Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.03.2010, Síða 10

10
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 03 — 2010
1. My name is Mundi, I am 23 years old and
I design clothes and create visual art. The
rest pretty much explains itself. I founded the
Mundi clothing label around three years ago
and I run it to this day. My design is sold in
various places all over the world, including
here in Reykjavík, where I operate a small
boutique on Laugavegur.
2. There aren’t that many benefits, aside
from a very positive energy and the ability
to achieve inspiration from nature. Fashion
consciousness is also on the rise here, and
one can count on Icelandic consumers a bit—
they’ve supported me a lot. Another positive
aspect is that you can produce large-scale
events here in a relatively short amount of
time —things can happen quickly.
As for the drawbacks: there aren’t any
proper clothing factories here, no fashion
magazines and one isn’t very connected with
the industry. In Iceland, you’re pretty much...
on an island. Oh, and the economical situa-
tion isn’t anything to celebrate at the moment.
On the other hand, there is a lot of interest in
Iceland abroad and you sense that being from
here is considered pretty cool.
3. I believe it’s good. I’ve learned that there
are many trend-spotting companies out there
that look to Iceland for inspiration, both our
nature and our street fashion. The outside
world is very open to Icelandic design. It’s too
bad how little support it gets from the state.
There is absurdly little state support for the
design and fashion industries. It’s as if they’re
not exporting goods, which is also absurd if
you look at the other Nordic countries, where
fashion and design are major export sectors
and everyone makes heaps of money. I hope
folks start realising that this is a real industry,
and there are many open lines to us out there.
4. Ehrm. There are certain local brands that
are competitive and have proved themselves
as such. 66° North is an excellent outdoors
brand, and Nikita is a great snowboarding
one. They are both successful in their respec-
tive fields. Not a lot has happened in terms of
fashion in general, there aren’t many labels
going—it’s all so new. Considering the fact
that we’re just getting started here, we’re well
competitive.
5. I currently am partaking in a project
called NICE (Nordic Initiative, Clean and Ethi-
cal— nicefashion.org), a Nordic project aimed
at actively addressing and tackling these
issues in an active manner. It is a worthy
cause, as the worldwide fashion industry has
a horrible environmental track record.
In my designs, I use a lot of Icelandic
wool, which is 100% sustainable, both in
handling and colouring. It is furthermore
locally produced. It is still very hard to be
environmentally sound in the world of fashion,
the materials are a lot more expensive and
are furthermore often hard to find. But I am
aware of these concerns, and I take them to
heart. Hopefully, the future holds better things
for the fashion industry in this regard.
6. My work is produced in Iceland, France,
Turkey and Estonia. At the outset, cost has to
be the determining factor. I aim at controlling
this facet of my work better, but when you’re
getting started everything is so expensive that
you need to cut every corner to make it work.
Basically, I consider every one of the fac-
tors you mentioned. I even strive to produce
locally, even though it’s far too expensive, as I
like to support local production and it is also
environmentally sound. But at the moment,
cost and quality are the main aspects I look
towards. Oh, and I heavily oppose sweatshop
productions and do not work with those kinds
of production plants. Many labels choose to
work with ethically questionable factories to
cut costs, but I would never.
7. Well, naturally. I’ve undergone a lot of
changes since I am fairly new to the business;
every year brings its events and changes, and
I don’t know whether they can be credited or
blamed on the recession or myself. In general,
I would say the collapse has had more nega-
tive effects on the local fashion industry than
positive ones. It is an industry that demands
people actively purchasing clothes, and if
they can’t afford to, that is a problem.
I’ve been doing pretty well, though. I
opened my boutique shortly post-collapse,
so I don’t know what the sales figures would
have been before it, but the conditions don’t
seem to affect me too badly. However, I am
not too focused on Iceland at the moment and
don’t involve myself too much with it.
8. As I said, I am not too involved with
what’s going on here. But if I think about it, I
don’t quite understand what’s being done and
what the state’s goal is in fostering our work-
ing environment, or indeed if they even have
one. Are they addressing the problems of this
fledgling industry, are they asking ques-
tions—what is their motive? Last year, they
made some DesignMarch event that I didn’t
really understand at all. It seemed like a big
waste of money and funding, it presented no
solution to the problems at hand and it barely
brought any international press or media
presence to promote what’s being done here.
So I would like to see more profession-
alism in regards of the state’s support of
these industries. The creative industries in
Iceland could also do with a lot more state
support and funding. You don’t see any
studio complexes for young designers that
are starting out fresh out of school—when
you graduate from the Iceland Academy of
the Arts, you’re pretty much on your own. I’ve
fared pretty well in this environment, and I am
satisfied with my working conditions, but if I
think about the creative world in Iceland as
a whole, then a lot is missing. Naming one or
two things would be hard.
9. I can’t really say that there is an “Icelan-
dic style”. On the street level, you’ll find every
type, from the rocker to the fashionista, but
there’s no general identity of Icelandic design
or style. Except maybe fulled wool and that
sorta crap, which I don’t envision as the future
of Icelandic design. Folks need to realise that
gambit is pretty much GAME OVER, look to
the young designers and see what they’re of-
fering. That Skólavörðustígur-trash isn’t quite
pulling it any more.
10. I’d rate them rather highly. There is a
lot of attitude in the Icelandic dress code; it’s
lively and fun, with big swooping trends and
lots of excitement. One thing that’s missing
are more guys that are willing to try new
things—it’s mainly girls that are dressing up
these days. Fashion seems to be a touchy
subject among many men, and a lot of them
seem to think it’s cool to ignore fashion and
dressing well. It doesn’t seem to fit in with the
alpha male type.
1. Nikita is a 10-year-old Icelandic clothing
brand/company. We design and market street
fashion and technical outerwear under our
brand name.

