How did your childhood in Denmark, specifically Ølgod, influence your style?
I grew up in a small city with only 5.000 citizens. My childhood was very safe and loving. But when you are a creative kid in a small town like Ølgod there are not many options to cultivate creativity. Luckily for me, my grandma had an atelier/studio with a lot of fabric and sewing machines. Her studio became a kind of hiding place for me – There were no limits and I could develop and explore the tailoring industry. At the age of six, I tailored my own first blazer jackets, which I still have in my atelier today. My grandma learned me how to translate a good idea into a reel product, which I am her forever grateful for.
She understood my creative creature and I was allowed to experiment and test all different techniques, and the most important thing she taught me that design and style should have a soul – Without a soul, it is not really art. She always told me that if my creativity isn’t cultivated and keep alive, I’ll risk to lose it forever. And actually, I still believe so and tell myself that once in a while.
I know that you were originally a tailor, what made you switch to design? And do you feel that your past in tailoring distinguishes you amongst other designers?
Since I was a kid I have always been designing. For me, designing is as natural as sleeping and eating. The reason why I went to tailor school was to learn the rules for pattern making. Without knowing the rules – you can’t break them. So I took the education tailor to develop craftsmanship and expand my knowledge about this area. I haven’t regretted this decision at any time. I have always been told that I have a very creative mind, so I think it was more helpful for me to learn tailor rules about the body etc to understand the craftsmanship instead of learning more about design processes which is such a natural part of my life anyway.
I think it is difficult to tell if my tailor skills separate me from other designers, but I think that people can tell that I have a great body understanding and that I know certain rules about tailoring, which is why I always use different tailor aspects in my designs – And I love working with pattern manipulations. Often the most simple style is the most difficult style to make – Not many people think about that.
Where do you see your brand in five years?
I will definitely continue to create a lot of wedding- and red carpet dresses. Besides this, I would love to expand ready-to-wear collections and focus on more collaborations. I have some different interior projects, and in the future, I think that more homeward and interior design projects could be interesting for me. Even I would love to build up my own business even bigger I
Sum up your latest collection in one word.
UndergroundRockabillyTailoring 🙂
What songs make you feel extra creative?
First of all, I always listen to music when I work. I love listening to melancholy artists l like Bon Iver, James Vincent McMorrow & James Blake. Lately, I have been listening to a lot to Novo Amor which I find very interesting. It still has that deep melancholy feeling which works very good for me in my design processes.
Also, Nils Frahm is always to find on my playlist. Common for all is that all artist makes very melancholy and a bit depressive music, which somehow works very well for me in my design processes. But when I have to clear my mind I go for a run, and then I listen to something completely different music like fx. Polo & Pan.
You have partaken in a number of collaborations, including very notable one with Jane Kønig, which one was your favorite?
I am very proud of the necklace collaboration I did together with Jane Kønig. Some people may think that the necklace was a bit macabre because you have to pierce a needle into someone else’s finger to tap their blood and put their blood into the glass ampoule. But after this, you can wear the blood from someone you love around your neck and close to your heart. I am very happy about this result.
At the moment I have just signed a contract with the 100% eco skincare company Ecooking. Together with them, I am developing a new Eau De Parfume. I love to challenge myself design wise – And for this collaboration, I am both designing the packaging and also developing the right smell of the fragrance. I think it is very interesting to design in areas outside fashion.
