BFC NEW GEN SPONSORED VIDUR & CMMN SWDN EMERGE AS THE NEW SCANDINAVIAN MENSWEAR GUARD

Vidur FW14 Lookbook

We've all grown accustomed to the Scandinavian aesthetics employed by brands like Acne, Our Legacy, Uniforms for The Dedicated & Sandqvist. Recently there's been a band of British trained designers of Scandinavian origin or inspired aesthetically by that region and the 2 labels who are charging this new generation of Swedish via London brands are CMMN SWDN and now Vidur. 

Vidur is run by Raj Mistry and Richard Brand, who are both British trained and cite their influences as the simple fundamental nature of Nordic design that emphasizes durability and authenticity. CMMN SWDN is also run by the duo Saif Bakir and Emma Hedlund both also British trained at Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion respectively. Whilst Vidur was set up in London, CMMN SWDN had its first roots in Malmo, Sweden before returning to the city where both designers trained to show under the BFC New Gen umbrella last season. 

Vidur SS14 Lookbook

Since it launched in 2012 Vidur has been a mainstay at the LCM Showrooms in London and also Paris their recent award would give them the chance to show a full collection for the first time on the runway. In my opinion they are totally deserving of the award as they managed to get the attention of buyers outside London from Back Door in Italy, One Fifteen in Taiwan, Dipol in Germany & Comme des Garcon in Japan. This external validation from overseas buyers is usually a key factor when BFC make their sponsorship decisions every season. 

CMMN SWDN SS15 ~ LCM

CMMN SWDN designers Bakir and Hedlund both garnered loads of experience whilst working at fashion houses like Wooyoungmi, COS and most recently with Kanye West in Paris. This led them to set up their label. They constantly draw inspiration from youth sub-cultures fused with elegance of classic sartorial menswear.  The label picked up pace the minute it launched winning numerous awards and is presently being stocked at Harvey Nichols, Other Shop, Peggs & Son, Start London in the UK and over 20 stockists worldwide with 5 stockists in Japan and Sweden.

CMMN SWDN SS15

Together both these brands are reinforcing the Scandinavian aesthetic and succeeding at it both home and abroad.  

ACNE STUDIOS MEN’S COLLECTION AUTUMN WINTER 2013

‘An exhibition of August Strindberg’s self-portraits last autumn became a starting point for this collection. The piercing look of this enigmatic man is hard to escape. Strindberg was an eccentric, controversial, multifaceted artist known for his writings, plays and paintings. His personal image was strong in fact he was something of a dandy. Maybe, more than anything else, this is what came to inspire us.

There is a historic mood to the collection, with references to garments from the turn of 19th century. Military clothing such as the pea coat and parka are reworked in a modern way. Historical references clash with modern tailoring; sharp suits and a high waisted trouser with something of a 70s cut. The result is a eccentric wardrobe with almost contradictory references creating a modern look.

There is true variation in the texture and look of the materials, with an emphasis on structure and quality. Italian tailoring fabrics, structured outerwear fabrics, jacquards… Masculine materials such as classic Melton are given a modern twist by being bonded to neoprene. There is also a femininity that contrasts with the more classic materials in the collection, such as wool crepe and drapey double-faced coatings. Micro designs on wool suiting and shirting add depth. The colour card is varied but muted throughout, with an emphasis on dark shades of navy and black against dusty greens, pale greys and nudes.’

JAY-Z wears ACNE

Jay- Z chose to wear a green college ‘global’ jumper from Acne whilst out at his club 40/40 in New York on September 26th