Iceland review - 2013, Page 23

ICELAND REVIEW 21
THE JÖR FACTOR
Meet Guðmundur Jörundsson, whose celebrated collections of
vintage-inspired designs have made him—already at 25—one of Iceland’s leading
fashion designers.
jÖR by GUÐMUNDUR JÖRUNDSSON is a new
Icelandic fashion label, the creation of fashion designer
Guðmundur Jörundsson and his co-founder, Gunnar Örn
Petersen. The debut collection, called JEWLA, was show-
cased in October 2012, as a spring/summer 2013 menswear collec-
tion, and received great reviews from Icelandic fashion enthusiasts.
“It was my first spring/summer collection ever and I was inspired
by the traditional dress of Jews and priests, crystal jewelry and pastel
colors, intertwined with chic modern patterns,” says Guðmundur.
Guðmundur’s new collection JEWLIA, which premiered at the
2013 Reykjavík Fashion Festival (RFF), is constructed of high
quality fabrics such as Holland & Cherry and was produced at a
production house in Turkey where luxury brands like Armani and
Paul Smith produce their designs. Guðmundur and his partner
Gunnar Örn are looking to expand into international markets.
“We are very excited about the Nordic countries as well as Japan,”
Guðmundur states. At the opening of RFF, he received an export
grant from DHL in Iceland.
Guðmundur graduated with a BA degree in Fashion Design
from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts (IAA) in 2011 whilst work-
ing as the creative director and head designer of the local mens-
wear brand KORMÁKUR & SKJÖLDUR (K&S). The brand is
renowned for its masculine designs combined with classic tailoring.
“I will still design for K&S and work on my own new collections
simultaneously,” Guðmundur notes.
By aNNa MoiSEEva PHOTOS By PÁll STEfÁNSSoN