The Innovators by Scandinavian MAN: Recent Episodes
Scandinavian MAN
Fredrik is an interior designer, vintage furniture collector, and social media star. Since launching his business last year, he has worked with both interior and fashion brands, like Off-White, Fritz Hansen, and Hästens. His Instagram following is experiencing an exponential growth, which has made him one of the most influential new interior personalities today.
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a football player, entrepreneur, and arguably one of the most successful Swedish personalities of all time. In this interview, we talk about how to prepare for success. This podcast is produced in collaboration with Zlatan Ibrahimović perfumes. Hosted by Konrad Olsson.
Alex Mustonen is co-founder and partner of New York-based design office Snarkitecture. Together with his partners Daniel Arsham and Ben Porto, they have done some of the most talked-about spaces in design, fashion and architecture, including work for Kith, COS, and Bolon.
Mannd is a Cinematic Virtual Reality company, that seeks to rethink, develop and challenge the use of immersive media in order to create the next era of content, film and shared experiences. The company is based in Aarhus, Denmark, but this interview takes place at the CIFF Trade show during Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Fredrik Carlström is the founder of Alma, a co-working place and members club based in Stockholm and Palma. Alma has been called the coolest workplace by Vogue Magazine, the ”Anti-WeWork” by Surface magazine, and been on the Condé Nast Traveller's Hot List. Fredrik is also the founder of the furniture brand Austere. He is a creative director and entrepreneur that works both in Stockholm and New York, where he currently lives.
Emma Olbers is a product designer and creative director based in Stockholm. She has won numerous awards, including this year’s designer of the year by Elle Decoration and sustainability profile of the year by Residence Magazine. Her work towards a more sustainable furniture production has caused ripples through the global design industry.
Tretorn is one of Sweden’s oldest and most iconic outdoor brands. Lately, the brands have been spearheading the work towards more sustainable production. A work that has been lead by their Creative Director Fredrik Ekström, who founded the brand’s Eco Essentials Initiative and has run all their collaborations, including the latest one with British designer Nigel Cabourn.
Bea Åkerlund is a self-proclaimed fashion activist and founder of the PR showroom The Residency Experience in Los Angeles. Bea has worked with the biggest and most iconic artist of our time, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Madonna. In this conversation, she talks about entrepreneurship, iconic creations, and the differences between working in the US and in Sweden.
Magnus Aschan is a journalist, technologist, public speaker and the former Editor-in-Chief of TechWorld and Computer Sweden. Today he helps brands with technology-focused content through his company Teknikministeriet. He is also the Chief Operating Officer of Warp Institute, a community of “fact-based optimists” that seeks to bring out and help fund the best ideas that accelerate innovation.
Christopher Morency is the editor-at-large for Highsnobiety, the world’s leading online magazine for street culture and fashion. Christopher is a Canadian born writer who grew up in the Netherlands. He cut his teeth at VICE and Fantastic MAN before moving to London to start working for Business of Fashion. Since joining Highsnobiety he has become one of the hardest-working journalists on the fashion circuit, covering fashion weeks all over the world.
In the coming days, we will be relaunching our podcast as an audio/video talk show under a new name. THE INNOVATORS PODCAST is our contribution to the global conversation on sustainability, technology, and artificial intelligence. We are going to talk to designers, creative directors, researchers, technologists, journalists… Mostly, but not always, from a Scandinavian perspective. Keep an eye out next week on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, and IGTV for these conversations.
”We like the sensibility of Nordic brands.” Eric Jennings is the former vice president and fashion director, menswear, home and beauty at Saks Fifth Avenue. Erik Ulin is the former CEO of J.Lindeberg US and President of Men's Fashion for UBM. Together they have formed E2 Brand Management, a consultancy firm focused on helping brands establish themselves on the North American market. They have a lot to say about the state of menswear.
”I see more going on in Stockholm than in any other city in Europe.” Scott Schuman is a streetstyle photographer and founder of the blog The Sartorialist. Some argue that he has had the biggest impact on menswear the past decade, giving men around the world a completely new way of getting inspired by style. We met with Scott during his visit in Stockholm earlier this fall. Enjoy!
"Men now are a lot braver. When you know the basics, that’s when you can experiment and push things in a new direction.” Jeremy Langmead is a founding member of Mr Porter, the men’s style destination that has paved the way for editorially driven e-commerce. Jeremys is the former editor-in-chief of Wallpaper and Esquire, and knows more about content driven retail than anyone in the industry. Enjoy!
