Based in Sweden’s western city of Gothenberg, this season was Dr. Denim’s first showing in Stockholm. Denim is at the core of Swedish fashion and the jeans brands tend to have some of the best shows. While for Dr. Denim the clothes were pretty simple, the styling flares (hair extensions, inside out pants, shirts tied around the waist backwards) made the show a hit without pushing things into ridiculousness. Filippa K is a major powerhouse in Sweden, and their show is one of the biggest of the week. It was impeccably styled by VMAN contributor Robert Rydberg, and the beautiful fabrics and strong simple outerwear really stood out. Cheap Monday is now a huge company falling under the H&M umbrella. However its roots are fully punk and anti-establishmentarian. In that vein, it’s runway presentations are open to the public. Last night the public lined up by the hundreds (thousands?), and, after the press had taken its seats, were allowed to swarm into the venue. The sound of so many people running to get a spot to stand was unsettling, but amazingly, everyone behaved perfectly. No one would have even dreamed of taking a seat that wasn’t assigned to them—such is Sweden. Styled by V contributor Naomi Itkes, the clothes, denim and non, seemed to evidence a growing and mature aesthetic on the part of the brand. Backstage, Ann Sophie Back was offering a helping hand. While her collection of non-denim pieces for Cheap Monday won’t launch until Spring 2011, she’s obviously already a part of the team.

Slideshows:
Cheap Monday
Dr. Denim
Filippa K

Photography Jesper Lindstrom

KEYWORDS: cheap monday, dr. denim, filippa k, runway, shows, stockholm fashion week