Urban Outfitters - Blog

From Copenhagen

11/26/12 09:25AM

WH101101001 by Won Hundred for Urban Outfitters

This holiday season, we've launched an exclusive collection, WH101101001, with Copenhagen-based label Won Hundred. Won Hundred was created with the mission to define a modern style for the multifaceted and enthusiastic individual. Founder Nikolaj Nielsen launched Won Hundred in 2004 to satisfy his long-felt urge to express his own vision and to challenge the way fashion was perceived in Denmark. Inspired by classical menswear and traditional formal wear, the once small denim brand continues to maintain its unique aesthetic through cultural influences, art and minimalistic design.

Shop Won Hundred

From Copenhagen

04/30/12 11:00AM

Norse Projects

Above are the gorgeous moody spring lookbook photos shot by Vancouver-based photographer Alana Paterson for Danish brand Norse Projects. I'm not generally one for branded pieces but Norse pulls it off in a clean fashion. See the rest of the lookbook here. -Bob

From Copenhagen

01/18/12 01:30PM

LuckyBoySunday

We may be a little too old for their stuffed animals, but LuckyBoySunday's classic pillows are just our style.

From Copenhagen

12/29/11 03:30PM

Norse Projects x Hestra Gloves

Norse Projects and Hestra have joined forces to bring you these extra warm deer skin gloves with removable lining. As nice as the normal black and brown are, the rubber-glove-yellow ones are our favorite!

From Copenhagen

12/27/11 03:30PM

Brics

I love the minimal and soft aesthetic of the Copenhagen based line, Brics. Their lookbook is absolutely stunning too—simple and effortless. -Jennilee

From Copenhagen

11/07/11 02:30PM

Meyer-Lavigne Plates

I am currently obsessed with these adorable little decorative plate s designed by design collective Meyer-Lavigne. I mean, little cowboy animals? What's not to love? You can buy them here! - Hazel

From Copenhagen

10/05/11 10:23AM

Times Up Vintage

Times Up Vintage is a webshop with designer vintage clothing from the 1950's-1990's and it's pretty awesome. Buy quickly or else your coveted item will be surely be sold! I wish I had seen this Escada silk shirt. Now how am I supposed to let people know how much I love The Rockies? - Hazel

From Copenhagen

07/23/11 01:52PM

Ecco x Sara Philips

Danish (and slightly daggy) shoe maker Ecco has joined forces with Aussie designer Sara Philips to create a very stylish capsule collection that I want all over my feet. - Nadia

From Copenhagen

04/13/11 12:03PM

Danish Tattooing

A fascinating look at Copenhagen's long and rich tattooing history by Cool Hunting, from some of the earliest sailing-inspired designs to one of the first tattoo guns.

From Copenhagen

03/17/11 09:02AM

An Island

French filmmaker Vincent Moon and the band Efterklang recently collaborated on a film that's the same length as their album, and as long as you have five or more friends and a place to host it, you can have your own "private-public" screening of An Island. We held our own showing this week, and caught up with the band's Rasmus Stolberg shortly after to discuss making the film in his hometown, an island off the Danish coast.

What was your favorite part of An Island to film?

Doing "Alike" with our parents in the barn where I used to rehearse with the band I was in in eighth grade was special. Our girlfriends were there too, and we all just shared a moment that felt very special. It was a bit like the role between kids and parents had been turned around. They were so eager to learn the song and to participate and we had to teach and steer them. It was fun and heartwarming!

How did where you grew up influence your music?

That's a really good question. We haven't really figured it out yet. We do know that we have a very strong friendship and mission because three of us left this island at an early age to go to Copenhagen and make it with music. No one believed we could make it—but we have.

Who are some of the people in the film and did you know them beforehand?

The older folks in the barn are our parents. The man on the horse is Harry Clausen– he has the most wins ever in the history of Tilting-at-the-Ring or Ring Riding as we call it on this island. The children all attend the school that Mads and I attended when we were kids. All the locations and people have some form of connection to our childhood and years on this island.

You used a lot of ambient noise, like raindrops, in the film. Do you always look for natural sounds when you create music?

We always look for sounds and it is true we do prefer natural sounds. A lot of the electronics you hear on our records are made out of sound samples. So any beat or atmostphere comes out of something we have recorded, like breaking branches or wet grass.

We loved how the audience was always participating in your music in the film. Who would you love to collaborate with next?

