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SFW SS21 – Stylein: Simple Summer Styles
Each season Stylein’s collection take on the spirit of their muse’s location, and for SS21, it was rural Sweden, with top Swedish model Emmy Rappe. With just the help of a drone, Emmy self-captured the collection in the Swedish countryside, creating a relaxed and pared down campaign, that capture the true essence of Stylein – effortless, timeless elegance. For Stylein’s founder Elin Alemdar, it was all about creating transeasonal pieces that are modern, but stand the test of time – a black suit with a cropped jacket, a classic white t-shirt with a strong shoulder, and a navy slip dress and matching knitwear.
For the brand’s presentation at Stockholm Fashion Week, they broadcast the film live, and Emmy spoke about her inspiration for the film/photos that she shot, styled and directed herself, from her home in Southern Sweden during the pandemic. I have to commend Emmy on her amazing job with this, I really like the vibe and personality she has presented, and feel like this is a true collaboration between her and Stylein. After the presentation, you were able to buy the collection straight away via the brand’s website, allowing people to see, buy and enjoy these styles, regardless of the season they are ‘labelled’ for.
“As digitization progresses, we constantly aim to invite and inspire our customers, creating an intimate conceptual world for them to be a part of. Therefor it feels like a natural next step to continue on that path when presenting our collection during Stockholm Fashion Week – in what usually is a secluded event aimed towards the fashion elite, industry and press. This is an inspiring way to develop our business model, while creating a stronger bond directly with our loyal fans.”
The collection suits Emmy so well, and is the perfect Swedish offering – relaxed silhouettes, mute colours, contrasting but complimenting textures, that all combine to make a cohesive collection that is suitable to mix and match throughout the year. A white, seersucker dress and white best are perfect for hot days, but can also be layered under knitwear for winter. My favourite parts of the collection where two pieces – the black suit, denim jeans and jackets, and the beige, leather suit. They are all simple executions, but pieces that are integral to any capsule wardrobe, as they are transeasonal, mix and matchable and classic – exactly what this collection is all about.
For some people, Stylein may be too simple, but I appreciate a brand that sticks to what they do best, but also knows how to evolve with the times. By considering our ‘new normal’, Elin built a process by which her customer base/the press could still feel a part of the experience, and be rewarded with unique content, and then the new collection, all without needing to go outside.
As depressing as that may sound, brands will need to start thinking about the safety of their customers, but also how they keep their brand alive, without as much human interaction taking place. This summer’s fashion weeks have given us a taste of the digital fashion age to come, and we don’t mind it. Do I miss the in-person buzz of a show? Yes. Do I appreciate what digital fashion weeks can do for the environment and our health? 100%.