”There is a different mindset when you are reading a printed product. You are really inviting someone into your world.” Three inside men from the world of international print publishing discuss the future of biannual magazines, how the fashion world is still perfectly suited for print, and where are headed next. This episode was recorded as part of our panel series during Pitti Uomo 94, featuring Jamie Waters, fashion editor of Monocle Magazine, writer and editor David Hellqvist of Document Studios, and Erik Olofsson, art director at Scandinavian MAN.
”The idea of a store that has a narrative and a very focused point-of-view is needed for the health of the industry.” Josh Peskowitz of Magasin in Los Angeles and Mats Klingberg of Trunk Clothiers in London both represent a new type of clothing store. In a panel discussion that took place during Pitti Uomo 94, the retailers talk about the need fora an editorially driven retail experience. Recorded live at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy. Enjoy!
”It’s more socially acceptable for guys to be interested in and spend money on clothes.” Simon Crompton is a London based writer and the founder of menswear blog Permanentstyle.com which has over 300 000 readers and has been voted by The Times as one of the world's 15 best websites for menswear. Simon has a staggering body of work, having interviewed several hundred tailors and craftsmen around the world. He has also written several books on the subject, most recently The Style Guide. This is a conversation from the archive and took place in his home in south London two years ago. Enjoy!
”With menswear, we’ve only scratched the surface.” Lalle Johnson is a highly influential stylist, designer, and consultant in men’s style. He has over three decades of experience in the industry, having worked everyone from the smallest boutique stores to the biggest Scandinavian brands. Lalle has seen the world of men’s style grow from a situation where you had to order your special garments over the phone from London to the boiling menswear scene we have today. Enjoy!
”Guaranteeing the satisfaction of the customer is very important to us.” No Man Walks Alone represents a new type of boutique online store, where great selection and service is at the forefront of everything they do. They are not the big fish, but a niche menswear shop working out of a showroom in Manhattans still active, still unglamorous Garment District. In this interview, founder Greg Lellouche and his buyer Kyle Toman talks about where menswear is headed, and the future of retail. Enjoy!
”I’ve been recognised more the last two years than I’ve been the last 50 years, and I’ve got Instagram to thank for that.” Nigel Cabourn is a British designer who has been in the fashion industry for five decades. In this episode, he talks about the evolution of menswear during his career, his collaboration with Swedish outerwear brand Peak Performance, and his extensive collection of vintage army clothing. Enjoy!
”I enjoy the honesty and clarity of the Mr Porter model.” Dan Rookwood is the outgoing US Editor of Mr Porter, where he has been instrumental in creating a new media/retail logic. Dan was recently drafted to Nike, where he is going to head up their global editorial content strategy. This conversation took place in New York in October last year, and Dan had a lot to say about the how traditional media has lost some of its credibility towards its readers, and how retail can create content that speaks more honestly to their consumers. Enjoy!
Music produced by Nils Lundberg.
Don’t miss our other show, The Scandinavian MAN Radio Hour, where you meet some of Scandinavia’s most fascinating personalities within culture, design, fashion, food, and more.
For more news and interviews from the Scandinavian fashion and culture scene, visit ScandinavianMAN.com
”There are two types of guys out there. Guys that geek out on fashion, and guys that don't give a shit.” Eric Jennings is a legend in the menswear industry, who up until recently served as the vice president and fashion director, menswear, home and beauty at Saks Fifth Avenue. Eric has been in the menswear industry all his adult life, and we met Eric in New York in January, when he was six months into a break in his career. Eric has a lot to say about the state of retail and the evolution of the male consumer. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”Working for Andy was a dream come true.” The late Glenn O’Brien was a writer covering the worlds of art, music, and fashion. He got his start working for Andy Warhol at Interview Magazine in the 70s and then moved on to host TV Party, working for ArtForum, editing books, and writing The Style Guy column for Details and GQ. This conversation between Glenn O’Brien and Konrad Olsson took place in his apartment in New York in September 2015, Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”How I talk about clothes is how I talk about music and clothes.” This weeks guest is Lawrence Schlossman, brand director at the e-commerce site Grailed and host of the Failing Upwards podcast. In the early days of the #menswear movement, he ran the legendary blog Fuck Yeah Menswear, which later became a book and paved way for his work as editor of the Fourpins website. To this day, he as an uncanny view of the menswear industry. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
