Henrik Vibskov – The Forumist

A look through my eyes

Pejman Birounvand — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:23:10 +0000

A potent vision vividly echoing in receptive anterior chambers. Brief glances on the run. Mirroring movements through the loupe. Our vitreous bodies as frequent travellers.
A look through my eyes.

Team Credits:
Photography by: Olivia Ghalioungui
Photography assistant: Kay Mogg
Hair and Make-up by: Yue Lu
Hair and Make-up assistant: Emi Takuno Morel
Stylist: Julia Jauner @ Make It Up Agency Zurich
Model: Lea Krummenacher @ Visage Models Zurich
Space: M3 Studios

Copenhagen Fashion Week

Gustav Bagge — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 16:19:42 +0000

For a small country, Denmark has a remarkably strong fashion scene, with many brands making a name for themselves outside the Nordic region. Labels like By Malene Birger, Henrik Vibskov, Mads Nørgaard, Baum and Pferdgarten for example are widely recognised. The darling of the moment, though, is Danish cool-girl brand Ganni. Well known in Scandinavia, they are now making waves internationally – type the hashtag “#gannigirls” into Instagram for a taste of the hype.

But Copenhagen Fashion Week isn’t just presenting Denmark’s own brands for the world to see. The success of the biannual three-day fashion event means foreign designers are now attracted to showcase their collections here. This season marks German label Lala Berlin’s third show at Copenhagen Fashion Week, where she was joined by established Swedish brand House of Dagmar, and Uniforms for the Dedicated.

Unstable weather was on the cards as press got ready for the Spring/Summer 2017 shows in Copenhagen. Yet despite the Scandinavian summer climate, many brands decided to stage their SS17 catwalk shows outdoors. Brave.

Back-up plans were put in place however. Umbrellas and shiny foil blankets where provided at Lala Berlin’s show in the Carlsberg brewery courtyard, and bottles of the Danish beer were handed out, keeping the mood high and bodies warm. During Lovechild 1979’s garden presentation an ill-timed shower led to laughs and Insta-snapping of the umbrella covered front row.

Last season the Danish capital staged most of its shows in and around the City Hall (Rådhuset), but this year was different. The August schedule marked a noticeable change in pace and settings: it was all about location, location, location! As important as the collection itself, venues and set design were nothing short of awe-inspiring, and at times they even ran the risk of overshadowing the clothes coming down the runway.

We were led into many large industrial spaces, grand halls and courtyards spread across the city, then met by arty installations like large, abstract coloured balloons at Ganni, a fashionable butcher shop with stuffed cotton salami at Henrik Vibskov, and a long swinging hand – seemingly giving a giant high five to the spectators – at Han Kjøbenhavn.

As expected, we got a healthy dose of cool Scandi fashion during the three-day fashion event. Minimalists with a particular wow-factor included Mark Kenly Domino Tan, who honed his skills working for houses like Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Sonia Rykiel, and Fonnesbech, a Danish brand with a history dating back to 1847. They both showed collections of luxurious minimalism: easy to wear and easy to want. Expertly tailored pieces, relaxed silhouettes and a timeless yet modern feel made these designers’ collections highlights from the week.

Let’s talk trends – there were quite a few to be spotted on the runways. Both utilitarian aesthetics and 90s sport where strong elements in many collections. Swedish sibling trio House of Dagmar presented several looks in muted shades of green and beige, with loose fits, oversized pockets, drawstring details and a high-end functional look.

Other designers that favoured these trends were By Malene Birger, where popper buttoned suit trousers drew our minds to the ubiquitous Adidas tracksuit bottoms, and sharp looks with buckled jackets and trenchcoats gave a high-end feel to functional details. Freya Dalsjø worked in a sheer grey track jacket with drawstring ties to her collection, checkered bumbags made an appearance at Baum und Pferdgarten, and Ganni’s space cowboy collection mixed sneakers with baggy trousers, safari style trenchcoats and wide plastic clip buckle belts.