Good question. We collaborate with a lot of people. We would love to score a Werner Herzog film and collaborate with him! Recently we have also been talking about expanding our Efterkids project and do more collaborations with kids.

There are quite a few ways to interpret the film. What did it mean to you?

To me the film is about how music is in everyone and everything. It's about growing up and it's about the island and of course Efterklang—but more the music of Efterklang and not so much about us, and I like that.

Sign-ups for "public-private" screenings of An Island end March 19. Read the rules and schedule a screening here.

From Copenhagen

01/14/11 12:32PM

Indexed

Created by writer and illustrator Jessica Hagy, Indexed is an addicting blog that charts the facts of life through circles, bar graphs and Venn Diagrams.

From Copenhagen

12/17/10 10:32AM

Nisse Landscape

For this year's Dansk Architectural Center holiday workshop, participants were asked to examine how the Nisse (or elf-folk) can continue to live among humans as the urban landscape changes. In 14 snow globes, the architects created urban plans for roof gardens, street parties and harbor baths meant to bring man and elf closer together for the holidays.

From Copenhagen

10/25/10 10:51AM

Henrik Vibskov Alastair Hat

For wearing many hats, all at once.

From Copenhagen

10/15/10 09:14AM

Stine Goya

Designed by Stine Goya

Where do you live?
I am living in Copenhagen, close to the center, in a quiet and peaceful area with a view over the lakes of Copenhagen.

When did you found Stine Goya?
The company was founded in Copenhagen in 2006. At the outset of starting my own brand it was simply to contribute my own aesthetic and approach to design without regard to another's pre-conceived vision or brand profile. My ambition with the company has always been to move forward, and not succumb to established trends in a bid to capitalize on them.

What sparked the creation of your line?
Design was always the ultimate goal. I started modeling and styling, and in 2005 I graduated from Central St. Martins College of Art & Design in London, where I majored in fashion print. My time as fashion editor of Danish fashion magazine Cover was a fantastic opportunity, which turned on my return to Denmark after I'd finished my degree. After working in those different areas of fashion for many years, I decided I wanted to start my own line. I feel these dallies into other areas of fashion have been very influential in the way I approach my work as a designer– they have given me invaluable insight in terms of the facets of the industry, which makes the work into a larger context.

What are some influences behind your designs?
I can find inspiration in a wide array of places, and previous collections have drawn on such different things as the movie Spellbound by Hitchcock to the atmosphere of extravagance and decadence that permeates the Hamptons.

I want the clothing to be sophisticated yet understated; each collection formed around a certain universe. The essence of my designs lie in the visual portrayal of an emotion or tone, inspired by a wide spectrum of contemporary and classical sources. The striking prints are a central characteristic of my designs, and often refer to the dominant sources of inspiration, further illustrating the underlying tone of a collection. They are the essence of the brand Stine Goya.

What kind of girl do you imagine wearing your collection?
There is no one Stine Goya girl, but perhaps a girl who is not afraid to wear clothes with shapes and colors and is extremely trend conscious but not afraid to break the norms of fashion as well. I think my designs have a relatively wide appeal, both in the realm of age and type. I try to design for the individual rather than seeking to converge with mass trends, and I find it interesting how the clothing is taken out of the context of a collection and combined with a woman's wardrobe in a personal interpretation.

What is your favorite piece from your collection?
From the Spring/Sumer 2011 collection my favorite piece is the Rose dress with a print called Wonderland. The colors are dusty and light and the shapes on the print and the tone-in-tone effects give the collection a unique and complete expression.

What is your favorite part about living in Copenhagen?
The Danish mentality is so easy to live with. I also think that Copenhagen is a beautiful city with so many places to go, offering something metropolitan with a small and cozy feeling as well.

If a visitor only had a weekend in your city, where would you tell the to go?
I would tell them to go to the center of Copenhagen where we have some of Copenhagen's oldest, most beautiful and extraordinary buildings. Copenhagen is also a good place for shopping and relaxing in the lovely parks as well. I would also suggest visiting Christianshavn, which is most know for Christiania, but also its pleasant and relaxing atmosphere which characterizes the overall mood.

How long did you model and who did you model for?
I was modeling for five years, and I did shows for Chanel, Kenzo, Veronique Branquihno, etc.

Does your modeling background influence the way you design?
It has nuanced my work and given me a solid understanding, only only of the protected universe which one creates in the unity of a collection but also the interpretation of fashion by a plethora of other contributors to the fashion industry. Is it important to me that my pieces have strength of design, which makes them interesting, also when it is taken out of the stylistic empowerment of a collection.

