Living in New York is pretty cool. Living on the Lower East Side and studying at F.I.T is even cooler. And being a Swedish native? Yeah, you guessed it, is cooler still. So we’ve now established that designer Carin Rodebjer is the coolest woman pretty much ever to exist, let’s talk about her amazing work. A little bit Lower Manhattan cool, a little bit Annie Hall zany, a little bit Northern European cult style, Carin’s eponymous label Rodebjer is a little bit of all the best things about fashion.
Perhaps I am a little biased. As someone who considers herself a little bit New York, a little bit London, a little bit Melbourne (a little bit wanker?) the pastiche of influence and identity Rodebjer represents is infinitely intriguing to me. The conflation of elements from a series of moments in the designer’s life reads like a novel; a page turner that becomes all the more suspenseful the more those elements conflict and dance together to create something that quite literally, speaks. Moreover, if I had the dollars and the space in my suitcase, Rodebjer would fill my wardrobe- I would literally dress head to toe Rodebjer every day. This is the way I dream I look in the wee small hours of the morning.
I spoke to Carin Rodebjer about all this wonder; about Annie Hall, New York and Sweden and the intriguing nature of the Rodebjer girl…
- Tell us about the collection- at first glance there's something very Diane Keaton/Annie Hall about this, but still super modern.
Thank you! Such a wonderful reference. Annie Hall is a dear inspiration of mine, in the film she had an effortlessly elegant style and that was what I too aimed for with the SS11 collection. I always try to stick to the tradition but at the same time look into the future. For me it is important to find a good balance between the two. Fashion is about movement so you have to keep moving.
- What influences your work?
Pretty much everything. I read, travel and listen to music a lot. My friends who never stop questioning things are also big sources of inspiration in my work.
- How do your experiences in both New York and Sweden come together to inform what you do?
I am very fortunate to have both because I can pick and choose what is the best out of two cultures. I try to combine the energy and life spirit that New York offers with the sensibility that is so important in Sweden.
- How is it that you can eschew trends and yet still make clothing that is so effortlessly stylish?
I wouldn’t say that I eschew trends, I just don’t pick up on trends that don’t match Rodebjer. The explanation might be that I think stylish is more intriguing than trendy.
- What's next for you?
I am finishing the AW11 collection and working on an US Visa for a longer stay in New York this spring.
- Where can we buy your range online or in Australia?
We are opening a web shop this spring so I look forward to meet our customers from allover the world there!