The three Dagmar sisters, Kristina Tjäder, Karin Söderlind, and Sofia Wallenstam, are more than nominally interested in architecture. Tjäder lives in a custom-built manse, and Spring’s presentation was shown in the mid-century interiors of Wallenstam’s World of Interiors–ready home. The location of the Fall collection was the newly built KTH School of Architecture (designed by Tham & Videgård). A spiral staircase replaced the runway. The stairs might have been a challenge for the models, but the clothes were easy on the eyes.
House of Dagmar is known for knitwear, a soft and cuddly clothing category we’ve been seeing a lot of in these hygge-mad days. The danger of coziness is that it can devolve into sloppiness—something that a dollop of Swedish lagom (loosely translated as moderation) can help avoid, as Tjäder, who is responsible for design, proved today. It was clear from the first look, a sashed oatmeal sweater paired with black silk skirt, that at Dagmar, comfort—the holy grail of contemporary dressing—was being delivered with polish. Texture play, including the use of a curly fur-like wool, something of a house signature, elevated the look, as did graphic elements inspired by the work of Viennese painter Svenja Deininger in whose “cubistic” work Tjäder saw echoes of the brand’s language. If a group of somewhat complicated, futuristic-looking pieces didn’t add much to the collection, the soft asymmetries of silk skirts, unexpected drawstrings, and ruffled sleeve details accented its femininity, which is a strength chez Dagmar, not a weakness.
