Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.08.2018, Page 60

60 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15— 2018
MYRKA’s clothing has a certain
mysteriousness to it. Intricately
textured and covered with hidden
details, the brand’s works man-
age to be at once high fashion and
streetwear—and both in a com-
pletely authentic manner. The
designer behind MYRKA, Harpa
Einarsdóttir, is a veteran of the
Icelandic design scene, bringing
both her knowledge of high qual-
ity materials and her own ap-
preciation of rebelliousness and
nonconformity into every piece.
It’s an intriguing combination
that’s allowed her to collaborate
with everyone from directors to
drag queens, and now garnered
her entry into KIOSK, Reykjavík’s
premiere Icelandic fashion store.
Natural origins
Harpa first got into fashion design
as a teenager. At 12, she started
illustrating and soon began bor-
rowing her mother’s sewing ma-
chine. “My first proper piece was
a massive crochet jumper,” Harpa
says, motioning down her whole
body to show the size. It’s clear her
love of unusual materials has been
lifelong.
She grew up in Borgarnes sur-
rounded by horses, an influence
that can still be seen in some of
her recent projects, such as her
2014 video with Þór Sævarsson.
“There was a snowstorm,” she
laughs. “We moved everything
into a riding hall and hearded the
horses with 4-wheelers. It was
pretty mad.” They video, though,
turned out stunning.
After studying fashion at the
Iceland Academy of the Arts, she
created a brand called Ziska. When
that came to an end, she opened
up a shop in Hafnarfjörður before
finally starting MYRKA four years
ago. “I don’t come from a wealthy
background and it’s been tough,”
she says. “But it’s a passion, so you
just have to keep going.”
Lava growing
MYRKA was originally inspired
by Iceland’s cultural heritage, but
Harpa quickly became bored of
trying to appeal to both high-end
clothing lovers and tourists at the
same time. It felt cliché. “I felt a
bit like a hypo-
crite,” she says. “I
needed to find a
way to do fashion
while still feeling
that I did some-
thing good for the
world.” She sub-
sequently began
a side project “Be-
A-Cause” that do-
nates some of its
profits to char-
ity. Currently it’s
supporting trans-
gender rights.
MYRKA’s col-
l e c t i o n s h a v e
each shown clear growth, build-
ing on each other with new takes
on Harpa’s signature designs. Her
Fall/Winter 2017 line, ‘VÖLVA’
employed a combination of airy
fabrics and structured leather to
form flowing silhouettes in muted
jewel tones, abstract patterns, and
deep browns and blacks. She con-
tinued this in her Spring/Summer
2018 line, ‘Magmatic Lava Lovers,’
which utilized orange velvets,
bright dip-dye-esque patterns and
a variety of textured black fabrics
to create both relaxed and harsh
pieces—relaxed in their fit but
harsh in their vibe.
Rebels unite
The newest collection of MYRKA
is titled ‘Rebels & Rioters.’ It’s a
MYRKA take on streetwear that
emotes a health-goth mixed with
futuristic mixed with neon aes-
thetic. Some of the prints contain
a mish-mash of phrases Harpa
calls the ‘Rebels Manifesto,’ which
she worked on with writer Keri
Smith. The brand’s next step is
clearly one of empowerment.
In her Grandi studio, Harpa
keeps a rack of the MYRKA show-
pieces. When she shows them off,
she does so almost obliviously,
as if completely unaware of how
breathtaking they are. On the un-
assuming bar, silver shining boot-
covers with neon blue fringe hang
next to a heavy cropped vinyl jack-
et with o-rings in the pockets. A
spray-dyed quilted bomber jacket
with bright orange lining surpris-
es with an animal
skull print on the
back. MYRKA in-
carnate.
I n K I O S K ,
y o u’ l l b e a b l e
to pick up the
streetwear arm of
this line—loose
h i g h - w a i s t e d
p a n t s c o v e r e d
with the ‘Rebels
Manifesto,’ mut-
ed merino wool
s w e a t e r s w it h
minimalist de-
signs and more.
The first release
will be a small portion of the line,
but by October, there will be a full
selection of her work there.
The MYRKA
Manifesto
Nonconformity meets high fashion in Harpa
Einarsdóttir
Words: Hannah Jane Cohen & Noemi Ehrat Photo: Íris Ann
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“Silver shining
boot-covers
with neon blue
fringe hang
next to a heavy
cropped vinyl
jacket with
o-rings in the
pockets.”