HEY readers :) I thought it would be a good idea for you to get to know me a little better. So I made this little mini interview with my intern, hope you enjoy:)
Tell me a little about yourself like the basics?
I’m
38 years old, I have a son who is 16 and I live in Copenhagen, where I
work as a fashion adviser both to companies and private clients
regarding trends, forecasting, customer experience and personal
aesthetic image branding that are sustainable.
*What's your educational background? And have you used it? My
background is mixed with both autodidact working experience such as my
work experience in H&M were I worked in Sweden for 10 years with
both press relation and public relation. H&M grounded me with a lot
of global working experience that I’m so grateful to have today, such as
understanding the process in image styling but also the design process
from the mood-board in to the store were all kinds op people have the
opportunity to look great and can afford it. Where their motto is "good
design to very reasonable prices" and I like that a lot. But I have also
over the years been complemented on my know-how with courses in project
and business management that I like to have in my work. So I use all my
educational and my autodidact background every day in my work. One day
is never the same.
*What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion for me is a way to express people in their different life-stages and I love to watch and observe people and their different kind of life moods in a bigger perspective, a total holiness.
*How would you define your personal style?
Very classic with a touch of modern sophisticated timeless chic twist.
*What designer, famous person or actress inspires you?
I have always become a lot inspire of many French people such as Vanessa Paradis, Eva Green, Garance D´ore, Cathrine Deneuve, Charlotte Gainbourg but also Milla Jovich and Lauren Hutton.
*Who do you think is your generation biggest style icon?
My own generation I think is Madonna and Michael Jackson in the 80´s when I grew op but for myself I was very inspire of personalities such as Steve McQueen, Jeff Bridges and the movies as "love story" and "the last tango in Paris". I have always looked more in person’s expression and after that comes fashion for me.
*Who are some of your favorite designers?
Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant, Christopher Decarnin and Phoebe Philo.
*What are some of your favorite clothing stores or websites?
HYPERLINK "http://www.style.com" www.style.com, HYPERLINK "http://www.garancédore.fr" www.garancédore.fr and most of my favorite clothing stores are vintage stores mixed with Colette in Paris.
*What do you believe makes a quality piece of clothing?
The Shape and the feeling of a soft fabric that feels comfortable.
*Since you grew up in Sweden, do you find there is a difference in style from Copenhagen to Sweden? Yes, Swedish people are very stylish from head to toe with a lean to the modern minimalist look. Sometimes they are so stylish so you can’t see who they are as person behind all the stylish clothes. The Danish are creative and likes a lot color and do their own mix of clothes. The middle-aged generation in Denmark is very inspired of the 50´s expression and lean to the more romantic boho look and the A-lines. But more and more younger generation in both Sweden and Denmark are very creative with colors and pattern and I like that a lot.
*What city, in which you have been to, do you feel people had the best style?
I like Milan because both men and women are very chic, but I also like the trés chic look in Paris and the sporty chic in N.Y. But I also like the Asian style with the color scale and their exotic expression so I guess I can’t right now say one city…
*When did you realize you wanted to become a part of the fashion world? And how did you first get into fashion?
I think I always was fascinated with fashion unconsciously and consciously because fashion could show peoples inner dream and desire and I guess I liked that combination of expression, fashion is a balance between honesty and illusion and it fascinates me. I got in to fashion when I first studied textile mercantile in Stockholm and my first job after that was in H&M head-office in their buying department. Since then I stuck to fashion!
*What other experience do you have in the fashion industry (stylist, retail, marketing, etc.)?
I have a very good understanding of fashion of the whole chain, from people, retail, styling and marketing but I give a lot of that experience in my years in H&M, they teach me a lot of things that I’m very grateful to have today.
*How long does it usually take you to get a real feeling of whom people are when you style them? And do you find it hard?
About 1 to 10 minutes then I get a feeling or a hint of them. Most of the times I have the right feeling but of course sometimes it can be hard if you meet a person who is not in balance with the inner and the outer side of themselves. But it hasn’t happen so often. Most of the times my clients are in heaven to find them self after many years of having been lost in the fashion jungle.
*What are some of your accomplishments as a stylist, or what do you think your biggest achievement so far is?
It is to help especially women to get more self-value for them self, but at the same time being able to look great. And that is a wonderful feeling when a woman leaves me with the feeling that she has grown as a person with more self-values in them selves. And it also gives them more excess and balanced to other things in their life. It’s fantastic to see and I feel honored to be in service for them. I have today helped over 2000 women to find themselves as a women and I’m very happy for that.
*How do you prepare for a client if it is for a styling session?
I send out a questionnaire where I ask them some personal questions and depending on what they say I do some research of different style opportunities that I think could express them positively for a long-term.
*On you’re about page you write that in your free time you focus on your spiritual side, what do you do to focus on that? And why do you find it so important?
The spiritual side for me is a basic need to mark, feel my self, soul, inner heart and intuition. It’s very important for me to take time over to reflect in my everyday life otherwise I will feel not alive as a person, if I don’t know who I am as a person.
Especially today when you meet so many new people and receive a lot of different quick information I have to filter out if this is good for me as a person.
The spiritual side is the side that you don’t have to perform to be accepted as a person. It’s that side that is full of love, tolerance, respect and no judgment.
I like that a lot to show and live the life of respect to other human being, it makes me more happier as a person and it also give me more balance in my daily life.
*Do you use any of you spiritual knowledge in your work?
Yes, its very natural for me, I listen a lot to my intuition and it guides my inner self to a better me as a person in many situations. I also take time everyday to reflect over my day so I can filter out things that I don’t have value in my life. All my time is like precious diamonds.
*What matters to you most as a fashion stylist?
To meet, see and feel new people and culture. I learn new things everyday about the world but also about myself.
*Where do you get your inspiration?
From LIFE in itself!
*Where do you see yourself in 5 years, what would you like to be doing?
I see myself spending 50% time in Scandinavia and rest of the time Global. Where I can work both with fashion for all ages as I do today but I also work with a lot with the spiritual side where I can give life inspiration of the inner values as soul, mind and heart to other people so they could find peace, joy, balance and happiness in themselves but also together with others. That’s what I want. It’s very hard today to listen to your own heart when we live in a modern world were many of our outer values is about perform. You could be a leader but it doesn't mean that you are a good leader. But work performing is not telling you who you really are as a person...
