolaj d’Étoiles is the brainchild of Swedish designers and cousins, Anders and Tobias Björkstedt, both of whom arose from H&M.

Have a peek at the entire collection here.

Photos Copyright Nikolaj d’Étoiles.

Ron Dorff: Discipline is Not a Dirty Word

RON DORFF Paris-Stockholm, the collaboration of a French-Swedish design duo (Swede Claus Lindorff and Frenchman Jérôme Touron) proposes an alternative to over-designed and over-casual sportswear, combining the pure lines of Swedish functionalism with French classicism.

The brand’s leitmotiv “DISCIPLINE IS NOT A DIRTY WORD” gives away not only how the design duo works but also the type of client the brand is aiming to seduce: urban, hardworking men, whether at the gym or in life in general.

For Spring/Summer 2011, the RON DORFF collection continues to revisit great classics of men’s sportswear with a carefully-chosen selection of iconic pieces.

The palette is graphic black, white and grey mélange with minimal detailing.

Reminiscent of the two “O” in RON DORFF, the double discreet black-lacquered eyelets are the only signs of recognition adding a suggestive detail to each piece.

See the collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Ron Dorff.

Svensson’s 1st Shoe

In the beginning of the 1900s shoes where manufactured in the small village of Montegranaro as an extra income to agriculture.

After the Second World War the town was the most famous in Italy for its shoes. The culminating point was when brands like Gucci and Prada moved in.

2010 the town's history is linked with Malmö and SVENSSON when our first shoes are being manufactured here.

The shoe is a replica of a classic Italian welted sport shoe, a 70s sailor's shoe sole combined with a high tennis shoe from the same period.

SVENSSON began taking form during the late 90´s in Möllevången, Malmö, Sweden. It started with basement clubs and concerts but soon developed to other fields of media, communication and visual arts.

SVENSSON MAGAZINE was founded 2002 and edited from a two room apartment.

SVENSSON SHOP opened in 2005 becoming a combination of creative studio, boutique and gallery. The same year the first pair of SVENSSON JEANS originated.

See the whole collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Svensson.

Dark Urban Hippie Knitwear by Lars Andersson

Lars Andersson is a New York based knitwear designer. He describes his design aesthetic as “Dark Urban Hippie”, and the collections consistently paint that picture.

Andersson was born is Sweden, where he soon became entranced with the craft of knitting. “In Sweden” he says, “everyone learns how to knit, it’s a cultural thing.” The designers’ first garment was completed at the age of six- a sweater for his Monchichi monkey doll.

After completing two years of fashion school in Sweden, Lars made the move to New York to pursue studies at FIT, but stopped short of his degree. “I quickly became entranced by New York City, and soon I was living a life submersed in its dark, downtown culture.”

During this period, Lars’ love for knitting came full circle, and he began making one-of-a-kind sweaters for his friends in NYC. The response was so overwhelming that he decided to put all of his energy into his craft, and the first collection was born.

Although now stateside, Andersson continues to be powerfully influenced by Sweden, a place he describes as “very dark, and the furthest thing from fancy. It’s a minimal environment, really old, dark and mysterious. It’s raw and unfinished, but still beautiful. The countryside is haunting- the pitch-black forest, the deep greens of the mosses and pine trees, and the grays of the stones”.

For the last six years, Andersson has been designing and manufacturing his line of knitwear for men and women. His focus is on the trade and skill of knitting, and the collections are constructed from only the finest Japanese and Italian yarns. With a team of knitters, he produces each garment by hand from his studio in Brooklyn.

“In the end,” he says, “the most important thing for me is that my customers end up with timeless pieces that will last a lifetime, defy trends, and always look contemporary and cool.”

Have a look at the collection here.

Photo & text Lars Andersson, Courtesy CJ Swanton.

‘Narratif’ by Obscur

‘’We are all interconnected, heroes, friends and foes. Through our inner admissions we have endured or braved the rainy weather on many occasions. The narrative capacity of our audacious nature enables us to experience, touch, expose and bear’’

The S/S 2011 collection of Obscur is such an untold story, captured by misty lands, roughness and enveloping clouds, with nature as its operator. Along with the seasons, a range of the garments were constructed out of washed lamb leather.

