Rodjeber is quickly making it’s way up the ranks of Swedish icons, joining the likes of Acne, IKEA and other cultural reference points. Ask any well-heeled Swedish woman if she knows the brand and they will gush, as if Rodjeber was as common as a cinnamon bun. The brand has a certain magic to it that lends its mystic to the woman who wears it. Like jewels that sparkle against a summer sky I can always spot a Rodjeber piece from a distance. I can attest to the fact that every time I wear by Rodjeber pieces, I immediately turn into a disco-dancing princess, my strides become a little bit longer, my smile a little bit bigger and … is that ABBA playing in the background?
There is no shortage of patterns and flowing silk pieces in the Rodjeber store on Jakobsbergsgatan 6. This is just one of the over 20 outposts that sell the label that bears Carin Rodebjer’s name. The label’s flagship store carries the most up-to-date pieces for the season. Images from the catwalk adorn the walls and the pieces are set up like paintings in an art gallery. The minimalist approach leaves the pieces to be admired in their own right, and they hang from hangers in an adorned fashion like they have their own stories to tell. If you close your eyes and let your fingertips feel out the fabrics you can almost imagine the story in the rhetoric of the fashion house. The brand says it’s inspired by “human rights and feminist movements, music, film, art and literature – passionate people with strong ideals and the courage to live by their own rules,” which is easy to believe in the luxurious day-to-night silhouettes that have made Rodebjer a fashion muse to many.
Every season the brand has “The Essentials,” which are the building blocks to any good outfit. These include my personal favorites like the Kebe T-shirt dress (1,199 SEK), a long draped viscose wonder that I have slept in, as well as worn on first dates and to weddings. It’s a piece like many of the brand’s uniform luxury items that can be dressed up or down depending on the right accessories. The other essentials including tank stops, t-shirts, blazers and pants that create an easy grab-and-go wardrobe for a busy woman in the mornings. The kaftans (1,999 SEK) have also turned into an iconic part of the brand essentials. The one-size-fits-all silhouette, the strategic stitching and the freedom of the garment is a classic statement that you can wear for years and years to come.
Where the brand really makes my heart jump is with the beautiful new items they present every season and which quickly become collector’s items for eclectic fashionistas. The limited edition and exclusive prints are subtle but dynamic, like the kind of prints and splatters that Jackson Pollack would have a crush on. This season I have my eye on the Water Turtles (1,499 SEK-1,999 SEK), an abstract mystery of light brown and various blues that really make the eye do some work. The brand has a more philosophical approach to the patterns, explaining that, in Hindu mythology the turtle is believed to carry the universe, holding the earth and the ocean on its back. The Waves print is another item that I will be saving for. The psychedelic theme of this print seems to be tying the 2015 fall/winter collection together, making for a young and exciting collection that I will most certainly be sporting in the following months.
words: Koko Ntuen