For SS17 the Danish designers bring us a largely muted colour scheme. Of course black, white and grey are there, it’s to be expected any time of the year. But trending hues for next spring include shades of brown, ranging from the light end of the spectrum to more chocolaty hues. Pink continues to be a fashionable obsession: By Malene Birger even went as far as staging their runway in a large pink space and their fluffy pink accessories caused excited snapping. A new colour to look out for is green – at times in a surprisingly dark shade for spring, a season that typically favours lighter nuances. Also keep an eye out for light blue and shades of yellow.

This summer’s infatuation with slip dresses, frills and underwear as outerwear continues to make its mark on Spring/Summer 2017. Many designers sent simple elongated dresses down the runways, frills and wavy fabric were spotted more than once, and hang on to that luxe pyjama set. According to Lovechild 1979, Baum und Pferdgarten, and By Malene Birger they will be a do next summer as well.

The stand out piece of the season? The jumpsuit. It would be easier to name the designers that didn’t present this garment. Whether its utilitarian boiler suits, feminine lace or casual simplicity, keep the silhouette loose and you’ll nail the Danish designers’ it-piece of the season.

Credits:

Words by Beatrice Trodden

Pictures by Copenhagen Fashion Week

Fashion credits:

1 & 2. Lovechild 1979

3. Lala Berlin

4. Henrik Vibskov

5, 6 & 7. House of Dagmar

8 & 9. Freya Dalsjø

10. Baum und Pferdgarten

11, 12 & 13. Ganni

14, 15 & 16. By Malene Birger

17. Saks Potts

18. Mark Kenly

19. Fonnesbech

20. Freya Dalsjø

21. Baum und Pferdgarten

22. By Malene Birger

23. Freya Dalsjø

24. Fonnesbech

25. Saks Potts

Wir Sind Berliner

Gustav Bagge — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 08:37:21 +0000

The German capital has become a hub for creative energy like no other place. Four of its inhabitants who are making it happen tell The Forumist about the chemistry they have with their urban landscape.

Kira Stachowitsch

Do you dream of editing the freshest fashion magazine, influencing with your own style, and DJ-ing in the greatest party city in Europe? Well, the Austrian Kira Stachowitsch has done it all. The brains behind the magazines Material Girl and Indie provides a cocktail of colourful, multicultural fashion straight from Berlin ’hoods.

What has been your best experience DJ-ing in Berlin?

“I used to DJ with my friend — the artist Daliah Spiegel — before she moved to Shanghai last January. We played at quite a few of the infamous Berlin Fashion Week opening parties by the bloggers from Dandy Diary. We particularly loved playing at their punk/squat house-themed party, which was pretty wild, and I also vividly recall another of those gigs, where Daliah and I were wearing dozens of fake glue-on tattoos on our faces and bodies that did not come off for days. I went to all my appointments at the fashion trade shows wearing those tattoos the next day, naturally.”

I know that your favourite areas are around Kreuzberg and Neukölln, areas where immigrant communities blend with bohemians. What crossovers from international communities can you see in fashion?

“I think the last show of the Serbian-born and Berlin-based designer Sadak, which incorporated flowing, unisex designs with silk burkas, is a perfect example of the blend of greatness that surrounds us here. We are an international team from very diverse backgrounds here at Indie and Material Girl ourselves — taking in all those influences is key to talking about popular culture today.”

Name the most Indie-like persona you’ve ever seen on the streets of Berlin and who would make a perfect Material Girl?

“If I may dream away into previous eras, I see a young David Bowie or Nick Cave wandering the streets of Neukölln — our Indie spirit animals. And for Material Girl, maybe Jane Birkin.”

Dandy Diary

David Kurt Karl Roth and Carl Jakob Haupt are the sharp fashion critics behind Dandy Diary — in their own words, “the most massive men’s fashion blog in the world”. Their adamant approach and astute sense of humour make them stand out on the fashion-blog scene. Haupt explained their stance further…

What is the most embarrassing fashion trend in Berlin right now?

“Most embarrassing is that many, many people still dress in this whole gothy, layered, Rick Owens style and see themselves as the fashion forefront. This look has had its time but we have definitely moved on. Berliners to me seem very slow in adapting new tendencies in style and stick to trends for too long. It’s the same with all these generic techno clubs. Most of them still look like Bar 25, which of course was legendary but closed, like, five years ago. No one really seems to want to add something new to their scene.”

