Stockholm New was launched by Claes Britton and his wife, Christina, back in 1992. During its ten-year—and twelve-issue—run, the magazine became a cult sensation, showcasing the best in Swedish culture and design—fashion and otherwise. “We set it up as a marketing vehicle for the first fashion agency in Stockholm,” said Claes, who currently runs creative agency Britton Britton with Christina. “And then it evolved into a magazine about the creative scene of Stockholm.” Boasting that crisp, raw, eerily pristine Swedish aesthetic that we’ve been obsessed with of late, the magazine showcased the work of such Scandinavian photographers as Sølve Sundsbø, Mikael Jansson, and John Akehurst (not to mention the decidedly un-Swedish Mario Testino), and clothes the likes of Acne Studios, Ann-Sofie Back, and Sandra Backlund. “We never looked at other magazines for inspiration,” offered Claes. “And we never played according to the rules of the fashion industry—we had our own slower pulse, we were a bit more poetic, and a bit more complex. It really came from our own tradition, and I think that original code was appreciated.”
The publication folded in 2002, but tonight, in Stockholm, the co-EICs are launching a book that combines the greatest hits from Stockholm New’s original issues, as well as new images and new fashion talents—Claes and Christina made sure to include a few up-and-coming fashion students. “Sweden really has amazing budding fashion talent,” Claes told Style.com. “The problem, though, is that the market here is so small. They really have to go abroad. But it was fun to show all these creatives.”
The book, which Claes describes as “the soul of the magazine that we used to have,” will be celebrated tonight alongside an exhibit at Stockholm’s Thielska Galleriet museum. The show will juxtapose images from the tome with nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings by Scandinavian artists. “I always thought fashion photography, or the kind that we worked with, had a lot in common with paintings of the last century. [Like the artists] we were always concerned with beauty, dreams, and myths, or our heritage.” The Brittons have no plans to relaunch the magazine in its traditional form. But that doesn’t mean Stockholm New is being put to bed. “You never know,” offered Claes. “There are other ways to build the brand—it doesn't have to be just a magazine.” Stay tuned.
Stockholm New is available from today at select bookstores, and at www.stockholmnew.com. The exhibition will be on view at Stockholm’s Thielska Galleriet until September 1.
Photos: Mikael Jansson (above and below) and Sølve Sundsbø (center) for Stockholm New
—Katharine K. Zarrella
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