Every six months Rave Review’s Livia Schück and Josephine Bergqvist (who work with secondhand and deadstock fabrics) are faced with the challenge of making something new out of something old. Now that many brands are jumping on the upcycling wagon, they also have to maintain their distinctiveness in the market. So far they’ve managed well; their fall collection is part of Gucci Vault, and their spring collection offered plenty of novelty through the pair’s further expansion into separates, their exploration of sporty elements, and a bit of sex appeal.
In the past, these two Swedes have found inspiration in their travels; having been limited to the boundaries of their studio for over a year they took cues from music scenes—rave, punk—as they developed a collection that was more hard-edged than earlier ones. They got to that place from a calmer one; the text print used throughout was made up of affirmations of the sort you find floating around on Instagram, and with which Schück pushed herself along. It contributed to what she called “a new age vibe” that’s indulgently kitsch.
This was anything but a meditative collection, rather it sizzled with energy. This new attitude was partly derived from the designers’ decision to explore separates, which allowed for more styling and curation than the full-look coats and dresses they’re known for. Separates seemed to have opened the door to a more casual, and customizable, offering. The use of home textiles to make sporty silhouettes was inspired. Cargo pants, zippers that convert track pants into board shorts, wide-legged and strapped jeans with a JNCO-like fullness and the shortest of flies, inspired by the Fornarina jeans of the designers’ teenage years, spoke to trends we’ve been seeing this season while maintaining the brand voice.
Schück and Bergqvist always say that because of the materials they use, their designs have a sort of built-in nostalgia, but it’s the way the pair filter their designs through their own memories that makes them distinctive. The lookbook pictures are cut out into silhouettes of the kind you might see in a high school yearbook or locker. Yet at the same time this collection, noted Bergqvist was “even sexier” than the others; though not in the revealing way that’s trending now.
“Our idea of sexy is not a super tight jersey dress necessarily, it’s baggy pants, but with a super small top,” said Schück. “It’s not the stereotypical sexiness,” interjected Bergqvist. “It’s this really oversized look, but you have these zippers so you can decide how you want to reveal your body.” Selective self expression is a nice option to have.
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