I just saw your Berlin City Tour editorial and found it very witty and amusing. Could you tell me more about your thoughts behind it and what you wanted to pinpoint about the city?

“The tourist look is one of those looks everyone would agree is ‘unfashionable’, but with fashion trends such as normcore and a general functionality trend in high fashion, it became really cool. Though it’s much harder to decode than, let’s say, high heels, a Birkin bag and a fur coat. During the shoot people on the street didn’t recognise us as fashion guys, but rather just as two of the city’s thousands of tourists. Total camouflage in a very trendy way.”

Has living in this city sharpened your sense of fashion in any way?

“Maybe not in fashion. We seek fashion inspiration in other cities such as London, which is much more forward. But Berlin is a great city to learn about liberalism in. It’s definitely one of the most liberal cities in the world. I don’t know why this doesn’t really affect the fashion scene. So much more should be possible here, but most of the scene really sticks to old ideals, old looks and the trends they know from the US and London. So all this liberalism doesn’t really lead to new creative levels. It’s a pity.”

Magic Island

When the Canadian musician Magic Island moved to Berlin, she found a keyboard on the street where she lives. With childish energy and heartfelt lo-fi dream-pop, she continues her music adventures as Magic Island.

How were your personality and your music influenced by moving from Canada to Berlin?

“Before Berlin I actually lived in Poland, where my father is from, and prior to this, Canada. As an artist I definitely became naked in Berlin, embracing my inner identities and demons without fear — the ability to openly exist and express yourself is something invaluable that the ethos of this city offers.”

What is the first sound that comes into your mind when you think of Berlin?

“The emotional journey of a techno set. Where the introduction of every new element — snare, high hat, etc — cannot go unnoticed, and progresses this story that your body and mind are understanding symbiotically.”

I know that you found the keyboard you are performing with on Sonnenallee in Neukölln. What other surprises has the city given you?

“I’ve furnished my flat mostly with found objects. Furniture. Quite an assortment of cassette tapes. Berlin has an amazing ecosystem of sharing, trading, donating, borrowing… Contemporary communism.”

Your songs are very heartfelt and talk about feelings. Is Berlin a city of love for you?

“Any city could be full of love, it just needs to come out of you first. Many loves have been loved and lost here, and I hope to continue that way. I am addicted to love but I am also addicted to the suffering that comes from losing it. A high is nothing without an equally severe low.”

Kianí del Valle

The contemporary dancer Kianí del Valle creates her conceptual worlds in motion between Berlin and London. Born in Puerto Rico and educated in Canada and New York, she constantly explores the blending territories of movement, music, choreography and film in her multifaceted creation.

How have the different places you have lived inspired and changed your creative expression in dance?

“Living in different places has definitely shaped my work incredibly. There is a little bit of every city in my dances, from the way I move to the selection of music. Everyone should be an immigrant at some point in life. Not only because it exposes you to different cultures, food and people, but also because of the struggle. It’s good to reach a point in life where you feel proud of your own struggles.”

The relationship between one’s surroundings and body is extremely important in the performing arts. Which spaces in Berlin influence your work directly or indirectly?
“Directly, living in Neukölln. I like to be exposed to the hectic mix of cultures in each city. Neukölln gives me that; other parts of the city feel like suburbia to me. Maybe I like the craziness.

“Indirectly — the canal. It’s not the Caribbean, but I have realised that having water close to me makes me feel good. I love water.”

You are not only a dancer but also a creative director for dance movies. What projects are you working on at the moment?

“At the moment I am working with a group of dancers in Berlin, for what has become the beginning of my dance company. I am also working on a series of nine dance films in collaboration with many music producers I really admire and am writing a feature film with my creative partner Paola Baldion. And working on Alien, a project that joins all this forms together — music, dance and film.”

