LINUS LEONARDSSON

YOUNG TALENT COLLABORATION with

THE GUESTLIST

HAILING FROM STOCKHOLM

Currently based in London, 23-year-old Swedish designer Linus Leonardsson recently graduated with an MA in Fashion from Antwerp’s prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts. His work centers around a combination of fun and glamour, with a focus on important social issues. The first and foremost of these is the demolition of gender expectations within fashion, and secondly, a push towards a fully sustainable industry. The core purpose of his collections is to create a feast and fantasy for the eyes, which are impactful and relative to the world in which we all live.

OUR COLLECTION PRIORITIZES CRAFTMANSHIP

Karim Guest New York and the collection of designers at THE GUESTLIST epitomize slow fashion that is gentler to the environment, supports social responsibility, and champions the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of sustainable consumption and production by 2030. Our collection prioritizes craftmanship, quality over quantity, and is created on a made-to-order basis.

YOUNG TALENT COLLABORATION WITH THE GUESTLIST

The collaboration with THE GUESTLIST came about in the form of an award generously granted by the Südwolle Group, The Woolmark Company, Peterseim Strickwaren, and THE GUESTLIST, following his graduation show at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. This combination of technical- and industry-know-how, with fresh ideas straight out of school, is bound to be innovative. Linus’ previous collection was shown at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2019 in Russia. His designs explored adolescent concerns of not fitting in to a grown-up world. Specifically, this collection was set in a forest rave in Stockholm, connecting modern raving culture with new ways of preserving nature and craftsmanship. This is a theme that has been translated into his collaboration with THE GUESTLIST, mostly around contrasts; technical materials versus natural inputs, and daytime-tradition juxtaposing nightlife-freedom are also knitted into his next collection.

YOUNG TALENT COLLABORATION WITH THE GUESTLIST

The collaboration with THE GUESTLIST came about in the form of an award generously granted by the Südwolle Group ,The Woolmark Company, Peterseim Strickwaren, and New York fashion designer Karim Guest, following his graduation show at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. This combination of technical- and industry-know-how, with fresh ideas straight out of school, is bound to be innovative. Linus’ previous collection was shown at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2019 in Russia. His designs explored adolescent concerns of not fitting in to a grown-up world. Specifically, this collection was set in a forest rave in Stockholm, connecting modern raving culture with new ways of preserving nature and craftsmanship. This is a theme that has been translated into his collaboration with THE GUESTLIST, mostly around contrasts; technical materials versus natural inputs, and daytime-tradition juxtaposing nightlife-freedom are also knitted into his next collection.

LINUS LEONARDSSON's Fashion Film - Presented at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia

“IT’S SUBTLE IN THE FOREST, BUT YOU HAVE THIS VERY ARTIFICIAL SCENERY. THERE’S A LOT OF TRASH LEFT BEHIND... WHICH IS QUITE SAD OF COURSE.”

With a need to create a sustainable future, Linus initially used to source deadstock fabrics to use. “The absolute majority was other people’s waste, which I’ve been using and recycling for different aspects.” He taps into the colors of the Scandinavian sky in the summertime and the promised freedom of rave parties amongst the trees. This extended metaphor plays into his theme for his new collection for THE GUESTLIST, with the vision of going against the grain of an industry that is too often marred by unsustainable practices. Working with Karim Guest and THE GUESTLIST plays into that tension - aiming to alleviate it somewhat - through creating garments for the future of fashion that are of the highest quality, and can be loved, worn again and again, and revived at THE GUESTLIST's Cashmere Spa.

“IT’S SUBTLE IN THE FOREST, BUT YOU HAVE THIS VERY ARTIFICIAL SCENERY. THERE’S A LOT OF TRASH LEFT BEHIND... WHICH IS QUITE SAD OF COURSE.”

With a need to create a sustainable future, Linus initially used to source deadstock fabrics to use. “The absolute majority was other people’s waste, which I’ve been using and recycling for different aspects.” He taps into the colors of the Scandinavian sky in the summertime and the promised freedom of rave parties amongst the trees. This extended metaphor plays into his theme for his new collection for THE GUESTLIST, with the vision of going against the grain of an industry that is too often marred by unsustainable practices. Working with THE GUESTLIST plays into that tension - aiming to alleviate it somewhat - through creating garments for the future of fashion that are of the highest quality, and can be loved, worn again and again, and revived at THE GUESTLIST's Cashmere Spa.

LINUS’ PIECES ARE MADE FROM THE SOFTEST MERINO WOOL

Small details, such as frays or plated ribs, add texture to each piece. They are eye-catching, and made to be noticed - both visually and conceptually. Linus’ collection for THE GUESTLIST is based on “joining the new world together with an old perception of exclusivity and luxury. I want to put conventional exclusivity on a tipping point, and put it in contrast to a younger, less heritage-based audience, allowing a new generation into secluded spaces.” In THE GUESTLIST collection, this is achieved through his use of colour and print. Taking a traditional checkered pattern, Linus has placed it onto a color gradient combination: of "one earthy, traditional tone (beige or brown) and one bright, energetic color (green, blue).”