We love their pastries and now the Danish are bringing another delicious delicacy to our borders: eponymous designer and retailer Mads Norgaard.
Starting this fall, the acclaimed Danish brand Mads Norgaard will be available in Canadian retailers, including Eugene Choo, The Block and Zebra Club in Vancouver; Moule Vancouver and Winnipeg; Still Life For Her in Victoria; DWND Clothing, Drake General Store and Anthropologie in Toronto; Newman’s Menswear in Hamilton; and Tozzi Boutique in Montreal. Norgaard is well-known in Denmark and Europe for his art and literature-inspired designs, which incorporate quality materials and intriguing details with European-based production.
The first Norgaard store was opened in Copenhagen in 1986 and sold men’s fashion exclusively. It continued to expand refine the shop’s offerings, up until 1995, when he created his own menswear line, Mads Norgaard – Copenhagen, with a women’s collection launching the following year. In 2001, the collection began to garner international attention and demand and Norgaard held his first major fashion show during Danish Fashion Week in 2005. From there, he has designed costumes for the Royal Ballet and four personal skins for iGoogle, along with top designers including Philippe Starck, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana and Diane von Furstenberg.
Norgaard now produces four seasonal collections per year for men and women. The Mads Norgaard Fall 2013 collection, titled The Red Collection, includes a series of luxurious knits, patterns, tailored shirts and jackets in a variety of textures.
“Our Autumn 2013 collection, named The Red Collection, is a display of homage to the late Swedish playwright, novelist, poet and painter August Strindberg and his novel Röda Rummet (The Red Room),” said Norgaard in a press release to support his Canadian expansion. “The collection is inspired by the pottery of Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, the high spirit of David Shrigley, the Han sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset in Helsingor, the carpet of the Bouroullec brothers, The Stool 80 by Alvar Aalto, the song ‘Happy When It Rains’ by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Hotel Amour in Paris and a few emptied bottles of contemporary Australian white wine.” Wait, what?
For women, Norgaard focuses on a mix of luxe fabrics, chic shades of colour and classic shapes, punctuated with pops of neon, gold and silver. Personally, I love foil-textured flippy skirts and tops, as well as the graphic, paint splash sweats (as worn by the model in the very top photo). There’s also timeless winter staples, like the Klicka sweater ($255) with a subtle light to dark grey ombre, and the Danga dress ($185), made with a Norgaard-created fabric called “Denim Sweat,” which has the look, texture and durability of denim.
You can check out most of the women’s collection here. Meanwhile, there’s also a stellar lineup of men’s apparel, consisting of thick sweaters and long-sleeved cotton tees, which needless to say, will make for perfect Christmas gifts. Not that I mean to scare you with the C-word just yet.
Images via Mads Noorgard
