• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
tastemakers
January 23, 2013

Ostwald Helgason: A Brand That Street Style Made Popular

By Hannah Fillis

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald

Susanne Ostwald and Ingvar Helgason were a couple for a number of years before deciding to create their own label in 2008. The German-Icelandic duo met in 2003, while working for Marjan Pejoski (the designer responsible for Bjork’s infamous Oscar “swan” dress), but since launching their own line in 2008, they have slowly become adored by the street-style set. “Without these visible women wearing the clothes, people would never have paid so much attention to what we did,” Ingvar told the Cut on recent day in their London studio. Their use of bold colors and streamlined, sporty shapes regularly attracts the most prominent street-style photographers, and buyers from Opening Ceremony and New York’s Five Story. We caught up with the designers, and spoke with Ingvar, as they prepare for their show at Milk Studios in New York this February.

Read their answers below, and click into the slideshow for a look at their collection.

With your studio based in London, why did you choose to show in New York?
We’ve had an amazing reception from American buyers. Opening Ceremony has stocked us since we started, we later got picked up by Browns Focus [in London], but that was once they had an American head buyer. Somehow it’s always been the Americans.  

Do you feel influenced by any American designers?
An American way of dressing, yes. The sporty styles and sweaters; a hint of preppy. It’s interesting to see the way American designers run their businesses. Seeing the young designers, there seems to be a focus on building a sustainable business, a brand.

Your clothes are popular with the stars of street style, how did that come about?
Completely by chance, like everything else it seems. Evelien Joos from V magazine was doing our casting. Her sister Natalie Joos saw the collection and asked if she could borrow some looks for Paris Fashion Week. We, of course, said yes and while she was at the Chanel show, Miroslava Duma saw her and asked where she got her outfit. Miro got in touch the following day to buy our collection and she’s been wearing our stuff ever since.

Do you think street style helps or hinders fashion labels?
It definitely helps. More people look at pictures, when they see something they like they want to find out more. For us it was amazing that they actually picked it up. We definitely wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.

Do you pay attention to it?
We know if somebody might have been photographed and the girls send us pictures they see themselves in. We’re good friends with them and they’ve been super, super nice. I think it’s almost a disservice to call them street-style stars because they have jobs. Miro is running a media empire and Anya [Ziourova] is fashion editor at Tatler Russia. They don’t have stylists, they build these looks themselves. What they do is more authentic than somebody who is working with a stylist because it’s their own thing.

Does Susanne wear the brand?
We all wear our clothes. We started doing some of our printed sweaters for men after I requested it because I never got to wear anything. So we’re going to be doing some men’s styles for spring/summer 2013, stocked in a couple of stores in the US.

Do you listen to music when you’re working?
Yes, we just run down some really cheesy Spotify playlists. We’ve been listening to Mumford and Sons lately and can never get enough of Major Lazer and Destiny’s Child. And they’re reuniting! That’s going to be like the coolest shit ever.

Is it hard living and working together?
Somehow it works. The only times we really fight are when we’re working. That’s when we knock our heads together. In general, Susanne has a better eye, but we fight things out. I usually say no to everything she comes up with, and then if she believes in it enough she just fights it through. That’s how the editing process goes.

View
1 / 15 Photos
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
Photo: Courtesy of Ostwald
1 / 15

Tags:

  • tastemakers
  • ostwald helgason
  • fashion
  • runway
  • bjork
  • street style
  • slideshow
  • More

More Galleries

Jan. 10, 2023
All the Looks From the 2023 Golden Globes  Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Jeremy Allen White, Angela Bassett, and more. 
parties! Sept. 23, 2022
Katie Holmes, Chloë Sevigny, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Chanel, Mejuri, and more celebrate. 
parties! Sept. 16, 2022
Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Fendi, Frame, and Coach all celebrated NYFW. 
emmys 2022 Sept. 12, 2022
Emmys 2022: All the Red Carpet Looks  Updating: What Hollywood is wearing to the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. 
By Olivia Luppino
nyfw spring 2023 Sept. 9, 2022
Gigi Hadid, Chlöe Bailey, and More of the Bestest Party Pics of the Week  Saks Fifth Avenue, Longchamp, and more celebrate the beginning of NYFW. 
rip Sept. 9, 2022
The Queen Sure Did Love to Color-Coordinate  Monochrome for decades. 
red carpet Sept. 6, 2022
The Venice Film Festival Is a Major Fashion Event  Valentino and Gucci and Armani, oh my. 
red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
celebrity style Apr. 18, 2022
The Best Looks From Coachella 2022  From Harry Styles’s sparkling Gucci set to Megan Thee Stallion’s metallic bodysuit. 
style Apr. 13, 2022
A Look Inside the New Museum’s Spring Gala  Featuring all the best looks. 
grammys 2022 Apr. 3, 2022
Grammy Awards 2022 Red Carpet: All the Looks  Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Lenny Kravitz, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, and more. 
oscars 2022 Mar. 28, 2022
How Were The Oscars After Party Looks Better Than The Actual Award Looks?  Finally, some fun. 
oscars 2022 Mar. 27, 2022
All the Looks From the 2022 Oscars Red Carpet  Zendaya, Regina Hall, Timothée Chalamet, Andrew Garfield, Kristen Stewart, Ariana DeBose, and more. 
style Mar. 22, 2022
Bridgerton Season 2 Premiere: All the Red-Carpet Looks 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.