Credits:

Words by Weronika Pérez Borjas

Photography by Harling & Darsell

Styling by Andrea Horn

Hair & Make-Up by Velta Berzina using Mac

Fashion credits:

Kira 1: Dress by Stine Goya, boots by Premiata. 2: Dress by Stine Goya, scarf by Monki

Jakob 1: Shirt & jacket by Henrik Vibskov, pants by Adidas, shoes by Premiata, watch and socks: private 2: T-shirt by G-Star, jacket by Tata Christiane

Magic Island: Dress by Gianni

Kiani 1: Dress by American Apparel 2: Highwaist panty by American Apparel, top by American Apparel, ring by Cease & Desist

ºıı˙∞˚ ‡^˚ ’^^˚

Gustav Bagge — Tue, 19 May 2015 12:28:04 +0000

Exploring film maker Daniel Wirtberg’s upcoming project ºıı˙∞˚ ‡^˚ ’^^˚ is premiering at the Appartamento by Peroni cultural gathering where artists are invited to participate during three evenings at Konstnärshuset in Stockholm, creating an experience around fashion, music and art. We got our hands on some good behind the scenes shots from the set and took the opportunity to ask him some questions about the project.

What’s the story behind ºıı˙∞˚ ‡^˚ ’^^˚ ?

I was approached to do a video for The Acid, and in the process I decided to turn it into more of a collaboration project with several artists involved, using both new work specific for this project as well as some previous work of theirs that is mashed up and integrated into the universe of the video. It’s been a very metamorpic and open-minded project, which will also be reflected in how it’s now presented to the audience.

What does the name refer to?

It’s the code to a higher state of mind.

There were many creative forces joined together in the production: The Acid, Henrik Vibskov, Anna Natalia Siemonsen, Benjamin Goss. Can you tell us more about your collaboration?

I had just finished another project with Henrik Vibskov, featuring one of his runway collections, and was very curious to see how he would interpret my ideas if we did original design on the next project.

I went down to his workshop in Copenhagen, a busy laboratory full of Team Vibs-collaborators in white lab coats, and we had a crash brain storm, listened to The Acid and looked at patterns and style references. The drawings and mock-ups he started to send shortly after really blew me away, they were probably something completely else than I first had in mind, but perfect for the world I had envisioned. At the same time I wasn’t surprised the least, he’s a creative genius.

p>Production designer Anna Natalia Siemonsen, still photographer Benjamin Goss as well as Czech cinematographer Martin Matiasek, that shot ºıı˙∞˚ ‡^˚ ’^^˚, are long-time collaborators and close friends.

We share an artistic understanding and dedication in the higher purpose and creative stimulation of working on a project together. They are unique talents that I trust 100% and I know they will always bring their best to our collaboration.

You have worked with a lot of music videos before this one, with artists such as Jenny Wilson, Little Dragon and Trentemøller. What made this production different?

This time I’ve employed many more people in all departments due to the scale of the production. Several of my previous video projects have been made with smaller units, so that’s one big difference. Concept-wise there are also a lot of different design elements, materials and techniques going on and working together on the screen, which I really enjoy, and finally – the aspect of creating an exhibition out of it all.

The video will be screened at Appartamento by Peroni in Stockholm this week. What can you tell us about the evening?

On May 21st, the final evening of the Appartamento series and also the premiere of the video work ºıı˙∞˚ ‡^˚ ’^^˚, the guests will step into a world where light, sound, set design, video and performance form a dark and mystic whole. Gradually the evening will morph into a closing party where I together with DJ Kablam, VJ Videoselector and bartenders from pristine cocktail bar Linje Tio / Tjoget will cleanse your minds.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

A lot comes from listening to music and taking walks or jogging, usually a combination of both, especially if I do it spontaneously. I find a lot of inspiration in photography, stills and in film scenes, down to details in how light hits and creates a certain surface or how some specific colour palette can appear in some images. Light and colours are extremely important and inspiring to me.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to an artist retreat at Ingmar Bergman’s estates on the island of Fårö this summer to write on new projects, hang out in his VHS-library and maybe face some of his demons.

But first I plan to do some work in London!

Credits:

Photography by Benjamin Goss

Appartamento by Peroni, 19-21 May at Konstnärshuset, Stockholm