'The world doesn’t need another designer' - Ellen Hodakova Larsson On Changing Fashion

by Joshua Graham on 21 November 2023

Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson is proposing a new way of fashion production with a business built on upcycled designs. We caught up with her to discuss the change she wants to see in the industry.

Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson is proposing a new way of fashion production with a business built on upcycled designs. We caught up with her to discuss the change she wants to see in the industry.

‘When I’m bored, I get the most creative,’ designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson tells me. We’re sitting on a sofa in her Stockholm studio, a space she refers to as her ‘safety zone’. Larsson, who founded her eponymous label in 2021 shortly after graduating from the Swedish School of Textiles, splits her time between Stockholm and Paris where she presents her deconstructed, upcycled designs. It’s away from the hustle and bustle of Paris Fashion Week and provides all the time and space she needs to tap into her creativity.

A couple of nights before our chat Larsson hosted a dinner as part of the Swedish Fashion Council’s Fashion X event that saw press and buyers from around the world flock to see the brightest fashion talent the nation has to offer. Instead of the usual back-to-back fashion shows, brands were encouraged to get creative in how they showcased their work. In her studio are the mannequins still wearing looks from her S/S 24 collection – first presented in Paris in September – that were displayed in the centre of her dinner venue.

Hodakova S/S 24

The dinner decor was themed around office life. Staplers and calculators along with loose-leaf documents and binders acted as centrepieces on the tables arranged around the mannequins. It’s easy to make the connection between the stereotypical white-collar work uniform and Hodakova’s latest collection which featured pinstripe trousers, dishevelled button-ups, pencil skirts fashioned from ballpoint pens, and thin wire frames that wouldn’t look out of place on a caricature of a secretary. Still, this link was never Larsson’s intention.

‘The world doesn’t need another designer. There’s enough. What it does need are more innovators that are pushing the boundaries.’ - Ellen Hodakova Larsson

‘From my side, it was not about office wear. But the media labelled it ‘sexy office girl’ after the show,’ she explains. ‘My narrative was about beauty and what perfectionism is. It was mainly exploring ideas of writing your own story, being present with yourself, and exploring what beauty is through uniform. Uniforms just happen to be connected to the office.’

Anyone paying attention to the emerging talents shaping the future of fashion should have already been aware of Hodakova before said dinner. Reframing what sustainability looks like today, her upcycled approach sees her breathe new life into objects, such as old leather belts (of white she creates her wildly popular belt bags and skirts). Her eye for innovation is most akin to the spirit of anti-fashion pioneer Martin Margiela, who was no stranger to refashioning vintage objects and deadstock garments to create wholly new designs. Like Margiela, Larsson’s romantic view on reviving the past becomes clear as our conversation goes on.

Hodakova S/S 24

Still, at the core of her business is sustainability. ‘We don’t have to be consuming this fast. Everything needs to slow down’, she explains when I ask about her frustrations with the industry. ‘These dried flowers are not fast-fashion’, Larsson says as she points to one of the looks on a mannequin. The dress was created by drying fresh petals and then preserving them with silicone paint. Hand stitched to form a dress, the creation was the antithesis of the mass-produced garments that make up the majority of fashion today, requiring care and patience that goes against the capitalistic ideals so ingrained in our collective psyche.

Hodakova S/S 24

‘Our process is so different from everyone else. We’re doing things by hand, we have a different way of producing'. Larsson says because everything they do is upcycled, she describes Hodakova’s production process as a 3-D puzzle, rather than the traditional methods of working from a flat sketch or pattern. ‘I don’t really know how other fashion companies are doing things. It’s good not having too much knowledge when you’re entering a system that needs to change’.

Hodakova S/S 24

Establishing her namesake brand without gaining experience at other companies meant Larsson didn’t have previous knowledge to base how she runs her label. Taking an intuitive approach has allowed her to put her values at the forefront. ‘You have to not think about success too much. Rather, think about how your values shape your purpose’. As Hodakova’s CEO, designer, accountant and more, Larsson feels the pressure of being able to sustain not only her livelihood but that of her team. However, the lack of stakeholders means she gets to decide what success looks like. ‘We can earn enough. It doesn’t need to be more, more, more,’ she explains.

Hodakova S/S 24

It’s a way of thinking about fashion that feels more revolutionary than it should. Likely because of just how obvious it sounds. Today’s conversations on sustainability are quick to point out overproduction of fashion as one of the world’s biggest polluters. Yet, it feels now more than ever that brands big and small are prioritising growth and expansion like never before, chasing flash in the pan trends in hopes of driving sales. While it might not be as easy as halting fashion production altogether, Larsson’s view on the matter is one that more young designers and entrepreneurs should be adopting.

‘I actually like the pace [of fashion] because it creates productivity, which is important for self-development. My frustration is that the focus on growth needs to stop’, she explains. Of course, her development is more so rooted in ideating new ways of creating that doesn't require new materials. It's, again, a way of thinking about fashion that should be at the forefront of everyone's mind. ‘The world doesn’t need another designer. There’s enough. What it does need are more innovators that are pushing the boundaries.’

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