“Paris of the North,” a New Exhibition in Stockholm, Shows Parisian Haute Couture’s Nordic Connections

With its focus on the work of the handiwork of the atelier, and display of NK Original designs, “Paris of the North” charts Swedish fashion history; it also speaks more broadly of an era where Paris was king, and fashion followed a trickle-down system of distribution and interpretation. The exhibition, says Strömquist, is “about the more or less forgotten high quality craft of couture made in Stockholm and about the trendsetting role of Paris haute couture in Sweden. It also adds knowledge to international fashion history about the role and importance of the foreign buyers in diffusing Paris fashion around the world.”

One of the most interesting takeaways is the bridge between Nordic fashion’s past and present. “The templates of Scandinavian style as we know it today were already established at the time. Kurt Jacobsson… was known for his impeccable fashion sense and ability to translate Parisian fashion to Scandinavian style and taste,” states the curator. “When in Paris he was always on the lookout for the pared down and timeless rather than the extravagant. Black was his all time favorite color. There was never a bow, flounce, or ornament too many, and he strictly adhered to his motto: ‘The sober is noble. True elegance can never be too pure and simple.’ ”