Admittedly, we’ve written some of them before on lifeiscarbon® but many of our readers were interested to find out which Scandinavian magazines we just can’t do without. Perhaps it smacks of Nordic imperialism but, since Berlin is fast becoming the art capital of Scandinavia (more about this at a later date) and given the similarities between Teutonic and Scandinavian aesthetics, we’ve taken the liberty of including a couple of superb art/fashion magazines from Germany in our list of glossy must-reads.
It seems we becoming somewhat predictable in our old age (did we mention that lifeiscarbon® is almost 2 years old). Last time we were inspired to write about cushions, snow was lying thick on the ground outside and it’s no different this time. Much of Norway got a shock yesterday morning when it awoke to face a winter wonderland outside and many took the decision to stay at home rather than face the traffic chaos caused by the early arrival of snow. We were no different, and perhaps spending a day lounging about on the sofa with a Powerbook reminded us of the need for some new cushions.
One of the great things about being a parent is that fact that, despite being an adult, one has the perfect excuse to buy all the toys that one never had as a child. Given that many of us live in open plan spaces these days, toys have ended up becoming interesting design objects liberally scattered about the home, well used and highly visible. Perhaps this explains the Scandinavian trend of creating beautifully crafted toys that often end up becoming highly collectable design objects for children and adults alike.
Despite our penchant for all things monochromatic (did we mention that lifeiscarbon®love white and also happen to love black?) we have to admit that, with the hours of daylight shortening fast and the gloom of Winter descending upon us, we’ve fallen for a shockingly cheerful new color. Quite out of character for us but, in Scandinavia at least, yellow is the new black. And luckily for us, it seems that our Danish design favorites, Muuto love yellow too.
It’s been way too long since lifeiscarbon® has written about its Scandinavian design favorites Muuto, and now there are simply too many great new designs to squeeze into one post. So we hope you’ll forgive us for writing two quick articles about this remarkable Danish design company, a company that’s almost single handedly defining the look of Scandinavian Modern in the 21st century.
Whilst we’ve never been tempted to re-mortgage in order to stump up the massive $6000 required to purchase a copy of Helmut Newton'sSUMO (complete with sturdy metal book stand) we are still considering getting hold of a copy of the slightly more affordable Araki limited edition that's also published by Taschen. One of Taschen’s books that we certainly will be buying is the newly published Ingmar Bergman Archives, which promises to be as highly collectable as our copy of The Stanley Kubrick Archives.
Following successful collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Stella McCartney (2005), Viktor & Rolf (2006) and Roberto Cavalli (2007), H&M look set to top them all with their latest creative partnership, with Commes des Garçons. Rei Kawakubo, one of the most significant figures in modern fashion and one of lifeiscarbon®’s favorite designers, has created two full collections, one for men and one for women collection, complete with accessories and a unisex fragrance.
Born in 1972, Christian Flindt is one of the bright new stars to have emerged in recent years from the Århus School of Architecture in Denmark. Having first gained international prominence in 2005 with his visually stunning Orchid chair, an organic lounge chair in polished fiberglass, Christian Flindt is in the news again with not just one but two stunning new designs; FlindtLamps for Louis Poulsen and Ripple chair for Paustian have both gone into production this year. The design of Ripple once again demonstrates the designer’s particular ability to redefine form through the introduction of subtle elements from nature, in this case the ripple effect in the chair’s shell that references waves moving over water.
It’s rare that official company showrooms are as inspirational as the eclecticism of smaller independent design stores but together with Normann Copenhagen’s showroom in Copenhagen, the Swedese Shop in Stockholm ranks as one of lifeiscarbon’s favorite stores in Scandinavia. Of course, much of the store’s appeal is do to Swedese’s own range of furniture but it’s also due to their careful selection of Scandinavian design classics that accessorize the interior.
Despite being born in Stockholm (1982) and displaying a strong sense of Scandinavian aestheticism, Julia Hederus appears to have been very keen to escape her native Sweden as quickly as possible. Firstly by moving to Denmark to study art at Holbæk Art School and going on to gain a degree in fashion at Kolding Design School, then moving to London to study menswear at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design before collaborating with Los Angeles based K-Swiss.
Linde&Sandström, a Danish-Swedish design firm, creates furniture that seem destined to last. Their designs are classic yet somehow edgy and innovative whilst always remaining elegant and functional. Intriguingly based on either side of the Oresund Bridge with offices in both Copenhagen and Malmö, Linde&Sandström was founded by the Danish 3D designer Anne Linde and Swedish interior designer Monica Sandström.
Creating her own fashion label and selling her first one off designs in Stockholm stores before the age of sixteen, Diana Orving has evolved into something of an eclectic autodidact and become a lifeiscarbon® favorite. Finding her influences in a broad range of sources that span literature, dance and art, the Swedish fashion designer is well known for always launching her new collections with highly unconventional catwalk shows that border on performance art. One of her recent collections was launched at Elverket Theatre in Stockholm and took the form of a play starring four actors.
Whilst we’ve never been huge fans of the horror genre, one of our favorite Scandinavian novels of recent years is Låt den rätte komma (Let the right one in), written in 2004 by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. Set in Blackeberg, a working class suburb of Stockholm, the story centers on the relationship between a 12-year-old boy, Oskar, and the 200-year-old vampire child, Eli. The book focuses on the darker side of humanity, dealing with contemporary social issues such as bullying, drugs, theft, pedophilia, prostitution and murder as well as the obvious supernatural themes. The book was a bestseller in the author's home country of Sweden and the film adaptation released earlier this year has already won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature at The Tribeca Film Festival.
