At the Swedish Residence on Park Avenue at 64th Street, designer Gudrun Sjödén’s fall ’17 collection was recently introduced by Leif Pagrotsky, the consul general of Sweden, with a continental breakfast. Sjödén presented sneak-peak of her summer ’17 collection on a warm, sunny, 92-degree morning. The lobby of the residence was a luxurious location for the breakfast show. The runway floor was a multicolored striped rug. The clothes were cleverly coordinated in bold, bright colors. These unexpected, unconstructed ensembles were eye-catching, on-the-cutting-edge and chic.
Sjödén is one of Sweden’s most successful designers and has been creating clothes for 40 years. She travels around the world creating a line for women who want to stand out in a crowd. In her show, the list of talented, star models featured former Miss Africa and water activist Georgie Bediel and model turned actress Angel Pai. Sjödén’s collection included the natural stripes and colorful hand-painted patterns in eco-friendly fabrics that are hallmarks of her designs. Just before the show, she was interviewed live and gave audience an idea of what they were about to see. Why colors? “Women must be colorful inside and out,” she replied.
Inspired by the colorful tiled walls of Lisbon, her autumn 2017 collection was filled with stylish circles, good craftsmans hip and geometric patterns and lines. “While designing this collection, we visited India to explore traditional crafts techniques for dying, using indigo and rosy madder red,” Sjödén revealed. “This craft combined with an earlier trip to Lisbon with its tiled walls, went on to inspire the autumn collection.” The line will be available at stores in July 2017.
For the collection’s craftsmanship, there are many patterns, including zip-zags, circles, embroidery, a technique called ikat weave and indigo dying. The designer loves roses and their shapes. You will find many shapes coming from the rose in her prints and patterns. There was a Mediterranean coloring in many of her graphically designed garments. In organic linens, there are looks in stripes, solids in lovely cuts. Her clothes are loose-fitting and easy-to-wear for days in the country or city. Ninety-three percent of her garments are made from sustainable materials. “This year, we are celebrating 25 years of organic cotton production in Greece,” she boasted.
The line also offered many style tips. Layered looks are in fashion. Some dresses and skirts were worn with color-coordinated pants underneath, and hanging down below the hemlines. Knee high stockings and socks are quick-dressing options, especially for women who don’t want to wear tights. Every one of her outfits was all about the color and the way you used the colors as accessories. All colors go together in her collection. There was much mixing and matching. Hats were knitted in various shapes and shown with scarves, coats and dresses. Crazy color combos were the norm, but the models wearing them looked happy and very fashionable. For the finale, all models hit the runway in blonde wigs and sunglasses to salute the designer.
Sjödén opened her first store in Stockholm, Sweden in 1976. The concept of the brand continues to be comfortable, colorful clothes in natural materials with Nordic design influences. Her customer base is on the rise. Today her clothes are sold via her website and catalogue in 52 markets, including Germany, the U.K. and the U.S.