On the radar Plus
tastemakers
words by Trudy Folwell
q&a rikke baumgarten & helle hestehave / fashion designers
what’s the ethos behind your label baum und pferdgarten?
In terms of our aesthetic, “harmony with a quirky twist”.
how easy is it to work together?
We used to have very different aesthetics so our driving force has been to find a new, harmonious expression that combined the two. We’re constantly moving closer to that goal; we often end up finishing off each others’ ideas in a rather organic and easy manner. Sometimes the real challenge is to articulate these ideas to the rest of our staff. Since none of them can see the inside of our minds, it can be difficult to make everyone understand our vision.
what provides inspiration for your collections?
It’s about translating parts of our experiences and subconscious into our designs. We are also both very much inspired by street fashion – someone putting an unusual outfit together or wearing a traditional piece in a new way. And we look at what’s going on in the arenas of art, architecture and music. We also collect all kinds of weird things from flea markets: fabrics, photos, books and funny gadgets. Most of these objects aren’t used directly when we design but they somehow create an ambience and work as a fuel for our imaginations.
what is style to you?
Being dressed for the occasion. Certain outfits just work better in certain situations. Style is both a set of rules that you can learn and a matter of taste; some people have it while others may never get it. Ultimately, style can help you express your personality, values and approach to life.
is the baum und pferdgarten look particularly scandinavian?
We feel different to the Scandinavian tradition of bohemian design. But at the end of the day we have our roots in a lifestyle that is less formal and hierarchical. Here people approach each other in a relatively laid-back manner.
which trend do you wish would die out immediately?
Flashy sunglasses that make people look like insects or futuristic robots. People should be more conscious of which shape actually suits their face and also consider the fact that eye contact is really important for everyday interaction.
who would you most like to dress?
When a certain person fascinates us, it often has to do with a high level of professional and personal integrity; women who are good at something and don’t compromise easily. A lot of these women already wear our clothes, which makes us very proud.
If we could choose freely, we would love for Liv Tyler, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Charlotte Gainsbourg or Sofia Coppola to wear Baum und Pferdgarten.
which other designers would you most like to party with?
It could be enriching to share a few bottles of wine with Paul Smith. Also, it would be interesting to spend an evening in the company of someone like Sonia Rykiel or Rei Kawakubo from Comme des Garçons just to get a glimpse into those crazy minds.
where next for baum und pferdgarten?
We would like to offer a complete universe of products to create a full look (shoes, bags, underwear… ) We’re actually thinking about opening Baum und Pferdgarten mono-brand stores, which would give us a stronger presence. The store interiors would be made from high quality materials while maintaining a quirky and humorous twist.
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