“Sweden is an extremely blue denim country; we are fastidious when it comes to fit and wash, and we tend to change labels more often than other people. We were one of the first countries to create denim fashions with clean, pure lines,” says Maria Erixon, founder of the Nudie denim brand and former head designer at Lee.
Established in 2001, Nudie has been growing in popularity ever since. Today the brand is a refined denim label for men; more recently, Erixon introduced “Denimbirds” for women. These jeans hit the ground running as well. In Erixon’s opinion, the Nudie design is indisputably Swedish because it emphasizes functionality, attention to details, and purity of line. The brand also makes reference to its “Swedishness” on the jeans labels, which feature pictures of typically Swedish environments. The pureness that Erixon describes as a Swedish characteristic also reflects the design philosophy of Nudie, one that focuses on influences from everyday life.
Swedish jeans are avant-garde
Acne Jeans has been on the market since 1996, and has grown from being simply a denim brand to one that creates complete fashion collections. © Photo: Acne Jeans, 'Ladies' high waist'.
“In the men’s department, our best-selling style at the moment is Nudie’s Regular Ralf Dry Selvage because of the story behind them - you have to wait 6-8 months before the first wash, but then they are amazing!” says Natascha Cleys, owner of the new multi-brand store Suparetta in Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp is one of world’s leading fashion cities when it comes to defining the avant-garde – fashion that strives to be cutting-edge and ahead of its time. While her clients pay a lot for a pair of jeans today, Natascha is convinced that a cheaper, well-fitting line will soon provide stiff competition to expensive jeans. “I like the Swedish denim brands because they are simple, to the point, and very product-oriented, compared to Italian denim brands, for example, which are all about glamour,” explains Natascha.
Swedish jeans are street wear
The street wear brand WE SC is another Swedish export that is making a name for itself internationally. Josefine Åberg, head designer of the women’s collection, sees a huge difference in jeans preferences among WE’s different markets. Sweden is special because of its rather open attitude towards contemporary fashion design, especially in the bigger cities. “In the United States, for instance, they’re still stuck with the classic five-pocket style and can’t seem to understand how a looser fit for women can be even sexier than a super-tight boot cut,” explains Åberg.
Jeans made out of ring spun premium Japanese selvage denim from WESC, short for 'WE are the Superlative Conspiracy'. © Photo: WESC, 'Ladies' Marika, Hollywood wash'.
Swedish blue goes West
Fred Segal, the mega hip department store, is located in Los Angeles, just down the coast from San Francisco, the original domicile of Levi Strauss jeans. Today Ron Herman and Hollywood Trading at Fred Segal carry three Swedish denim brands, Nudie, WESC and Acne Jeans.
The trendy, clean-cut label Acne Jeans has been on the market since 1996, and has grown from being simply a denim brand to one that creates complete fashion collections every season for both men and women. Brian Kaneda, denim buyer at Fred Segal, says that the first shipment of Acne jeans sold out in less than a week. A new fit in terms of the drain pipe shape is challenging the extremely popular boot cut that has been a knockout best seller for decades.
“For me, Swedish denim labels are always injecting fresh, new details into their styles,” says Kaneda, “whereas the US denim clientele needs to be educated in accepting a new wash or style.” So far, Acne’s light blue wash has been very successful at Fred Segal, but Kaneda hopes that the raw denim styles will do equally well. Even though the Swedish denim brand deliveries do not come packaged with a press kit showing pictures of celebrities wearing their favorite blue, Kaneda isn’t worried. The labels sell themselves, initially to a small, very fashion-conscious clientele and then eventually to a broader group of customers. “The denim market shows no sign of slowing down whatsoever,” concludes Kaneda.
A classic at the top of its game
Jeans can be compared to other classic garments, like the white oxford shirt or the little black dress. However, jeans have one characteristic that has contributed to their huge success in the fashion industry, namely “attitude.” Swedish designers have succeeded in transforming functional clothing into a commercial trend. By respecting old traditions in denim making and adding new design ideas, Swedish denim jeans express more than just a blue-collar attitude. They are core wardrobe items, they are new, and they make a true blue fashion statement.
Facts: Denim jeans
Denim jeans are made of indigo-dyed and white cotton threads.
The term selvage refers to the nonfraying edge of the denim fabric
Dry denim is the strongest denim. It also gives the most personal fit after being worn for a couple of months.
Wait at least six months before washing your denim jeans, especially if they are raw denim. This way, you will be ensured of a fit that is perfectly suited to your own unique body type.
Sweden’s fashionable crowd has nicknamed a baggy denim style “the carrot trouser” because its silhouette, featuring a voluminous waist and narrow leg, resembles a carrot.
After Sweden, Nudie’s biggest markets are Norway, The Netherlands, Australia, and The United States.
In the 1970s, the trendiest jeans labels in Sweden were “Puss och Kram” (kiss and hug) and “Gul&Blå” (yellow&blue).
