An easy way to find your own style is to exaggerate yourself a bit and then find a balance.
I think it's great to use fashion to develop your personality and express who you really are.
Everything I do with BLK DNM is more personal than anything I have done before. I've worked hard to go deeper in my true intuition, and therefore I am definitely more pure in my personal taste than ever.
My first girlfriend, when I was about 18, was a fashion designer, and my sister was a fashion designer as well. I've always been into shopping, and I've always been very aesthetic, in a sense.
I always like to incorporate one or two chic accessories that contrast with the more gritty look of my daily uniform: a leather jacket and jeans.
I grew up in a very bohemian environment in southern Sweden, so I was always, always, always in black jeans.
I think jeans have gotten away from the original meaning, that symbol of freedom; they've gone gimmicky and turned into a status item. Our denim is offered at lower price points for that reason. As far as the men's clothing in the collection, it's basically my wardrobe. I think men's clothes should be grounded, strong and classic. I like simple: a blazer, jeans, a low cut tee and maybe a silk scarf.
I don't like menswear that's too tricky, and I wanted to take a lot of inspiration from myself and really only do things that I like. I don't like chinos, but I do like dress pants and jeans, so we do them. It's pretty straightforward, and just a matter of doing the right products.
I see BLK DNM more as a creative project than a traditional fashion brand. The world doesn’t really need more Fashion Houses. I want to create something different – to be able to collaborate with great creative minds and thereby stretch the brand in different directions. I also believe that a brand should offer deeper content in this era. After all, the only reason to do all of this is to create energy and to inspire people.
I have a really simple wardrobe. I wear a low-scoop tee every day with a tux or leather jacket and tux pants or black jeans. That's pretty much it.
For women, I take inspiration from strong women with good aesthetics and integrity, and a little tomboy influence.
I was tired of doing collections, tired of doing runway shows... there was just so much wasted time and energy doing all the runway product and all the filler product. We also decided not to do wholesale, which gives me a lot of freedom; I can basically do what I want and I don't need to fit into any department in a store.
Coming to LA and working with brands connected with celebrity was a very different experience. I thought it was interesting to work with someone like Justin Timberlake and to work with the phenomenon of celebrity in the U.S., and also to take on the challenge of taking a celebrity brand and adding credibility to it.
I was Justin Timberlake personal stylist for years, so I went to his video shoots and his gigs with Madonna, and I did it very hands-on. It was a great way to experience and understand that part of American culture.