2. The answer to this question might say
more about the person answering than the
actual benefits and drawbacks.
The benefits are that we live in a safe,
peaceful country with plenty of fresh air
and clean water, surrounded by our families
and friends. Nothing can replace that. The
drawbacks are that the smallness of Iceland
prevents new companies from growing and
reaching a “healthy” size before trying to
break ground in other countries. It is tempting
to start flying before you grow wings, and that
can lead to a splatter.
Iceland is a pretty good “base camp” for
many things, as long as you are able to leave
every now and then to escape “The Village
People” (other people in Reykjavík), get some
sun on your body and into your mind.

3. I’d say the world doesn’t have any
perception or knowledge in general about
Icelandic fashion. Iceland is a small country
in the middle of the ocean, and most people
in the world have no clue where it is, nor
do they care what we wear. But… Southern
Europeans describe the Icelandic style as
“Northern European” or “Scandinavian,” the
Americans describe it as “fashion forward”
and “Scandinavian” if they get deeper into it.
Björk is obviously a world famous artist and
a global style icon, and as such the biggest
reference to Iceland when people think of
fashion. Thankfully.

4. The Icelandic fashion world is a toddler,
with a craving for strong liquor. I’m not saying
that there aren’t creative people here, but as
an industry we are one generation behind the
other Scandinavian countries in knowl-
edge on product development, marketing,
financing of clothing companies and timely
deliveries. That being said, there are a few
designers/brands/companies that are ready
to rumble, and more to come. With events like
Reykjavik Fashion Festival we hope to develop
talent and distribute knowledge internally,
and then spread the word on Icelandic design
internationally.

5. Definitely a huge topic and rightfully so.
Environmental concerns are a daily topic at
Nikita, whether we are working or playing. We
have different programs going to make our
products and our company more environ-
mentally friendly, and have a special person
dedicated to that task.

6. When determining where to manufac-
ture our goods, all the things you mention,
cost, quality, environmental, local, ethical and
worker conditions are factors. A lot of it has to
do with trust. Finding people who you trust to
work according to your standards.

7. The economic collapse has for sure af-
fected our business as more or less any and
every business. Retailers are sceptical about
their future, globally, and that means they
pre-book/order less quantities of next sea-
son’s fashion. Nikita’s business is over 95%
export, so on the other hand the company is
getting more Icelandic Krónur for the sales
we do in Euro-land. Overall the company is fit
and optimistic.

8. Nikita is a part of the international street
fashion scene as well as the surf/skate/snow
industry. We are lucky enough to work with
some of the most fun loving people you can
find. Our staff is a bunch of brilliant people.
Economy aside, our business environment
is ideal.

