When asked for photos of her collection, Stina Söderberg refers us directly to her own online shop on her dedicated website. There's therefore no need to wonder whether ESMOD offers degrees that lead directly to a professional career... This young Swedish woman, who is already working on her own designs, is no less critical of fashion's sometimes thoughtless shortcomings. "Fast fashion is my enemy", she says on her website. Fellow Swedish brand H&M is clearly not her business model.
Planet ESMOD: What made you want to work in fashion?
Stina Söderberg: Well, I hesitated a lot before entering the fashion world. Do we really need another brand? I felt embarrassed to join a sector that has such harmful consequences on the planet. But my love for couture and design is undeniable. I therefore decided to continue doing it in my own way, reusing existing fabrics and materials. Zero waste! For me, it all started with sewing and knitting new garments made from my friends' old clothes or my grandmother's old curtains, redesigning and giving a new use to these materials.
P. E.: How would you define your final year collection?
S. S.: For spring-summer 2024, my collection is dedicated to my father, who died when I was young. He would have been 60 this year. He was a great sailor and I still feel connected to him when I'm sailing. I've called this collection 'Kapsejs' (Capsize in English, Chavirer in French), which means that the boat has turned over. It's not much fun. It might start out as a joyful trip out, but when the wind picks up and the boat flips, it's a 'kapsejs'. However, if you use the right technique, it's possible to turn around and keep sailing. It's a metaphor for my approach to fashion design, which is to turn fabrics upside down and give them a new way to keep on living. Waste isn't waste until we waste it. This collection is made from sails that can no longer be used, sails from my father's old sailing club and members of my family.
P. E.: What's next for you?
S. S.: I want to become a renowned pattern-maker! At first, I'd like to work for a bigger brand. For now, I really enjoy tailoring work. However, I still intend to work on my own brand. With that I can be highly creative by reusing materials. Denim and knitwear will always exist, and that's where it all started for me. I used to knit my own designs and do 'remakes' in denim. I have lots of ideas and dreams for the future...
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