Elin Nyström, Founder of Stylein
“The simple things are the hardest to do,” remarked Stylein founder Elin Nyström, while sitting gracefully on the concrete platform outside of the Rendez-Vous New York contemporary fashion fair in one of her own designs. It was Wednesday, September 22nd, the last day of the fair, which united dozens of designers, press, and hundreds of buyers from around the world. While the rest of the designers were breaking down their racks and packing up for the night, Elin decided to take a cigarette break with Retail DJ.
With her small cup of celebratory champagne in hand from having made several essential sales, Elin shared her inspiration for the Stylein Spring/Summer 2011 collection, her take on modern yet simple style, and the history behind her line. Clean lines and smooth fabrics are key for Stylein, but Elin warns that “simple” shouldn’t be interpreted incorrectly. Simplicity, she notes, is something people need to respect more in fashion, particular in that it provides the wearer with “variety and space to add the styling herself,” something that’s missing in so many lines as of late with such inflexible, era-specific trends.
The growth of the line in less than a decade is a testament to the strength of Elin’s vision and Stylein’s versatility over time. Though Elin sells at several boutiques in the US (in NYC, for example, her pieces can be found at Eva NYC, Sweet Orchid, and soon, Oak, among others), Stylein is already a household name in Sweden, particularly Gothenburg, her birthplace and home to the official Stylein concept store. Beyond Sweden and the US, Stylein can be found throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, with continued expansion in the works. Yet despite all this success, Elin remains grounded and a true example for people trying to make a living out of their creative passions. Much like the mantra she reminds her interns to follow, Elin sees the opportunity before she sees the obstacles, and fashion world is much luckier for it.
So press play and take a moment and find out What’s Good? with Elin Nyström, Founder of Stylein:
What’s Good Retail DJ Interview of Elin Nyström, Founder of Stylein by RetailDJ
(click to play; click the small arrow on the right to download)
*music: La Fleur – Plant House Mix
“A big part of styling is what music you present it with. . . Music, art, and fashion are all similar ways of expressing energy. Music is one of the most important elements in life. To present a new collection, we always do it through the catwalk, and a very important angle is how you present it through the music.”
“We tend to have this one side that is very feminine and very sensual . . . and then there is a side that’s…a lot more urban…almost punk rock-ish. They create a beautiful contrast. There could be a harmonized meeting between those two sides.”
“In the beginning, it was very playful; very creative in the way that I was not really thinking about a market at all. . .more inspiration clothes. But nowadays, it’s a line that’s working in the stores.”
“I work a lot with energy and life in general. The energy of Spring/Summer is smooth harmony, and luxury.”
“I never want to present anything that I don’t believe in 100% . . . I only do designs that I would wear myself.”
“I think there is a need to have things that are consistent, not the mass-production, easy buy, fast buy, something you buy and throw it out a couple of weeks later. Some of the us in the business are really seeing the potential of doing clothes that are going to be fashionable and beautiful in 7 years . . designs that are kind of classic.”
“Before, I wasn’t really comfortable being the image [of Stylein]. I wanted to be in the background. But I realized that in order to do this, there definitely has to be storytelling, and I’m comfortable with that now.”
(more…)
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
By the way, I released this a few days ago, before it was March. You’d know that if you were a fan on facebook…just sayin’ 
I have no comments, really. It’s just a collage of the music I’m into right now. It’s got some new, it’s got some old. It’s good for a variety of moods. I hope you enjoy!
Here is the roundup of links from the past week’s mixes. The full archive with individual track downloads can be found here:
Red, yellow, and blue remind me of kindergarten. These three colors are the first ones we learn and, sadly, the ones we avoid putting together in our clothing choice as adults. Despite the peanut butter and jelly nostalgia these typically evoke, there’s a way to make sure the colors look all grown up.
