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PRESS PORTFOLIO

Elle Finland 03 / 2012

Olivia 03 / 2012

Dansk Daily Saturday issue 04 / 02 / 2012

dANsk dAIlY SATURDAY 4TH pAGE

29

R/H is short for the collaborative between designer Hanna Riiheläinen and PR-agent Emilie Hernesniemi, who, after stints as assistant for Zac Posen in New York and PR work at Agency V in Berlin respectively, decided to join forces at University of Art & Design in their na-tive Helsinki.

Though still young in the business, R/H has already caught the eye of Danish colleague Henrik Vibskov, whose Copenhagen shop carries their design. You could understood why when viewing the A/W collection’s fo-cus on nonconformist silhouettes in graphic and artsy prints.

The Finns seem to have a knack for that, just think Marimekko. A series of different garments in dusty purple cotton with swirled brush stroke dots evoked memories of the pioneers, while the b/w prints promised a new direction. A lot of the clothes were paired with leggings and soft jersey dresses bordering on leisurewear, emphasizing the relaxed attitude of Nordic fashion.

R/hwords: elsebeth mouritzen photo: Copenhagen Fashion Week

Finnish imprintR/H

Distinctive yet often feminine trompe l’oeil effects have become the trademark of Gaia Brandt’s knits, but designing for autumn and winter, her poetic approach to decoration was replaced by a more abstract expression. Her visual inspiration came from the Russian avant-garde art movement known as Constructivism, combined with references to skiing outfits from the 30s and 40s.

Gaia sent out an array of beautiful knits and a few sewn shirts and dresses with geometric lines and figures, echoing the sports uniforms that the Russian Constructivist artist Varvara Stepanova designed in the interwar period. Jumpers, long and short cardigans in classic colors of red, black, white, grey and navy were highlighted with bronze sequins and metallic belts, teamed with skinny jeans, ski-pants and leggings, leather shorts and miniskirt.

A long V-necked dress with playful designs evoked memories of French knit-guru Sonia Rykiel, herself inspired by modernists of the past.

GaiaGaIa words: elsebeth mouritzen photo: Copenhagen Fashion Week

russian modernism revisited

sHoWs

HS / Nyt-liite 6 / 2012

Bast magazine NO 3

Elle Finland 12 / 2011

Elle Danmark 11 / 2011

Bon Autumn Winter 2011

Elle Accesories Finland Autumn 2011

Trendi 11 / 2011

Elle Finland 11 / 2011

COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK SPRING SUMMER 2012 — Saturday 06.08.2011 —

PROUD SPONSOR OF COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK

Trend

—

GREAT DESIGNERSREVITALIZE

Max Factor—

LOOK OFTHE DAY:

DENNIS LYNGSØ

Reviews—

BENEDIKTE UTZON,DESIGNERS REMIX,HENRIK VIBSKOV

Feature—

WHY FIRST-TIMERSINVADE COPENHAGEN

FASHION WEEK

Cover photo — Josephine Skriver in Helje Hamre by Anders von Greffelstejn

dansk daily

DANSK DAILY Saturday 06.08.2011

— Shows —

— page 30 —

R/H is a Finnish fashion duo consisting of Hanna Riiheläinen and Emilia Hernesniemi, who both graduated from the University of Art & Design in Helsinki in 2003.

Their universe is feminine, and the show sent models with green wreaths and scarves around their heads down the runway, behind which a psychedelic kaleidoscope video was playing. Walking in

low-heeled Swedish Hasbeens, the models wore pieces of knitted lace, light pastels and denim. Fringes were abundant — on the knees, on the side of trousers, on jackets in denim and on blouses. A jungle-inspired print on dresses, pants and a cute silk top added some growl to the collection.

Transparency was another big tendency here, with both black and blue transparent pants, dresses and tops, revealing just enough skin for young female bloggers to go crazy and dress accordingly.

Sustainable fabrics, bright colors and a playful approach to dress-making pretty much sums up MAXJENNY, a first-timer on Copenhagen Fashion Week’s show schedule. The design concept focused on how to drape soft jersey fabrics in as

many different ways as possible, and this mostly resulted in a variation of loose dresses, shawls and capes on the runway.

Colors were bright orange, cobalt blue and pink, always broken by black stripes. A family of colored check patterns gave a few styles a sporty look and black was used as base throughout.

The spirit of the collection was happy and almost naive — an impression echoed by the Alice in Wonderland collage film

playing in the background. All styles looked comfortable and easy to wear. Among the standout were the Sonia Rykiel-

like striped cardigans, printed wrap dresses and voluminous daytime dresses. Not to forget MAXJENNYS signature,

rounded jacket with batwing sleeves and high collars, shown in every imaginable color combination.

Words — Stinne Jensen Photo — Sacha Maric

MAXJENNY

STRIKE OF THE STRIPES

Words — Moussa Mchangama Photo — Sacha Maric

R/H

JUNGLE FEVER AND HIPPIE

Dansk Daily Saturday issue 06 / 08 / 2011

— page 10 —

DANSK DAILY Saturday 06.08.2011

She worked for John Galliano and Dior in Paris. She worked for Alexander McQueen in London. And she was selected by Vauxhall Fashion Scout to do a show with three other newcomers during London Fashion Week. Yet, when asked what is the highlight of her career so far, Anne Sofie Madsen doesn’t hesitate: ”When I was invited to open Copenhagen Fashion Week. First I thought wow. Then I panicked.” As it turned out, she didn’t need to. Her first show in her own label was more than well-received. ”For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to have my own brand, but I didn’t know if I could do it.” 31-year-old Anne Sofie Madsen took a break from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. First working as an illustrator for trend agency Peclers in Paris, she came to John Galliano’s office as a trainee. Then, a French agency recommended her to Alexander McQueen, who hired her as a junior designer.

