“Given midsummer’s power, it’s almost absurd that in three years of Vogue Scandinavia, this is our first issue to honour it"
The significance of midsummer here in Scandinavia cannot be overstated. It isn’t just the celebration itself – the gathering of friends and family, the table full of herring, potatoes, gravlax and, later, local strawberries and cream – but the magic that permeates this time of year. The endless, soft light, the warmth and the bloom of flora and fauna (as legend has it, if a woman picks seven different flowers and places them under her pillow, she’ll dream of her future spouse). For a region that’s often cloaked in cold and darkness, this time truly holds a sense of mysticism and optimism.
Given midsummer’s power, it’s almost absurd that in three years of Vogue Scandinavia, this is our first issue to honour it. So we went with a bang, as potent as a shot of snaps. There’s our fashion story celebrating white dresses – a midsummer staple made modern by way of deconstruction and unexpected styling. There’s our midsummer hair story – wind- and water-swept locks and crafty braids. And there’s quite literally a story about snaps, which delves into the celebratory staple’s rich history (it also comes with a video of some of your favourite Swedes singing traditional snaps songs).
Related: “I f***ing love this place”: Rebecca Ferguson talks Dune, personal vices and her Swedish roots
And for the cover, we have a star who embodies the dual strength and femininity of a May Queen: Rebecca Ferguson. While Rebecca lives in London (and has the accent to prove it), she returns to her hometown of Stockholm (Dalarö, specifically), to shoot our cover. In the '90s, when I worked as editor for another Swedish fashion magazine, we shot the very first portrait of Rebecca in Österlen in a white romantic dress. I didn’t know who she was back then but everyone told me she would be the next big thing from Sweden. I was curious to meet her again, now a big Hollywood star flying in with her own glam team (and fresh off the Met Gala red carpet, where she wore Thom Browne couture).
Rebecca surprised and charmed me immediately – warm and open and as down-to-earth as any good Swede
Martina Bonnier
Rebecca surprised and charmed me immediately – warm and open and as down-to-earth as any good Swede. She was game to be pushed out onto the freezing cold sea on an air mattress and didn’t blink when photographer Marcus Ohlsson asked her to dip her hair and face in the water. Her genuine love of the Swedish countryside was apparent and she spent the day telling our whole team stories from her childhood. It was stunning to see.
Also in this issue, a power couple that just so happened to meet at a midsummer party. Pole vault superstar and record-holder Mondo Duplantis and his model-slash-influencer girlfriend, Desiré Inglander, enjoy a romantic (and fashion-forward) moment on a Stockholm rooftop ahead of Mondo’s anticipated run at this summer’s Olympics. Away from the arena that made Mondo famous, the love story he shares with Desiré is the stuff of midsummer magic.
You can’t help but notice the light throughout this issue. It’s most powerful in our story about Norwegian adventurer and influencer Helene Myhre, who takes us to far-flung locales in her native Norway armed with her iPhone and analogue camera. The vibrant colours in the sky have to be seen to be believed. This sense of adventure is mirrored in our hiking fashion editorial – proof that in the Nordics, we never sacrifice fashion for function.
Join me in raising a glass to this issue – a love letter to this special time of year. Skål!
