&Other Stories, anniversary in the atelier for the first 10 years

Una mid-October snowfall. Enter the world behind & Other Stories could be summarized as follows: theencounter with a phenomenon with astonishing implications. Outside the windows, the (already) harsh climate of Stockholm. And inside, a warm succession of surprises.

The location is unique, that of the most important Atelier for the brand, which has its home right in the city, overlooking the Baltic Sea. And that on the occasion of tenth anniversary opens its doors.

In the &Other Stories atelier in Stockholm

You end up finding yourself in a laboratory on two floors with a strong visual impact, where at every study corresponds an entourage. The minimal environment typical of Northern Europe welcomes all design phases. The style office is located next to the space dedicated to the stores; once you climb the stairs, the design and photography studios, where the lookbooks, still lives, campaigns are shot, side by side with the samples and the creative studio. In the middle, mood board on the walls, photographs, books, fabric slings, mannequins and prototypes. Glass bubbles they hide the garments and accessories that will come as if in precious display cases. It’s a gallery studied ad hoc celebrates, through the collaborations most important, the first 10 years of the brand.

Low cost? This word, during the in-house visit, was never uttered, although it is worth reminding readers that & Other Stories – together with Cos, Weekday, Arket, to name just a few well-known names in fast retailing – is part of the Swedish group H&M. «The segment most attentive to fashion and trends» – he specifies Lina Söderqvist, CEO of &Other Stories. «If there’s a trend that’s hot, you’ll definitely find it in our collections, reinterpreted according to our personal point of view. Quick, because we plan ahead. Forever”.

A journey through the history of the brand

Born as a beauty brand, & Other Stories it quickly expanded to total look, strictly female. L’March 8, 2013not surprisingly on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the opening of first shop in Regent Street at London. And within a month, the arrival in all the major fashion capitals: from Paris (5 April) to Milan in progress Vittorio Emanuele (April 19th), until the New York opening in 2015.

Today I am 72 boutiques in the world (in Italy, also in Rome) which house the collections created in 3 ateliers of the brand: Stockholm, Paris, Los Angeles.

Three ateliers, a single international vision

«There were many beautiful moments. The first is linked to the opening in LA. I had just started working here” he says Malin SoneHead of Design at &Other Stories since 2017. «Having laboratories located in different locations around the world represents an opportunity for us to create dynamic and diversified expressions».

Self Overseas the wardrobe mixes everyday and fashionable, with dresses and party tops as flagship products, in Paris Designs in neutral colors mixed with soft accents win romantic prints – la blouse it’s the highlight. While the Stockholm collection shows a Scandi style with an edgy aesthetic. The black it is the real protagonist, as are the tailoring and the graphics.

Stories of women that become reality

For those who purchase, the indication of the atelier of origin represents a “gem” that you don’t expect: an original wording on the tag. The pieces are all present in the boutique, e.g the mix comes absolutely spontaneously: «We want to give the idea of ​​a international brand, and we are. A characteristic reflected by the variety of garments offered” underlines Lina Söderqvist.

«Women are the majority here. Not only those who work in ateliers, but also in stores. They come from all over the world. This is how taste is created. In our offices we try to have a lot of diversification. To understand each person who comes into the store, we need different people working for us. On the other hand, we know that our client doesn’t have just one style, but different ones depending on the part of the personality that he wants to show. And it buys from all markets.”

Fashion first. The age? Does not matter

A fashion-loving woman who does not go unnoticed. This is the typical customer of the brand, who in these 10 years It’s as if she’s never aged. «We think that the way we dress should not be linked to age, on the contrary. What matters to us is expressing your personal taste, regardless of the number on your identity card. We don’t care if they are young or mature, all we care about is their being women. I’m 53 and I buy a lot from &Other Stories, even though my mind is stuck at 35″ jokes Söderqvist. «Age doesn’t matter. Young or mature, if you have style you love &Other Stories».

AND audacity. Playing with fashion, having a unique personality and creating it, demonstrating a certain self-confidence in shopping and attention to detail. The most striking thing when browsing the atelier is that nothing is left to chance, from the choice of fabrics used (as of October 2023, recycled materials or materials from sustainable sources represent 90%, and the objective is to reach 100% in 2024) to original details in the design, up to the realization of the natural lookbookwithout retouching for the models’ bodies.

The rich and detailed embroidery, the choice of applications, the contrasting linings; a care also reflected in the furnishing of the shopswhere the latest interior trends mix with studied and elegant color palettes: real “homes” created thanks to the restyling of existing spaces, according to the long lasting philosophy at the base of the collections.

A decade of co-creations

«Pieces to wear today and always» for Söderqvist, «lasting treasures in the wardrobe» for Sone. The recipe for success is all here, as demonstrated byexposure celebrating the first 10 years anniversary of & Other Stories (until November 6thin the Regent Street shop in London) and contains the most significant pieces of co-lab created jointly with the creatives and friends of the brand.

Yes, because from the beginning & Other Stories has approached the world of co-labs, narrating “parallel stories“: from Rodarte to the South Korean designer Rejina Pyo, up to labels like House of Hackney and AWAKE Mode. But also the Italian model Ada Kokosarthe unforgettable icon Iris Apfel and the likes of Kim Gordon and Lykke Li. The involvement of prominent personalities and celebs starts from storytelling and leads to the creation of the pieces.

And the story continues…

&Other Stories is grappling with new stories. Starting from the next one capsule collectionwhich will bear the signature of Susan Fang, a London-based designer ex-Céline, and will debut next spring. The next collection is also in the works Savoirthe in-house limited edition with a refined character that comes out twice a year, ready to “bloom” in 2024 – the first sketches and prototypes seen in the atelier, illustrated by Frida BillegrenConcept Designer of special projects.

In terms of the market«an important goal for the future is to grow where we recently launched our brand, as in Swissto Zurichwhere we opened our first store in September 2023, and Australia, where we landed with The Iconic earlier this year.”
What has never changed in these 10 years? Creating cutting-edge pieces that inspire women to express themselves freely through their wardrobe, sharing their personal experiences. Always with a certain involvement, symbolized by the recognizable “&”. Word from Maline Sone: «The thrill of seeing our garments on the streets, combined with such different styles by women of all ages, will never fade».

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