Before Scandinavian style was synonymous with its distinct brand of effortless, minimalist cool, there was Filippa K.
Founded in 1993 by Filippa Knutsson, Karin Hellners and Patrik Kihlborg, the Swedish fashion label’s focus on uncomplicated, well-designed garments primed for contemporary living helped shape the locale’s distinct ‘Scandi’ look – one which remains pervasive today (and has birthed a slew of labels in its wake, from Stockholm to Copenhagen).
Filippa K’s ‘1990s-for-now’ 30th anniversary collection
30 years on, now under creative director Liisa Kessler, Filippa K today reveals a new collection which returns to its founding decade with a collection it describes as a ’1990s-for-now’ which reinterprets the era’s garments in contemporary manner. ’Quintessential styles with a modern edge,’ as the brand describes.
Comprising a series of wardrobe essentials, the various garments draw on 1990s design codes – largely the elevation of quotidian garments through sensual, unadorned silhouettes in monochromatic hues – and is defined by a mood of simplicity and reduction.
Among the 19-piece collection are the ’inside-out’ lambswool sweater with 1990s-inspired exposed seams, straight-cut overdyed jeans, a loose-fit leather biker jacket, and minimal jersey shirts and vests. Riffs on the era’s tailoring, meanwhile, arrive in a ’reduced’ slim-cut coat with pitched shoulders in brushed wool. For men, there is a simple knit polo shirt, sized-up version of the ’inside-out’ sweater and a classic straight-cut jean.
The collection also features a new monogram throughout, designed to celebrate the 30th anniversary. Consisting of four interconnected circles, it is a play on ’93’ in reference to the year of founding. ‘Its organic shape and playful rounded edges represent a natural approach to design, balanced by a refined symmetry that communicates the house’s signature take on Scandinavian minimalism,’ say Filippa K.
The link between past and present – and indeed future – is also explored in the use of innovative sustainable techniques, utilising low-impact fabrics which would not have been available in the 1990s. As such, visitors to the brand’s website can trace the garment back to its original factory and explore the technical make-up of each piece in the collection.
An accompanying campaign by Valeria Herklotz, meanwhile, recalls 1990s fashion imagery in its raw, sensual imagery of model Querelle Jansen – inspired by archival Filippa K campaigns – juxtaposed with atmospheric photographs of Swedish landscapes.
