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‘Malmö is a paradise for creative people’

Designer Susana Nakatani's career has taken her on a trek from Spain to France, Switzerland, Morocco, and Germany – to name just a few places.

But then she discovered Malmö – and she's here to stay. Susana tells The Local about her favourite places – and what makes the city perfect for a designer.

Published: 24 May 2017 17:07 CEST
'Malmö is a paradise for creative people'
Photo: Werner Nystrand

When Susana Nakatani was a child growing up in Salamanca, Spain, she spent every spare moment crafting outfits for her dolls out of leftover fabrics and buttons.

“I grew up in a very humble family, and my mom would make all our clothes,” she explains. “My love for design started then.”

But there weren't many opportunities in design in such a small city – so Susana became a French teacher despite her passions elsewhere.

“Thanks to that job I had the possibility to work and live in several countries – and then, in 2009, I landed in Sweden.”

  

For Susana, Malmö is the city of dreams. Despite having lived in design capitals like Paris and London, Malmö is where she finally got her design education and where she now has her own fashion label.

Susana doesn't follow the trends – but she says that in Malmö, it's easy to be open-minded and go your own way.

“Paris is more oriented to glamour, it's classic. London is creative and exciting. But I personally believe that making fashion in Malmö brings something more to the table, a complete sense of freedom, that you don’t have in other places where the pressure of being within the trends and the standards is higher,” she muses.


  

“The fashion industry is very competitive. For me, being in the 'Malmö bubble' protects my idea of creating my own destiny and helps me stay faithful to my principles.”

Shop Susana Nakatani design

So what makes Malmö such a haven for open-minded creativity? We asked Susana to give us a tour of Sweden's third-largest city – through the eyes of a designer.

Getting lost

Susana says it's easy to be creative in Malmö – and that often means you've just got to go with the flow.

“In Malmö, I love going around with my bike and getting lost,” she exclaims. ”Every street has something different. I like the Nordic architecture and the mix Malmö has between old and grand, industrial and new.”

One of her favourite areas is Västra Hamnen, the old shipyard.

Västra Hamnen. Photo: Maria Eklind/Flickr

“It's been converted into new buildings, but with a touch of their old industrial heritage. I love wandering around trying to imagine how everything was before, when Malmö was just an industrial town,” she confesses.

And whenever she needs a little fresh air and inspiration, Susana heads to Ribersborg, a popular coastal walk with a bathhouse, a beach, and plenty of green open space.


Ribersborg. Photo: Werner Nystrand

“The views are amazing,” she says. “The nature in Malmö is stunning.”

Cafés

Time for a coffee break?

“I normally start the day with a coffee at Kaffebaren in Möllan,” Susana says. “I love taking my bike around town and sitting and observing the square with that vibrant and multicultural vibe.”

Möllevångstorget. Photo: Werner Nystrand

Malmö is one of the best cities in Europe for biking, and much of the city is designed around bike paths. It's not an after-thought – it's a conscious part of Malmö’s design.


Photo: Werner Nystrand

“Another one of my favourite spots is Pâtisserie David around Caroli,” Susana says. ”They have amazing pastries and it has a charming mix between Scandinavia and Latin-Europe. I feel at home!”

Finally, she adds, if you go to Malmö you've got to know where to get your scones:

“Café Feed on Köpenhamnsvägen have the best scones in Malmö! I love scones!”

Dining

Malmö is somewhat famous for its diverse food scene. The city is brimming with cuisine from all across the globe, and it's hard to pick favourites.

“For drinks or dinner, I have to mention Bastard,” Susana says.

The hip, rustic Michelin Guide restaurant is usually packed – so make sure to book a table in advance. This is where all the cool kids hang out.

Can't get in? There are plenty of other incredible options, Susana says.

“Try any of the amazing Asian fusion restaurants in town such as Lemongrass or Namu.”


Lilla Torg, where many restaurants are located. Photo: Henrik Rosenqvist

Read more about food in Malmö

Shopping and design

Finally, what's the design scene like in Malmö? Where does Susana shop?

“Sweden in general is a paradise for creative people. I don’t know exactly what it is but it is easy to focus on your creative side in this latitude and I love it,” she exclaims.

There are dozens of designers in Malmö who inspire Susana, for different reasons, she says.

“I love Altewai Saome, those girls are extremely talented!”


Fashion by Altewai Saome.

Altewai Saome is an edgy young brand that plays with a monochrome palate, unusual details, and international flair. The up-and-coming label quickly become a favourite at fashion week events and has won multiple awards.

