A few years ago, Daniel Adams-Ray turned his back on a successful rap career to shift his focus toward pop music, putting out one of last year’s biggest singles in Sweden. Now, the creative chameleon has changed his colors once more, as the designer of the emerging unisex clothing line Lagom. In a Q&A with VMAN, Adams-Ray talks about the intrinsic link between music and design.

VMAN Tell us about your fashion line.
DANIEL ADAMS-RAY In 2005, I was working on my band’s graphic identity and realized that I was missing a vital link, our stage clothing. The brand Lagom sprung out of a “meeting” between fashion design, music, and graphic design. The music I wrote at the time was a blend of melancholic Scandinavian soul and electronic hip-hop. I found that street fashion was “too street” and the high end brands in Sweden were too preppy. I therefore sought an expression in between these opposites and the word “Lagom” in Swedish seeks to describe this, it is easiest translated as “balanced”.

VMAN What made you want to transition from music into fashion?
DAR At the height of my career, after receiving a Grammy and MTV award, I decided to quit Snook (my band at the time). My vision of the band as Sweden’s most progressive hip-hop band was clouded by a whole bunch of things, all but creativity. I find that one is only as great as one’s next vision. Lacking vision, one has nothing.

VMAN How do music and fashion relate to one another?
DAR I compare it to a human body; each organ has its own task but share a common purpose. When in harmony, the result can be transcending. And likewise, the opposite is true as well.

VMAN Your music is very pop, how does this aesthetic bleed into your clothes?
DAR My ambition is to work with and express emotions in layers. I try to distinguish between the outer and inner layers, the first layer often being somewhat naive, creating space and allowing me to elaborate with darker expression underneath. An attempt to capture the complexity of [human] being[s], be it in a song or in a garment.

VMAN What do you have coming up in 2011?
DAR I will be on tour in Scandinavia until the end of August. In November, Lagom will be opening its own store located in the center of Stockholm. In addition, I am also actually looking forward to some time for an introverted, creative phase.

VMAN Do you plan to record any songs in English?
DAR I don’t wish for anything to be in the way of my expressions, I feel that one’s ego already creates many unnecessary compromises. I grew up in Kenya, East Africa as a child, and at that time my dreams unfolded in English. I find that my creativity is best expressed in the same language as my dreams, and at present that is in Swedish.

www.lagom-sthlm.com

Hat Soulland
Shirt, sweater and jacket (worn underneath) Lagom
Jacket Hugo Boss
Trousers Burberry

Photography Andreas Öhlund (Lundlund)
Hair Ali Pirzadeh (Linkdetails)
Photo Assistant Therese Z

KEYWORDS: Daniel Adams-Ray, Lagom, Sweden, Unisex