T
IS FOR TIGER OF SWEDEN
Tiger Of Sweden began life in 1903 when tailors Markus
Schwarmann and Hjalmar Nordström started a mobile
tailoring service in Uddevalla, on Sweden’s west coast.
In 1993, the brand moved from traditional tailoring to become
an international fashion giant, with men’s, women’s and jeans
collections, and more than 1,200 retailers in 18 countries.
The focus is still suits, but who knows what Schwarmann and
Nordström would make of today’s defiantly urban versions, not to
mention the fluorescent womenswear?
brand.tigerofsweden.com
R
IS FOR RAINCOATS
With an average of
235
rainy days a year,
Bergen is said to be
the wettest city in Europe. The
silver lining is that it might also
be Europe’s capital of good-
looking raincoats. Our favourite
is Norwegian Rain, which might
just make the coolest raincoats
on the planet – their sculptured,
minimalist-chic coats not only
keep the rain out, but have a
clean, Japanese, high-fashion
look that has drawn awards
from the likes of Vogue and the
Norwegian Design Council.
As creative director Alexander
Helle says: “The hi-tech is
hidden.” A brighter, feminine
alternative is Lisbeth Lillebøe’s
Blæst range for women – the
playful textures and rainbow
colours also hide linings and
sealed seams for maximum
rainproof-ness.
norwegianrain.no, bylilleboe.no
Q
IS FOR “QUEEN OF COPENHAGEN FASHION”
MTV called Malene Birger the “Queen of Copenhagen fashion” and
that’s good enough for us. She’s been near the top of the fashion pile
since starting on her own in 2003 and you’ve probably seen her clean,
elegant designs without realising it – Lady Gaga, Kate Middleton, Amanda Seyfried,
Emma Watson and Princess Marie of Denmark are just a few of the famous women
to wear her clothes.
shop.bymalenebirger.com
S
IS FOR SÖDERMALM
The Stockholm island-borough of Södermalm is so fashion-forward that it has
its own fashion week every January (sodermalmfashionweek.com). It’s a haven
for vintage fashion, boasting shops like the huge Beyond Retro (beyondretro.
com) and Lisa Larsson (lisalarssonsecondhand.com), a celebrity favourite packed with
designer gems. A non-vintage stalwart is the cult Tjallamalla chain (tjallamalla.com),
which stocks an eclectic selection from more than 250 designers, most of them local,
like the sharp but feminine Sofifi (sofifi.com).
Norwegian
Rain and (
inset
)
Lisbeth Lillebøe
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