stockholm fashion week recap

In the days of yore (which is anything earlier than 2000 in the high fashion world), everyone who was anyone in fashion lived in one of four cities: New York, London, Milan, or Paris. For the average sartorial fan, the globe was basically a four shining emblems of creative power surrounded by cesspools of sweatpants and  nothingness. But thanks to the widely lauded work of up-and-coming brands like Acne, Cheap Monday, and Hunkydory, once irrelevant cities are fighting their way into the pantheon of fashion, and no city has captured international attention quite like Stockholm. With blogs like Stockholm Street Style documenting the daily wears of its inhabitants and Stockholm-based designers winning acclaimed international competitions, this Nordic city is definitely one to watch, and designers' collections at Stockholm's fashion week only solidified it's recently garnered reputation. 

Here are some highlight from the three day celebration:

H&M Design Award winner, Minju Kim kicked off the second day of festivities with a conceptual collection featuring a plushy, faux-fur jumpsuit, white and gold dresses with detailing that would make the Navi envious, and real-life versions of the signature Bratz shoes. The entire collection will be available at H&M, so if you've ever wanted to dress up like an other-worldly teddy bear...your time is coming.

Cheap Monday may be best known for their incredibly well-fitting jeans, but their Fall 2013 collection, which highlighted silhouettes that would make Will Smith circa Bel-Aire proud and the kind of distressing that neo-punks everywhere salivate over, was decidedly inappropriate for Casual Fridays at work and looked completely at home on their industrial slate-colored runway.

Dagmar, which has become a Net-a-Porter favorite as of late, showcased a sleek collection of biker-esque jackets replete with jewel-toned fluff. Models sported striped hair, and the fall-toned looks were topped with military-inspired tweed hats designed by Malinda Damgaard. Talk about an eclectic mix of inspirations.

No one in their right minds would use the word "subtle" to describe Ann-Sofie Back, especially not after seeing her Fall '13 collection of outfits colored to the max and bedazzled with pins, nets, and sequins alike. The show started off with chanting reminiscent of impassioned soccer fans and the models sported high-fashion versions of the multi-hued scarves fans wear to games. For her final appearance, the designer gave an ironically self-reflective rebuttal to recent sell-out claims and came out in a T-shirt printed with H&M and Cheap Monday logos. Compromised artistic integrity or not, her contribution to Stockholm's fashion week was definitely true to her signature style and far from ordinary. 

Showcasing the softer side of Stockholm style, Whyred designer, Roland Hjort, returned to the classics for his Fall '13 collection. Models stomped down the runway in somehow billowy suede pants, perfectly tailored tweed jackets, and Russian royalty-esque fur hats all in the deep, earthy hues usually associated with the season. Not that Hjort's newest creations were in anyway boring, though. Unexpected pieces, like this metallic strapless gown-almost appropriated for daily wear with a t-shirt and blouse-kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

With so many memorable, statement-making collections from Stockholm, all eyes are now on New York, where fashion week kicks off in less than 7 days. The ball is in our court now, and the bar has most definitely been set high.