“I am also a big fan of Robert&Blad,” Susana says.

“Designer Helle Robertson is like a volcano of creativity; I had the chance to work as an intern for her, and not only I admire her for her classic tailoring skills but also for how she gives a new meaning to recycling.”

Designer Helle Robertson was educated in men's fashion, giving her women's wear a unique structure and ease while maintaining an elegant feminine touch.


Dress by Robert&Blad. Photo: Jesper Lindgren.

The brand Robert&Blad is also sustainable, comfortable fashion made from ecological, locally-produced fabric. Very Swedish!

'Make your dreams come true'

Finally, the most important thing to do in Malmö is just – do it. Whatever it is.

“If you visit Malmö and you have a dream, go for it!” Susana exclaims.

“You will always have someone to support you, to guide you and to help you making your dreams come true. That is the beauty of Malmö.”


Photo: Apelöga

Read also: The Stockholm design hot-spots you have to see

This article was produced by The Local Client Studio and sponsored by Visit Sweden.

FASHION

Paris exhibition celebrates 100 years of French Vogue

A new exhibition in Paris will tell the story of 100 years of French Vogue - from the post-war 'New Look' of Christian Dior through the sexual liberation of the 1960s to the dangling-cigarette waifs of the 2000s.

Published: 7 October 2021 08:21 CEST
French Vogue celebrates 100 years
French Vogue celebrates 100 years. Photo: Thomas Olva/AFP

But as well as celebrating the magazine’s storied history, the exhibit comes at a time of turbulence for the publication.

Just last month, it was confirmed that its editor of 10 years, Emmanuelle Alt, was out and wouldn’t be replaced.

She was not alone.

Looking to cut costs, owner Conde Nast International has axed editors across Europe over the past year, and put international Vogue editions under the direct control of global editorial director, Anna Wintour, in New York.

New York-based Anna Wintour now has overall control of French Vogue. Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

Like much of the media industry, Vogue is struggling with tumbling sales and ad revenue in the digital era.

But the latest twist is also part of the endless push and pull between New York and Paris going back to its early days.

“The whole history of French Vogue is one of back-and-forth with Conde Nast in New York – growing more independent for a while, then being reined back in,” said Sylvie Lecallier, curator of the new exhibition, “Vogue Paris 1920-2020″, which opened this weekend after a year’s delay due to the pandemic.

The Paris edition was often the loftier, more bohemian sibling to its more hard-nosed New York version.

But it was also the hotbed in which much of 20th century style and womenhood came to be defined.

“Paris was the place to hunt out talent and content and bring it to New York,” said Lecallier.

The exhibition charts the evolution from art deco drawings of the 1920s through the erotic image-making of photographers like Helmut Newton in the 1960s and 1970s.

Its last peak was under editor Carine Roitfeld in the 2000s, who brought back a provocative Gallic identity by ridding the newsroom of foreign staff and becoming a fashion icon in her own right.

Her successor, Alt, was a quieter presence, though she still oversaw key moments including its first transgender cover star, Brazilian Valentina Sampaio, in 2017.

But internet culture has created “a perfect storm” for Vogue, says media expert Douglas McCabe of Enders Analysis.

“The first 80 years of Vogue’s life, it had the market to itself, it was the bible for fashion,” McCabe told AFP.

“But online today, there are so many other ways to get your information. Influencers, Instagram, YouTube — everyone’s a threat.”

In a world where new fashion trends can blow up around the world in seconds, it has become much harder for a monthly magazine to set the pace.

“It’s not that they can’t survive for another 100 years — but they will be differently sized,” McCabe said.

Vogue has tried to branch out into different areas, including events.

“I used to work for a magazine, and today I work for a brand,” Alt said on the eve of French Vogue’s 1,000th issue in 2019.

But the big money was always in print, and Vogue Paris sales are dropping steadily from 98,345 in 2017 to 81,962 to 2020, according to data site ACPM.

It is perhaps unsurprising that the new top job in Paris, redefined as “head of editorial content”, went to Eugenie Trochu, who was key to building the magazine’s online presence.

She declared herself “thrilled to be part of Vogue’s international transformation”.

For the curator of the exhibition, it is ironic timing.

“We had no idea it would end like this when we started work on the exhibition,” said Lecallier.

“Who knows where it will go from here.”

The exhibition Vogue Paris 1920-2020 is at the Palais Galliera in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. The gallery is open 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays. Tickets for the exhibition are €14 (€12 for concessions and under 18s go free) and must be reserved online in advance. 

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