Chatting to & Other Stories' creative director for the Savoir collection, Frida Billegren, Vogue Scandinavia gets the low-down on the covetable range comprising pastel prints and sultry denim
From the moment creative director of & Other Stories' Savoir Collection began working on the SS24 range, she knew she wanted “to create something absolutely beautiful... Something that could spread some hope and happiness,” she explains. Hence, the starting point became a pastel dreamscape painted on canvas, evoking a magnificence of an infinite sky at sunset. “I reached out to a friend of mine who is an artist, and I asked if she could paint my fantasy of a clouded landscape just from my description of words,” explains Billegren. “That’s how the cloud dress was created.”
The pastel sky print, shifting from faint blues to purples and pinks, plays out across one of the collection's centrepieces, a simple column slip dress. “For me, when I feel a bit sad or stressed with life, I just simply look at clouds – a beautiful summer day is the most calming thing,” says Billegren. “My thought was, how can I bring that feeling into a collection of clothes?”
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Photo: & Other Stories
Photo: & Other Stories
Photo: & Other Stories
Billegren, using the slip dress as a focal point, quickly envisioned the pieces to accompany it: a voluminous sky-blue dress and a sunny-yellow dress draped in a way reminiscent of the 1930s and '40s. The draping is also applied to denim in an experimental why, as well as lavender and sage green separates with the veil-like quality of clouds.
Creative director Frida Billegren mid-process working on the denim jacket from the collection. Photo: & Other Stories
“I always love to work with contrasts in my collections,” shares Billegren. “I love to be able to style my looks in a feminine way, but still with an edge.” For Billegren, denim directly represents strength. “I felt myself urging for some power dressing in happy blue denim, which work for both for everyday wear and for ‘occasion’ vibe. That’s how it all came together with the denim pieces.”
As per usual, & Other Storie's Savoir Collection is a detailed affair. The accessories, such as handcrafted glass baubles strung on sterling silver and a sandal with a sculptural flower heel, accentuates the surrealistic flair of the garments. Adding a certain oumph to otherwise utterly romantic pieces.
Below, discover the Vogue Scandinavia editors' edit of the best pieces to nab before they sell out:
