In this conversation, Nicklas Skovgaard shares his intriguing transition from interior design to fashion, as he defies the conventions of Scandinavian minimalism. Discover the unexpected inspirations that shape his reimagining of classic silhouettes, ranging from European aristocracy to popular culture.

N: Hi Nicklas, I'm so happy to have this interview with you. I know you grew up on a small Danish island named Thurø. Could you share some of your early life memories and how they may have influenced your perception of beauty?

N: Hello. Thank you for inviting me, I'm so excited to take part in this! I think some of my earliest life memories that helped shape my perception of beauty have to do with my mother. I grew up on this small island that was quite rural, with not many fancy stores or people around. My mother, in some ways, stood out from the other mothers around. She always dressed, and still does, quite eccentrically and would almost put on a character when dressing up for going somewhere. It always seemed like she had no rules. To me, it almost looked like she didn't have one certain style, but rather had several different styles that she would mix in the oddest combinations. Seeing this way of dressing and boundless mixing really helped shape my perception of beauty!

N: Scandinavian style is usually associated with chic minimalism. In your designs, however, I can perceive a strong eclecticism and sense of playful dress-up. Can you elaborate more on your brand's aesthetics?

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N: The brand bears my name, Nicklas Skovgaard, and I really believe that this is because such a big part of my brand's aesthetics is a reflection of what I like and find interesting. But also, the collections are a reflection of how I would like to dress myself if I were to dress women's wear. So really, it's quite personal, I would say.

N: Your journey into fashion has been quite unorthodox, transitioning from interior design to experimenting with a child's loom during the pandemic, eventually leading to full-fledged collections and social media recognition. In hindsight, do you feel that the atypicalness of your journey somehow contributed to your success?

N: Yes, I definitely think that the atypicalness of my journey contributed to my success. I never intended to start a fashion brand at first; it all grew very organically as I started creating and sharing more and more through social media.

But actually, I don't really see this journey as being so atypical anymore. I mean, there's this really great new wave of designers around these days coming from so many different perspectives, backgrounds, and new ways of thinking about fashion and sharing their vision. I think for me, that's some of the things that are so fun, inspiring, and loving about fashion - the creativity and new ways of thinking, rather than a hierarchy.

N: A common thread in your designs seems to be the reinterpretation of silhouettes and styles commonly found in classical paintings of European royalty and aristocracy. Is there any reference or source of inspiration informing your work that you think people would be surprised about?

N: My references are always a big mix. Some might say it's a bit chaotic. Besides having a big, obvious historical point of reference in my work, some find it surprising when I elaborate on my inspiration and fascination with pop culture. It could be the dominating pop culture at the time or from a specific time within the past century. I think a lot of my references have a certain dualism in them that I try to translate into each collection and garment.

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N: Thank you, Nicklas. It was a pleasure. In conclusion, reflecting on your journey so far, is there a moment or achievement that you're most proud of and why?

N: Every day, I have these small moments where I feel so proud of how far I've made it. It can be when people from all around the world reach out to me and interact about my work, or every time I see someone wearing something I created, it makes me so happy and proud and makes me want to make it even further!

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