She is just home from Paris. Elin Nyström has exhibited the latest of her 17 collections at the Paris Fashion Week – her eighth time showing there. With 80 stockists spanning over 15 countries worldwide, you could say that she has come quite some way from her tiny seven square-metre studio in Gothenburg. She upped sticks about a year ago and moved to Stockholm, facilitating a significantly easier way to network with the Swedish fashion industry and press.
When I pay her a visit at the creative hub that is the new Stylein HQ by Mosebacke on Södermalm, I count eight young ladies working away on the SS13 collection. Elin, proud as a peacock of what she has achieved so far, describes it as “a surreal world, eliminating boundaries, playing with elements such as wind and light”.It’s all sounds a bit vague, or maybe it’s just me not quite grasping the fashion lingo.
Do you see your design as an extension of your personality, and does the commercial needs get in the way of your creativity?
Yes I really do. And I don’t think I have to alter too much in my creative needs because I feel I am quite commercial in my expression on a personal level. I wouldn’t have looked like a troubled artist even if I could. This is the way I look and it’s quite marketable.
Who’s the typical Stylein-buying girl?
Well, she has become slightly older… haha. We aim to present both sustainable quality and timeless design. We don’t do fast mass consumption or work with trends in that way. But our customer is aware and interested in how she expresses herself with her clothing.
I like things to be clean, today I have chosen to colour my lips, which sets the tone for my whole outfit, the clothes doesn’t take centre stage. We have worked with print a little, but I have a hard time wearing print myself.
We often hear we work with very simple design, but I feel that can sometimes be the most difficult.
Do people in the Swedish fashion industry view or treat you differently after you moved to Stockholm?
It’s hard for me to say. But I don’t think it has been completely unaffected. We reside at a sweet address; stylists, journalists or someone going to a premiere can all just drop by. And with that I get good side effects. But it’s not like the collection we design will be different because of our location. Let’s say it makes it easier media-wise and obviously it becomes easier to network.
The main thing was that all my girls came along with me. I suppose that a lot of good and creative people congregate in a capital, but the time in Gothenburg was great to build a foundation, there was nothing that distracted me.
Now, we have come so far and we feel pretty secure in what we do, and especially for being in an anxious line of business, we feel quite unconcerned.
What do you mean by an anxious line of business?
I mean that everything to do with aesthetics, things that in some way get judged, often become anxious as soon as people are to form an opinion. Like if someone is to review a play, or talk about fashion, it’s all down to taste. It can easily become somewhat anxious, I mean, who can say what’s right and wrong?
Exactly. People far too often claim to be in the know of exactly that.
Now, after ten years of design experience and some stability in my brand it feels so much better to deal with that anxiousness.
But how much would opinions from critics effect what you do, really?
We have never had such good reviews as we did for this last A/W show and that’s obviously strengthening to get that positive energy.
I’m extremely proud that we made a profit last year, because sometimes it’s hard and you question why you ever got into this. I was hanging out with the Acne people for a night in Paris and I’m just amazed that you can find the path they have. But the bottom line is that we’re extremely proud when a dress of ours sells out in a shop. That there are people who are willing to use their money on the clothes we make.
Gimme Five:
Sources of inspiration and how Elin got to be who she is today:
Sotti Landys
My coach and an extra mother. A Russian lady who raised and drilled me for over ten years into becoming an elite gymnast.
New York City
The city in my heart. It’s where all the creativity that ever existed within myself came from and where Stylein was born.
Södermalm
My new neighbourhood since little over a year ago. To me it’s very connected to my love who I first dated exactly two years ago and whom I hope to share my life with.
Ibiza, Blue Marlin
There’s hardly any better energy than when the sun sets in the sea, the world’s best house dj’s are playing and I can dance bare footed for as many hours as I want.
My Godchildren
I have four official Godchildren and as many unofficial ones. I love them all and with huge honour I will be there for them when all of life’s challenges arrive.