Furthermore, their voluntary decomposition is to be underlined by carefully executed zippers and pockets. The intentional selection of crude materials combined with pieces that vary remarkably, both in length and volume, expresses volatility and flotation.

We caress and experience our surroundings individually. The garments thus tend to become one with the bearer himself. The gently treated leathers frame the natural endoscope of emotional decay.

Obscur also stands for forward motion, where one chooses to appear in our material capsules, readily lined, knitted, constructed or linked. The segmented materials in black and pigmented dyed grey create the illusion of a fog, a fog through which we arise.

Traditional elements such as raw edges allowing for smooth layering and overstated prismatic monotones can also be recognised in the pieces. The general feel of exclusive detailing, interaction and introvert opulence can be noted in the qualitative materials, subtle linings, comfortable knits and rich feeling materials.

The collection can be seen as an encounter, between captured nocturnal elements and deconstructed decadency, with a dash of luxurious tormented momentum.

Have a complete view of the collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Obscur, Courtesy Marlo Saalmink.

Obscur: “A dark opulent society...’’

“...where you own what you wear.’’

The Obscur A/W10 collection is another morbid encounter between energy, abstraction and our souls.

The materials meet and observe your body, to become one. The raw outer dead shells of the pieces consist of cotton, wool, cashmere and thick raw leather, which keep the living from disintegrating momentarily.

The Obscur naturally coloured fibres keep your energy from draining by avoiding yourself to be exposed to the world.

All the leathers are being washed from their dyes and chemical processing, in order to get closer to a state of solemn austerity & sterile manifestation.

The AW10 line includes loose collar and sleeve ends, which can be taken off, or on, to create a unique silhouette and provide desirable shelter to your skin.

The signature raw edges are often incorporated in the designs, to allow for a smoother transition of layering when combining different garments.

Facets of the inspiration for this collection were drawn upon the work of Austrian artist Gunter Brüs. This man is a true lover of the obscure, dark and the profusely morbid.

Obscur AW10: ‘’a dense feeling web of exterior layers which imbed the bearer as a protected capsule in our society’’.

View the exciting collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Obscur, Courtesy Marlo Saalmink.

Ravishing Mad & the Darkness Within

The Spring/Summer 2011 Collection is an exploration of the darkness within. It embraces loneli­ness and the relief that comes with living in whatever mood that comes along. We don’t like pleas­ers, and we don’t put on happy faces. The collection offers 10 different denim styles in 7 colours like bright red, black, print/wash out combination blue, and airbrushed grey. Ravishing Mad is well known for the draped big pocket jeans with an extremely high waist, and this season further incorporates draped cuts. Oversized plaid shirts with drunken buttoning are combined with unisex ass-door jumpsuits and mesh hoodies with huge sagging pockets.

The Swedish fashion label Ravishing Mad was founded in Malmö, Sweden, in 2008 by designer Anna Österlund. Ravishing Mad is a denim based punk rock label that works closely with musicians, artists and film makers and these collaborations are equally important as the fashion that is part of the Ravishing Mad lifestyle. Everyone involved in the RM projects are frequently switching places and either modeling, contributing with music or standing behind the camera. Anna is keeping Swedish design traditions: high quality, clean lines and stressing functionality, but going further, incorporating strong accent colours and straying away from the strict. The collections offer women‘s, men’s and unisex styles, both in ready-to-wear and more extreme versions.

Henrik Vibskov was one of the first to discover the RM denim and has stocked them in his stores in Copenhagen and Olso since the first collection. Anna is educated at the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås, Sweden, and graduated in 2006. She now runs the company together with her husband Truls Bråhammar.

“... I don’t like to divide my life into sections, I live it blurred. Work and fun can happen at any time, so I really don’t think there is any need to label it. I go play with my friends, or work, we might sometimes call it work and sometimes not. It evolves into music for some of us, or photos and videos, and some in clothes, or we just mix it all. I love these collaborations and look for them everywhere! I also do two major collections a year under the label Ravishing Mad (and denim is my thing). I show them at the fashion weeks of Paris, New York, Copenhagen and Berlin, but prefer the guerilla way, the anti fashion way, the fun way.”

View the entire look book here.



