Sharp Poetry

Since 2003 we've been blessed with Carin Wester's unique and tailored fashion design. She keeps being in the flagship of the most interesting Swedish fashion designers, season after season. How come? In my opinion it's a mix of  excellent business knowledge, hard work and the fact that Carin Wester's durable, classic, relaxed and stylistic garments hold a timeless touch, always with precise and skillful craftmanship. Wester's ready-to-wear fashion is an honest result of the time spirit with sober colors, mostly in scale to black, white and grey, and the hallmark of her creation is simplicity with typical 'Wester-details'. Always aim to stretch the limits, she creates some sort of chaste fashion with masculine elements in the feminine collection and vice versa. That might be one of the motivations why she's been rewarded with many prices within fashion, latest in August 2009 she won the prestigious price: Guldknappen, arranged by the Swedish magazine Damernas Varld (DV). Carin Wester is a intrinsic talent and her creations is a beginning of a fairy tale of success.

Dazed Digital: Hi there! How are you and what have you been up to lately?
Carin Wester: I'm a complete mess since I'm working night and day right now finishing my next A/W 10 collection, always in the last minute.

DD: If Carin Wester were a musical composition, what would it sound like?
Carin Wester: Right now, something kind of silly like a Japanese man singing karaoke to the tones of Rage Against The Machine: 'Killing In The Name Of'.

DD: How would you describe your own design?
Carin Wester: The womenís line is sharp and edgy with a lot of attitude while the men`s line is very romantic and kind of poetic looking.

DD: What is the best / worst thing about Sweden?
Carin Wester: Water everywhere and the fresh air is absolutely the best with thing about Sweden while I have to say the worst is the cold and dark winter.

DD: Tell us more about your work process?
Carin Wester: Starting from August I do all the research for next season, going to fabric fairs and hopefully going away for some inspiration. If I don't have the time it is movies and books for two weeks. After the inspiration theme is done I start to work with putting the collection together. Hopefully this should take about two weeks but since I always start with other collaborations or projects it usually takes some more days. The collection is then produced and delivered as samples in the beginning of January to be ready for fashion show in the beginning of February.

DD: What other passions do you have in life?
Carin Wester: I like to be around people, lots of talking, having big dinners, dancing, singing crazy very late but I also enjoy being home cooking or baking. It is a good contrast for me.

DD: How important is fashion?
Carin Wester: For me it is important since I live on making clothes.

DD: What are your future goals?
Carin Wester: For the next two years we plan to grow a lot outside of Scandinavia, focusing on the European market. To have a fashion show in Paris or New York would be a really fantastic adventure.

Interview accompanied by photographer Di Makawi