Our Christmas wish list just got sizeably longer thanks to & Other Stories‘ latest designer collaboration. Teaming up with Brøgger, the cult London-based label founded by Copenhagen cool girl Julie Brøgger in 2017, the collection is a corker.
Launching on 3rd December, the 12-piece capsule (starting at £59) was inspired by Julie’s late mother, an attorney in the 1980s and ’90s. “She worked in a men’s world and would do a lot of gender mixing with her wardrobe,” Julie explains ahead of the launch. “She loved both soft, silky fabrics and power suits.” If you’ve been poring over throwback images of Princess Di thanks to Emma Corrin in season four of The Crown, the Brøgger & Other Stories drop will be right up your street: think paintbox-bright blazers with gold buttons, power-shoulder dresses and prints galore.
Fans of Danish design will already be well versed in Brøgger’s signature aesthetic but for those who are unfamiliar, Julie – who cut her teeth at the likes of JW Anderson, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and Erdem by way of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – blends London’s eclectic cool with Copenhagen’s relaxed and joyful style. Ahead of the launch at & Other Stories this Thursday, we caught up with Julie to talk pandemic pregnancy and Christmas wish lists.
Hey Julie! How has your pandemic year been?
Eventful and emotional on all levels. I was three months pregnant when the pandemic hit. I dove into work to keep all the pregnancy hormones at bay. It was great having a collection and a project with & Other Stories to keep busy with.
How have things changed for your brand this year?
We did our first digital presentation during Copenhagen Fashion Week instead of a show. It turned out great and we had a very good season with both press and commercially. But we do miss real live interaction with our partners so, while the digital inputs are here to stay, we look forward to being able to do things like shows again. The quarantine sped up the use of connecting digitally but it also made me realise how important real-life social relationships are.
Where did you draw inspiration for your collaboration?
My mother. She worked in a men’s world and would do a lot of gender mixing with her wardrobe but she would always add femininity to her outfits, believing the feminine to be a great strength. She would have loved the suits and the v-neck daisy print dress.
What did you listen to while working on the collection?
Mostly podcasts. Like most I like a bit of true crime. But also shows like This American Life have been great in this time with elections and Black Lives Matter movements.
What do you love about & Other Stories?
Like Brøgger, & Other Stories offer their customer investment pieces that stand out but last more than just the season. Their customer base is wider than ours so it is great to be able to introduce Brøgger to women who might not know us or in markets where we are not currently stocked.
Which is your favourite piece and how are you styling it?
I love the white suit, it embodies the inspiration from my mother so well. Powerful and elegant. Versatile enough to wear both with its matching trousers but also with jeans or over a dress.
What is your most-worn look of 2020 and what will you be wearing for virtual party season?
I spent most of 2020 being pregnant but I didn’t really buy maternity wear. Instead I added elastic bands to the opening of tailored trousers, I also wore lots of oversized dresses. Now that my body is kind of back to normal, I can’t wait to wear the red suit from the collection. It’s based on a showpiece we did a few years back but was never produced. Cate Blanchett wore the original so I will attempt to channel a bit of her fabulousness for the family Christmas dinner.
What’s on your Christmas wish list?
First of all to be able to go home to Denmark for Christmas (fingers crossed) and introduce our daughter to our family. Of the more materialistic things, I am dying to get my hands on an Anissa Kermiche Ear Bowl.
What are your hopes for 2021?
Bye bye COVID-19! And that we will remember all the hard but good lessons this taught us.
The Brøgger collab collection will launch on stories.com on 3rd December’
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