”That’s when I found out that I wanted to do my own stuff. I thought that if I had to work this hard I wanted to have my own name on the label. Then they called me from Fashion Scout 2010, and I realized that I might have a chance. So, I made some money working as an illustrator and it gave me time to think and work out what to do. I worked out a business plan and formulated my vision,” says Madsen, who made her collection with five interns in a backyard office, where she couldn’t afford a refrigerator.”I have seen people put too much money at risk in this business, so I want to keep expenses at a low cost and try not to bake too big a bread.” So why do a show so soon, one might wonder. ”A show is the most important priority for me. The media are to fashion what galleries are to the art world. The clothes are seen on a living, walking model, and as a designer, a show is your only chance to influence absolutely everything surrounding your design,” says Madsen. “IF I AM LUCKY, STYLISTS WILL USE MY THINGS IN MAGAZINES, BUT THIS IS MY CHANCE TO INVITE PEOPLE INTO MY UNIVERSE.” Her show was inspired by Japanese film action heroine Princess Mononoke, and was accompanied by taiko, traditional Japanese drumming. ”It means a lot for me as a designer to control all these things; to invite people into my universe,” says Madsen, and adds, almost as a parenthesis, but nevertheless an important one that reveals her awareness of the power of branding: ”Also, a runway represents high fashion.”

Dennis Lyngsø, also a first-timer, agrees: ”I love shows, because that is where a designer can create an atmosphere around the work. I want to tell a story about my work, and that is difficult to do on a stand at a fair,” says the 26 year-old-designer, who has no intentions of focusing on what he calls ”commercial clothes”: ”Danish fashion is very democratic, but I am not interested in promoting the classic understated elegance,” says Lyngsø, who designs for women mainly in black silks, ostrich and raffia. Just out of school, he won the prestigious award Den Gyldne Pelsnål and the Triumph Inspiration Award, garnering him quite a lot of attention: ”I always wanted to have my own brand, and when I won those awards I thought it was

important to keep the flame going. If you want to be taken seriously you need a show. A show is a financial risk, but it’s what I want.”

To Emilia Hernesniemi and Hanna Riiheläinen, the risk is actually much bigger if you don’t bet on what you’ve got. They are the women behind the Finnish label R/H, who just gave their first show ever in Copenhagen.”Many people asked us why we are willing to take such a great risk. Shows cost a lot of money. But we thought we would risk more if we got stuck working for someone else, just earning a living. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, YOU KNOW. IT’S ONLY MONEY; IF YOU LOSE YOUR CREATIVITY, IT’S A LOT WORSE. MAYBE YOU CAN’T GET IT BACK,” SAYS EMILIA HERNESNIEMI, 27. She and Riiheläinen, 31, met at the University of Art in Helsinki in 2003. After graduating, Emilia was a textile deisgner, while Hanna worked for Zac Posen in New York. ”But the only thing we really wanted to do was to have our own collection. When we completed our master’s degrees, Hanna did the silhouettes and I did the prints, and we made a plan.” A year after, in 2009, the two friends launched R/H. They chose Copenhagen after Emilia had worked with Agency V, doing PR for Stine Goya: ”We have been around for a year, so we didn’t feel prepared for a show. But when we asked for a fair booth, we were encouraged to do a show.” ”Copenhagen is perfect us. It’s a small city for a fashion week, but a lot is going on.”

Even if giving a show right out of school may seem hazardous, it could very well be the right way to go for a new designer, says Veronica B. Vallenes, a quickly rising Norwegian designer based in Copenhagen:”I had my first show last year, and it has definitely been worthwhile. It gave me a chance to present my collections within a professional context in front of national and international journalists, and this has resulted in quite a lot of press, as well as an increased demand,” she says. A show by itself, however, is not enough, she adds: ”If you want to succeed with your own brand, you’ve got to have a signature, a will of steel, patience and above all passion. Well, maybe not above all, because there is no doubt that you need a head for business on top of that,” says the designer, who has already become a favorite of the Copenhagen fashion crowd. So, who’s next?

FIRST TIME’S THE CHARMWords — Iben Albinus Sabroe Illustrator — Anne Sofie Madsen

A TOTAL OF 11 FIRST-TIMERS VITALIZE COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK’S SHOW CALENDAR THIS SEASON. THE BOLD AND THE YOUNG DEFY FINANCIAL RISKS TO FULFILL THEIR DREAMS OF

SUCCEEDING WITH THEIR OWN LABELS. ALSO, THEY’VE FIGURED OUT THE VALUE OF BRANDING.

— page 10 —

DANSK DAILY Saturday 06.08.2011

— Feature —

Trendi 09 / 2011

Costume 08 / 2011

Gloria 07 / 2011

Elle Finland 08 / 2011

Trendi 07 / 2011 cover

Trendi 06 / 2011

Bazaar 06 / 2011

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Trendi 05 / 2011

Gloria 03 / 2011

Trendi 03 / 2011

Vice U.S. vol. 18

New York Magazine 05 / 03 / 2011 on nymag.com anywho 14 / 04 / 2011 on anywho.dk

Me Naiset nro 41 / 2011 cover HS / Nyt-liite 36 / 2011 cover

Bazaar 02 / 2011

Collezioni Sport & Street nr. 59 / 2011

Trendi 02 / 2011

Elle Finland 02 / 2011

Elle Finland 01 / 2011

Trendi 12 / 2010

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Elle Finland 11 / 2010

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