Skall Studio is a brand from Denmark making big strides globally. We sat down with the sisters of Skall Studio and discussed the foundation of their brand and their vision on the future of conscious style in the fashion industry and personal lifestyle.
On SS 23 and AW 23 fashion: James Cochran
For AW 23 backstage: Filip Gielda
Q: How did the idea of the brand come about?
Before founding Skall Studio we worked for other fashion brands where it was always about creating as much as possible as cheap as possible. As we are both very value based, we could not see ourselves in this at all, so at some point we decided to go back to Denmark to start our own brand. Carefully paying attention to quality, craftsmanship, natural materials, animal welfare and with a clear vision to create timeless styles, made to last season after season.
Q: What were the key components of the brand and concept creation?
Quality, craftsmanship, animal welfare, family values, recycled materials as well as natural materials as we believe natural materials are better for people & the planet.
Q: What is the company/brand mission statement?
We believe that everything is connected. As founders of a fashion brand, we are aware that every step we take has an impact some way or the other. We are very humble about that.
Q: Who helped you start the brand?
We started from scratch – and on our own. We founded Skall Studio with around 6.700 EUR that we had been saving up for this purpose. In the beginning we had other jobs on the side to make it work.
Q: Where does your inspiration for each season come from?
We are always inspired by nature – and spirituality. What we cannot see but sense between the lines. In our opinion, fashion has a little glimpse into this world as it is all about creating magic. We named our AW23 collection Magical Mystery Tour – it is a celebration to the highlands of England and the classic wardrobe. For our SS23 collection we were inspired by India where we have lived and worked before founding Skall Studio. This is reflected in our focus on embroidery, block print inspiration, handloom linen styles, and a dusty rose colour – inspired by The Pink City in Jaipur. Also, for this collection we were inspired by the former Indian princess of Jaipur and style icon Maharani Gayatri Devi. With her Indian yet western and feminine yet masculine style we think she embodies the Skall Studio DNA in the most beautiful way. So, in general we get inspired by a lot of things, depending on what comes to our mind and what feels important to us.
Q: Where do you see the brand 5 Years from now?
We have a heart for craftsmanship – and for the last seasons we have not only been focusing on our signature knitwear made in Denmark. We have also started to work with Malmö Industries, a small sewing company in Malmö, Sweden, who makes exclusive limited styles for us, carefully paying attention to every little detail. The next upcoming style is our unisex London Coat which will only be available in 90 copies. We think it is interesting to look even more at local production but also craftsmanship around the world to support unique cultures around the world. On our SS23 collection we have e.g. taken a closer look at the craftsmanship in India as India is one of our main production countries and we want to support the craftsmanship in our production countries – as seen in the handloom linen styles made by Indian weavers. Also, we keep a close eye on material innovation. And on top of that, we are looking at how we could break the seasonal wheel – one way is to upscale our focus on our classic collection – styles that will always be in stock and never on sale.
Q: Do you plan on bringing the brand into the metaverse or a more digital version?
Perhaps – however, we are probably a little old school, but who knows.
Q: What are key points you have learned about the brand since the pandemic?
Quality and styles made to last are always the way forward.
Q: What are your thoughts on living a conscious life apart from just clothes?
As we believe everything is connected and as we are a slow living fashion brand, this is also reflected in our own way of living – as Skall Studio is founded on our own values. We try to live a balanced life – and whenever life gets too busy, we remind ourselves of that we are only human beings and that we just need to breath. Also, we are very aware of keeping the right balance between having a brand and having small children/family time – we do our best to keep the right balance here. Also, we are both vegetarians and we only offer vegetarian meals for our employees, just as we never use fur and leather in our collections. Well, there are so many aspects of living a conscious life. When it comes to our own wardrobe, we try to only add a new piece to it once we need it. Not only because we can.
Q: Any future collaborations or projects you would like the audience to know about?
Yes, on 4th of May we will launch SKALL x KEEN, a natural version of the characteristic Uneek hybrid sandal. Made from undyed linen and cotton and with a footbed in cork and an outsole in deforestation-free rubber this is the first Uneek sandal made from mainly natural materials. We have been great fans of KEEN for a long time and had KEEN sandals on our SS22 show for the first time. The collaboration is based on common values as we are both born by the sea – we grew up close to the sea while KEEN was founded with a goal to create sandals protecting the toe to feel safer on the sea. To support a cleaner beach environment, we and KEEN will support the beach bins concept from Hold Danmark Rent. An initiative to keep the Nordic coasts clean. The donation will go directly to local communications and testing of beach bins in the eastern part of Denmark, making it easier to collect marine litter. As we believe everyone can make a difference.
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With love,
FWO
