Australians have a good fashion relationship with the Swedes. Since the late 90s local buyers have been putting Swedish fashion designers and labels into boutiques and department stores. The Swedish approach to fashion, which is as much about being practical and functional as it is cool, fits well with our casual, modern lifestyle. And it’s the kind of sophisticated cool that doesn’t come with an expensive price tag. It’s a little easier shopping for Swedish fashion if you’re a guy. Labels like Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Dr. Denim, Gram and Cheap Monday can be found Brisbane to Braddon and as far west as Fremantle but there’s still a lot of great womenswear labels, like MiniMarket, that are missing from the market.
MiniMarket’s show at Copenhagen was one of the best. The recurring theme in their winter collection was about taking extremes and pushing them together – masculine and feminine, tailored and street, luxury and thrift. Mock crock was mixed with 80s neon. Youthquake silhouettes drowned in Native American references. With so many shapes, colours and print ideas thrown together into one collection it can be a bit of a struggle to make something that is conistent and cohesive, but MiniMarket created the kind of look that appears cool without trying too hard. It was cute but not saccharine, alternative but not self consciously so. It’s wearable and every piece has an idea. How come only one Australian luxury boutique has been savvy enough to pick up on this?
