Believe us when we tell you that Sweden knows how to party. According to one member of the Swedish Fashion Council, the Scandi nation’s teens are almost as reviled as the British on the sunset strips of Malia, Magaluf, and Zante, so it stands to reason that when a bunch of Brits and Swedes come together to stage a blowout event, it’s going to be a rager. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on your personal outlook – there wasn’t a cheap neon fish bowl in sight last week when Dazed landed in Stockholm to help throw the SFC [FASHION X]’s official 2023 closing party, bringing a week of unique fashion happenings to an end. Not out there with us? Here’s everything you need to know.

IT CLOSED DOWN A STELLAR WEEK OF MAJOR FASHION MOMENTS

…from a huge, candlelit dinner punctuated by immersive performances courtesy of Hodakova and a relaxed lunch that put the fashion crowd centre-stage with pioneering fragrance house Unifrom, to imaginative installations, cinema screenings, and even a two-hour trek in the woods just outside Stockholm, the 2023 edition of SFC [FASHION X] was jam-packed with inspiring activations which allowed attendees to get up-close and personal with the new wave of talent rising out of Sweden. It only made sense, then, that we rounded off a successful week with a mega, blowout party.

WHICH IS WHERE DAZED CAME IN…

There’s a strong synergy between Dazed and the Swedish Fashion Council, with both sides big champions of rising talent. This most recent partnership was the latest in a long line of link-ups, with Dazed and the SFC joining forces with Fashion East during Paris Fashion Week’s SS24 season for a chaotic party that caused a queue to snake for hours around the block. Naturally, with such an iconic night under our belts, it made total sense to go in for round two.

IT TOOK PLACE AT VÄRMEVERKET

…a non-profit cultural hub in the centre of Stockholm, where creatives flock for communal working, meetings, and to grow their communities of likeminded people. Inside, there are music and podcast studios, lecture rooms, and a cinema, plus newsflash: it makes a really good space for parties. Lit by red lights and filled with plumes of smoke, the night centred around a pedestal at the centre of the room where the DJs played their sets. It made for an intimate setting, with people mixing and mingling in groups rather than facing the DJ booth at the front and barely connecting like in many clubs.

THE LINE-UP WAS HOT AS HELL

The temperature may have dropped to frosty levels in Stockholm as winter draws near, but the club was as hot and sweaty as hell, thanks mostly to the legendary line-up curated to get behind the decks. While headliner Bambii sadly had to cancel as she faced delays and lost bags at the airport, still on hand to make sure the night went off was Prof. Stranger, JAHANAM, and Broodoo Ramses, who dropped dancefloor-filling Britney and Beyoncé remixes in amongst dark techno and breakbeats.

THERE WASN'T A FISHBOWL IN SIGHT

Listen, there’s absolutely a time and a place for a glowing fishbowl full of alcohol, E numbers, and future regret, but this wasn’t it. Instead, drinks came courtesy of OMAKA, with guests downing the Stockholm-based brewery’s craft beers and specially made cocktails between stints on the dancefloor.