Nordic fashion trends, features, interviews with and profiles on Scandinavian fashion designers and their work.

The term Nordic Fashion rings few bells in the United States. This is unfortunate, since so much of the fashion from this part of the world would appeal to Americans, if they only knew about it. Apart from a few shops in the Big Apple and other urban areas, it's not easy to find Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic or Finnish clothing in the US. The main exceptions to this rule are the giant retailer H&M as well as Gant-brand leisure wear, which few realize is now Swedish-owned.

Many Scandinavian designers connect in surprising ways to Nordic culture, values and traditions. Nanso is an interesting Finnish name to watch. Danish label Son of a Stag incorporates some of that country's old and modern traditions into its leisurewear. Another firm that gives a nod to Nordic cultural identity is Svea of Sweden. How about a woman's jacket with an American flag on one sleeve? On closer inspection, one discovers the stars-and-stripes are actually in the blue-and-gold Swedish national colors.
When it comes to jeans and casualwear, there is no shortage of trendy Nordic brands sure to please style-conscious Americans. The new collections of Nudie Jeans Co of Gothenburg, trendy Whyred, Acne Action Jeans, Tiger of Stockholm, and Psycho Cowboy of Denmark seem well tailored for youthful consumers on international markets. It's a pity the Americans haven't discovered these brands yet. The same can be said about Redgreen's casualwear with a nautical accent, as well as the sporty Danish-owned brand Peak Performance. Another brave new independent label that has made a splash in Japan and elsewhere is Gentlemen Take Polaroids (GTP), founded by Danish Lise Nyborg Pedersen.

Our fashion sections offer more than just dresses and image. This feature, in our issue 10, brought to the surface what women want. Micke Eriksson photographed, David Bartal penned.
New Nordic Man resources
Photography: Mikael Ericsson, www.mindustries.se
Models: Daniel Giray and Sofie Svensson, www.mikas.se
Props: Zofi Nilsson, www.linkdetails.se
Make-up/Hair: Lisa Petersson

Many North Americans would probably be surprised (or envious) about the changes which have taken place when it comes to equality between the sexes in the northernmost part of Europe. There is a firm belief in Scandinavia that women and men must be able to participate in the working life on an equal footing. In order to do this, they have to share the work at home. After all, it is tough for any family to survive - or a woman to have a serious job - if the mother has to work full-time and also do all the laundry, dishwashing, vacuuming, and child raising by herself.