Around the World
Shop Stine Goya

From Copenhagen

10/06/10 10:31AM

Around The World: Wood Wood

The Women's Collection designed by Lotte Berk Nielsen

Where do you live?

Copenhagen, Nørrebro area...neighbor-house to the Wood Wood office.

When did you join Wood Wood?

More or less in the very beginning, in 2003, first helping out with the boys and sewing and printing, then it became more steady and full time, with my first girl's collection in 2005.

What are some influences behind your designs?

For AW10, there was a mix of grungy and buffalo influences. Animalistic and rustic visuals. Definitely '90s fascination and, as always, the Wood Wood girl type: tomboyish-feminine.

What kind of girl do you imagine wearing your collection?

A self-confident individual, a sexy tomboy. Casual and aware of urban time waves. She doesn't lose her femininity by wearing a rather boy-inspired look. She is into sneakers, flats and heels.

How does the Wood Wood women's collection reflect the men's, and vice-versa?

We share a few prints and fabrics and the casual street looks, but girls tend to go more fashion and boys tend to go more sporty. The girls borrow into the boy's style. M65 parkas, bumper-jackets.

What is your favorite piece from your collection?

My favorite items are the long, black "Eve" coat in sand-washed silk, or the long, green melange "Eve" cardy-dress in fine wool. Also, I love the "Violetta" shirt in animal printed cotton, and I would wear it buttoned up under a cardy or blazer.

How would you describe Danish style?

We've always been considered the more exotic country of Scandinavia, and I guess we are a bit more colorful, printed and avant-garde than our neighboring Swedes or Norwegians. Though the casual jean-tee-sweat look is also preferred. We are a very sunglass-happy, which can be quite amusing.

Is there anything about your line that denotes a Danish influence?

The fabrics we use are mainly cottons and wools, and as pure of composition as possible. Simple details and cuts. They are rarely shiny or exaggerated. Like in the Danish furniture heritage, there is sort of a "close to nature" feel to it, but in a very urban version.

If a visitor only had a weekend in your city, where would you tell them to go?

Copenhagen is so small that almost everything is in walking/biking distance. I'd rent a bike and cycle around town area to area, and cross the city-bridges. Copenhagen is surrounded by water and the skyline is quite low. I'd go to Nørrebo and Vesterbo and Holem, where Christiania is situated. Christiania is a social experiment with self-goverment and a democracy based on dialogue replacing majority voting. It was started in some abandoned army barracks in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1971.

Lotte Berk Nielsen

What is the most fun thing about being a fashion designer?

It's not only fun and glamour. It's hard work. To me the most fun and stimulating thing is to create and play with colors and fabrics and prints and, with that, to make the big puzzle work. I prefer partying with my colleagues rather than going to some fashion event. I enjoy observing the exhibitionist crowd rather than being part of it.

Around the World

From Copenhagen

07/29/10 01:33PM

Peter Callesen

With projects ranging from large scale staircase installations to thumb-sized angels trapped in birdcages, Peter Callesen's paper sculptures are amazingly intricate. He only uses standard white printing paper, glue and some serious carving skills to create the kind of tragic themed art that would leave most people covered in tears and paper cuts.

From Copenhagen

07/20/10 12:40PM

Sacha Maric

Photographer Sacha Maric's work is cultural—like his "Thrashers" series, close of shots of faces taken from thrash metal videos—and personal, sometimes almost uncomfortably so, like when he photographs his grandparents house and the sea where his grandfather drowned.

From Copenhagen

03/17/10 10:33AM

Wood Wood at Copenhagen Fashion Week

At Wood Wood, all the female models had their hair dyed red, whether it was naturally light or dark, which created an awesome washed-out pink. We also couldn't get enough of the paper-bag waists and belted-in layers, and the rolled watchman's caps on the guys.

From Copenhagen

03/15/10 12:17PM

Copenhagen Fashion Week Street Style

We love these vertical-stripe wide-leg pants, and that even the guys wore (faux) fur.

From Copenhagen

The Minimarket designers

03/11/10 05:10PM

Minimarket at Copenhagen Fashion Week

A few people from our home office were lucky enough to attend Copenhagen Fashion Week, and especially loved the Minimarket show. It was full of bold and pastel colors that popped alongside fringe and feathers, paired with wedge boots and hats with very slight brims. Later, we could easily tell who had walked in the show, because they kept their face paint on for the parties!