Photos & text Copyright Ravishing Mad.

Blixt & Dunder: Bowties witih Pride!

Blixt & Dunder is the brainchild of designers Daniel Zander and his wife, Lisa. The bowties are 100% silk and produced in the UK.

Their motto: Wear It with Pride! As the couple state, “It takes a person of strong character to put on a bowtie for the first time.”

“With the bow tie around one’s neck,” they continue, “you will join the ranks of some of the world’s most opinionated people and you risk being looked upon as a snob, someone who is trying to make a statement, someone who revels in attention.”

Anything wrong with being the focus of people’s attention? Not according to Daniel and Lisa, as long as you wear a stylish bow tie make out of 100% silk.

Daniel and Lisa are based in Malmö, Sweden. See the photo gallery here.

Photos Copyright Blixt & Dunder.

Svensson Sailor Coat by Armor Lux

The first heritage SVENSSON collaboration has seen day light. Armor Lux is a French brand from 1938 known for its striped sailor's sweaters worn by everyone from Picasso to Madonna. We’ve let them do their classic reefer jacket, which is still made according to the artisanship in Bretagne, France.

The reefer jacket has been a part of the French sailor's uniform since 1853. It was originally made by the sailors themselves whom, in those days, made them waterproof with tar, grease, and turpentine.

On sale only in our Malmö shops and webshop.

“The back ground is that we wanted to do the classic sailor coat for a long time and thought it would be great to go to an original manufacturer for the best craftsmanship and finish,” writes Mariano Leone of Svensson.

“The model was already very SVENSSON in itself: very clean, minimalistic, and timeless, so we took it as it was.”

Photo Copyright Svensson.

Ljung 2010 Autumn/Winter Collection

Ljung is small locality situated in the Västergötland province of southwest Sweden—home to a Marcus Larsson.

Nearly 20 years ago, Marcus dreamed a big a big dream, which he has turned into reality.
In 2006, he founded his menswear line, which is currently based in Stockholm.

The 2010 autumn/winter collection is a perfect example of the current popular trends as outlined in my style guide.

Photos Copyright Ljung.

Carin Wester—Daring, Delicate & Defined

The menswear line of Carin Wester is called “Wester,” which can be found in stores through northern Europe, North America, and Japan.

This Swedish designer launched her eponymous label in 2003, several years after having graduated from Beckman’s School of Design. During that interim, she also worked for Paul & Friends.

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Carin Wester has been the recipient of several prestigious awards.

In her 2011 spring/summer collection, Carin drew on Native Indian motifs with feathers, beads, rock necklaces, and capes, all of which added the right ethnic touch to her Bohemian flair.

Carin boldly accentuated the masculine look with subtle touches of lace.

View the collection here.

Photos Property of Berns Salonger & Copyright Kristian Löveborg at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Boomerang—Back at You with Scandinavian Prep!

Founded in 1976 by Kenneth Andram and Peter Wilton, Boomerang is a Swedish chain that exalts the Scandinavian preppy look.

With 200 retailers and 3o brand stores, Boomerang is set to open a new flagship store, the interior design of which is defined by the Scandinavian home.

See the look book here.

Photos Copyright Boomerang.

Whyred—the Indie Superlabel

Whyred is all about Modism, which publicist Peter Meaden (1941-1978) defined as “clean living under difficult circumstances.”

Undergirded by art and music, the Whyred twist on Modism entails sartorial tailoring in the great metropolis for fashion-conscious urban dwellers.

Founded in 1999 by several friends—Roland Hjort, Lena Patriksson Keller and Jonas Clason—Whyred drew its name from chief designer Roland Hjort’s grandfather, Sven “X,” who was a Swedish artist:

Known for his use of a wide variety of colors, Sven was once asked in a radio interview about his favorite color. “Red,” he retorted. “Why red,” the journalist questioned. “Well, blue then,” the artist replied.

For spring/summer 2011, Whyred features birds in flight—a symbol of hope and dreams portrayed by multi-colored and -textured plumage.

The collection then plunges us to the darkest depths of the ocean and upward again as rays of light pierce the surface in an resurrection-like experience.

Visit the whole collection here.

Photo Property of Berns Salonger and Copyright Kristian Löveborg, Courtesy Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.