Be it the incredulous natural landscapes or modern design, Iceland does not cease to impress us. Reykjavik’s local design store Kiosk, run by 6 designers and named the best place to buy local fashion by The Reykjavik Grapevineun, makes a wonderful hub, providing the customers with latest fashions. From the Kiosk selection, Eyglo is a brand for a stylish and fun woman, led by designer Eygló Lárusdóttir. Her latest collection called 'Murder She Wrote' caught our eye and we were dying to know more.
Words: Johanna Raudsepp
Eyglo Campaign 2016: Photography by Rafael Pinho.
They say first impressions are everything. How would you describe the woman you design for?
I guess I don’t use anyone as a muse when I design. I basically do whatever I like. There’s a certain playfulness mixed with classics, I guess. My clients are women between 24 and 65. [They are] cool, classy and fun. I’d say it’s for women who like to experiment with something fun, but well-made at the same time.
You like using bold patterns, sharp cuts and pops of colour. What was the inspiration behind your latest collection ‘Murder She Wrote’?
The inspiration for my last collection was triggered by the series “Murder She Wrote”. I used to watch these kinds of TV series when I was a kid, so Jessica Fletcher certainly has a special place in my heart. It’s kind of strange to come from a place with almost zero crime rate and create a crime-themed collection. I feel that people from the U.S. can relate more to it in a funny way than us, Icelanders, do.
Eyglo: Jessica Fletcher Jacket, 2016.
I’m into different ways of doing textile these days. I’m doing knitwear with patterns of victims on it — I laser-cut the images and peel the upper layer off, so it gives a 3D-effect, and I also use digital printing. I used to hate orange, but now it’s my favourite colour in the collections. I named one dress after the prison in Iceland, and another one is called Orange Is The New Black, Investigator, etc.
At Savant, we believe in sustainable living, which is applied to the fashion we feature as well. How do you feel about the issue that people often buy what they don’t need? Is there anything you do as a designer that could alter people’s perspective?
I think people should certainly be more aware of what they’re buying. I do understand people that buy their basics from these big chain stores, like H&M or Zara, but I cannot comprehend how it can be fun to wear any of the other stuff they make. It’s made in such huge quantities that you will become tired of it immediately. The same goes for IKEA. They might make nice items, but you get fed up with them within a few months. At least that’s how my brain works.
"It’s kind of strange to come from a place with almost zero crime rate and create a crime-themed collection. I feel that people from the U.S. can relate more to it in a funny way than us, Icelanders, do."
As a designer, I try to be aware of how I do things as well. Most of my fabrics come from Europe and the garments are made in Europe (Estonia, Lithuania, some in Iceland). I’m looking into attending a sustainable fabric fair early next year, as it can be very difficult to source fabrics when you live in Iceland.
I have a store called Kiosk in Reykjavik that I run with 6 other designers. We split the rent and the shifts, help each other with contacts and give advice. Kiosk has been named the 'Best place to buy local fashion' by The Reykjavik Grapevine for all of the 6 years we have had the store. We have been recommended by The New York Times, Vogue, Glamour, and many more. All this contributes to altering people’s perspectives in the long run.
Eyglo at Kiosk, Reykjavík.
We recently interviewed Milla Snorrason, one of your fellow designers from Kiosk. It comes to show what a positive impact such a concept store can have — everything fresh and IN can be found in one place. What made you create the store 6 years ago?
One of my friends came up with the idea shortly after the financial crash. We had finished art school few years earlier and wanted to give it a try. We teamed up with about 6 other designers — now it has been 6 years and it has grown so beautifully. I would love to see similar shops like ours in more cities around the world. We have been super lucky with the rent so far, but we are losing our space soon. The plus side of the tourist boom here is that we can sell more, but the downside is that the rent has gone seriously high. At the moment we are actually looking for another space, possibly bigger to add more designers in. So there are definitely exciting times ahead. We also have a pop-up shop in Copenhagen coming up and another one in Laforet, Tokyo, at the end of November.
Eyglo Campaign 2016. .
Finally, who do you look up to as a designer? What kind of design makes you swoon?
I do look up to Vivienne Westwood for everything she has said about sustainability. Just buy less and better. Take care of your clothes. Design-wise I´ve always loved Bernhard Willhelm, Christopher Kane and Mary Karantzou, to mention a few.