9. I don’t really think there is anything that
we can call “Icelandic style”.

10. 7.5
Artist / Designer, Mundi
Founder / General
Manager, Nikita
Mundi
Rúnar Ómarsson
Fashion | Designers
1. Aftur is a ten-year-old company that
specializes in recycling old clothing and
turning it into modern fashion. In short, we
redesign clothing, and our emphasis lies in
working locally, being environmentally sus-
tainable and operating an honest business.
2. In my case there are many obvious
benefits, as I choose to work locally. The
drawbacks are also obvious, and are mostly
Owner / Recyclist,
Aftur
Bára Hólmgeirsdóttir
Fashion & Design Spotlight
1. Mine is a small cross-discipline practice
caught somewhere between product
design, post-tailoring and shoe making.
Based in Reykjavík, the studio produces one
"non-product" every month, from umbrel-
las to bullet-proof scarves, tables, to belts
and boots, incorporating such materials as
concrete, diamonds, skin and wool.
Each non-product has an underlying sub-
text of irony and the inherent primal darkness
hidden in our opaque social relationships.
2. Benefits: Small pool, low level of com-
petition, no predators. Drawbacks: Where to
begin… There are no production capabilities
on the island. There are small factories with
industrial scale production facilities, but the
cost of using them is unaffordable due to the
monopoly and limitations of the machinery.
There is no migrant labour force or his-
torical knowledge base—labour is therefore
sold at the maximum rate. The current system
of tax, in the form of astronomical VAT and
protectionism import taxes, kneecaps any
new business aiming to produce from raw
product or import products being produced
offshore. This is a formula that means that
production here is unaffordable, bringing
in material or produced items is taxed at a
crippling rate, all making resale with profit
near impossible. Then comes the shipping
issues… Protectionism and short sightedness
are killing the opportunity for growth.
3. The design community has recently
banded together as a result of the financial
crisis. Before, the handcrafts movement
dominated the stage. As it is still very new,
the collective output across the different
disciplines is still growing. Icelandic design in
a global setting is still in its infancy stages.
4. As I said, it is new and growing. It is
a very exciting and optimistic time here.
Icelanders are financially landlocked due to
the fallen Króna—we aren’t able to travel to
NY or London and buy a wardrobe. The crisis
caused the market to look inward for Icelan-
dic products, which in turn rapidly stimulated
the growth of smaller businesses and created
a forum for the local market to pay attention
to local design. However, the limitations of
production make global competition difficult,
and as a result demand can often not often
be met.
5. When I studied we had a dedicated
course every year in ethics and sustainabil-
ity—it has been imprinted on my design DNA
and is a core concern in my practice. A “Non-
product” is the name given to the system we
use to create products, in a way that directly
address an aspect of sustainability. The main
point is that my company works in such a way
to avoid the bigger challenges, such as the
minimum quantities imposed by production
facilities and suppliers, and falling into the
trap of working with unethical companies to
lower costs, or having to over-buy materials
from suppliers.
For anything made out of the studio, a
special relationship is created with other
businesses that are willing to work to the
minimum we set. We only make what we
need to sell. This is about as conscious your
average landlocked business can be and still
make a living, short of upcycling [the process
of converting waste materials or useless
products into new materials or products
of better quality or a higher environmental
value].
The problem is that ‘Fashion’ itself as a
business model is in every way entirely anti-
sustainable and that is how it was designed
to be. The fashion industry is the biggest
pollutant of this world, environmentally and
socially. Indigo dye from blue jeans does
more damage than any other pollutant. It
begins with constantly force-feeding the
already overstuffed global market with cheap,
replaceable ephemera. The cheaper and
more replaceable it is, the quicker it becomes
landfill—the core of the problem. An example
is printed T-shirts, which are imported, not
locally produced, and sold to be worn and
replaced. This doesn’t help the growth of the
local community, but aids the development of
foreign sweatshops.
6. All of the above are factors are relevant.
We try making everything in our own studio
using as much local resource and material as
possible—that is how I can control all of these
factors. Cost, on the other hand, is not an
issue. My prices reflect the time and quality,
and I don’t bargain cost on man-hours.
Design needs to be socially conscious,
period. Ethics are the last remaining vestiges
of humanity as we cyclically use the sweat
and blood of other bodies for our own social
profit. The problems used to be in China,
are currently in India, and coming next to
an Africa near you. We all know what China
used to be like, and companies like Nike have
all moved out because of the labour unions
and better wage conditions… but have you
been to India, or do you know anything about
it? “Clothing production” in India is “slave
labour” by any other name. Even low scale
production in India is essentially unethical.
At university we studied the global and local
effect of offshore production in 1st, 2nd, and
3rd world economies, and this is part of the
curriculum for every year we study.
Conscientious design is a core element
of design education. Now, it is true that
you can't superimpose a Western capitalist
economic mindset on some distant province
in China or India—$2 a day for labour there
is very different to $2 a day for labour in Los
Angeles... But you can make decisions to
not aid the culture of sweatshop growth by
simply not producing in them. I would dearly,
and out of pure curiosity, like to hear the
rationalisation of India or Africa as the choice
for production in a modern ethical world.
7. It has been great. 98% of what we sell is
export. Local sales are as they were.
8. I would describe it as it is now. Ideally
it will continue to grow as it is. I really like it
in here.
9. Is that a serious question?
10. And this?
Designer, The Armoury
Sruli Recht
1. Describe your operation in as
few words as possible. What do
you do, what are you about?
2. What are some of the benefits
and drawbacks to working your
craft out of Iceland?
3. What would you say the
world's perception of Icelandic
fashion/design is, if any?
4. At what stage would you say
the Icelandic fashion world is right
now? Is it able to compete with the
outside world?
5. A popular topic these days is
fashion and design in relation to
environmental concerns, fashion
and sustainability. Is it one you
take to heart or have given some
thought?
6. Assuming you produce arte-
facts, where are they produced?
What are some determining fac-
tors in this choice: cost, quality,
environmental, local, ethical,
worker conditions?
7. How has the ECONOMIC COL-
LAPSE affected your business? Do
you do a lot of export? Have you
seen local sales go up?
8. How would you describe your
business environment? How would
it be, ideally?
9. Given that there is an "Icelan-
dic style", what is it? What is its
philosophy?
10. How do local crowds rate at
being stylish?