"Men are very calculated in the decisions that they make." Jeremy Kirkland is a New York-based menswear and tech consultant and the founder of the Blamo! Podcast. On his show, he interviews people that shape the menswear industry (not unlike The Menswear Shift), be he also covers culture and technology. In this conversation, Jeremy talks about his rise within the industry and his thoughts on the evolution of menswear. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”The brands that are succeeding are the ones that are forever coherent.” Alessandro Agazzi is a Milan based menswear consultant and founder of the website TheStyleism.com. His background in the industry includes positions at Giorgio Armani, Maison Margiela, and Caruso. Despite being an avid Instagram personality himself, he had a lot to say about the state of social media and influencers in the business. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”You have to have the willingness to fail, in order to move forward”. Tommy Fazio, Men’s Fashion Director at UBM, and responsible for PROJECT and MRket Shows, has a fascinating background in fashion. He got his start working for Calvin Klein, both the man and the brand, before moving on to Simon Spurr, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman, always in some form for president or fashion director capacity. Having seen the fashion industry from the inside during three decades, Tommy has a lot to say about what brands need to do to succeed, and the current state of the global trade shows and fashion weeks. Enjoy! Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”The word fashion is still quite daunting for a lot of men, but style is not.” Andrew Weitz, the founder of The Weitz Effect, is a style consultant in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Through his consultancy, he is helping some of the biggest stars and powerful executives in the entertainment industry with their personal style. Andrew is voted one of the 10 best-dressed men internationally by GQ Magazine, and in this episode he talks about the shift in menswear, and why it is more clear in Los Angeles than in any other city. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”Today it is a two-way conversation. If a brand is not paying attention what consumers are telling them, very quickly they can become irrelevant.” This panel talk was recorded last week in the Scandinavian MAN Lounge at PROJECT Show, North Americas biggest trade show for menswear. Guests were Brian Trunzo, Senior Menswear Editor at WGSN, Jeremy Kirkland, founder of the Blamo! podcast, and Streetstyle photographer Guerre. They all had a lot to say about the evolution of menswear. Enjoy!
”Unless you have the values of being a good person inside, it doesn't matter what you wear. You will look like a jerk." Michael Hainey is one of the most influential editors of present day. For 16 years, he was the Deputy Editor of GQ Magazine, before moving to Esquire almost two years ago, becoming their executive director of editorial. This is a conversation about the state of menswear today, how men’s yearning for storytelling has changed the conversation, and why we have more style icons today than ever before. Michael had a lot to say. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio. The music in the shows is produced by Nils Lundberg.
”We are entering a phase of fashion in general and menswear in particular where there is no one style. It's become all about self-expression.”
Josh Peskowitz is a highly influential figure in international menswear. He was part of the first wave of the #menswear movement that started roughly a decade ago, writing for magazines like Fader and Cargo and Esquire, before becoming the men’s fashion director at Bloomingdales. Today Josh runs the iconic menswear boutique Magasin in Los Angeles, where Konrad Olsson met with him to talk about the evolution of the male fashion consumer. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio.
The music in the show is produced by Nils Lundberg.
Follow us on Instagram: @scandinavian.man
www.scandinavian-man.com
"Fashion has become much more democratic". During the Scandinavian MAN Streetstyle Festival last year, we arranged a live symposium with three of the biggest names within men’s streetstyle photography: Guerre from New York, Robert Spangle from Los Angeles, and Jamie Ferguson from London. The conversation, led by Konrad Olsson, went deep into how streetstyle has changed the way men get inspired by style and consume clothing on a global scale. Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio.
The music in the show is produced by Nils Lundberg.
Follow us on Instagram: @scandinavian.man
www.scandinavian-man.com
"I see Bergdorf Goodman as an organic, three‑dimensional representation of what a magazine should be.”
Bruce Pask has spent his entire adult life in the fashion industry; from his first professional steps as a shop assistant at Paul Smith to his highly influential years at various editorial positions at GQ magazine. After a successful period as a freelance stylist in the 90s and aughts, during which he styled some of the most iconic Vanity Fair covers Annie Liebowitz ever photographed, he did an eight-year stint as fashion director of The New York Times' T Magazine.
Today, he is men's fashion director of the most influential menswear destination in the world: Bergdorf Goodman, and recently he got appointed to the same position at Neiman Marcus.
Konrad Olsson, editor-in-chief at Scandinavian MAN, met Bruce Pask in New York for a conversation on where the fashion industry is headed, and the similarities between retail and editorial.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Helio coworking spaces for hosting us in their pod studio.
The music in the show is produced by Nils Lundberg.
Follow us on Instagram: @scandinavian.man
www.scandinavian-man.com