Show Notes
As one of the first brands to democratize luxury fashion, H&M helped reshape the relationship between designer creativity and the wider public. From its landmark collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, they’ve brought the creative genius of Versace, Margiela, Comme des Garçons, and countless others to the masses. A model that today reigns supreme when it comes to commonly practiced brand strategy and reaching key consumer touchpoints. Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Creative Advisor and Head of Design Womenswear, has been central to this evolution, along with playing a role in the brand’s dedication to nurturing emerging talent, with the return of the H&M Design Award taking place this November.
In this conversation, Johansson considers what fashion must preserve in an increasingly technological and commercial landscape, from the value of craft to the need for greater individuality and optimism.
“I think we need more optimism also, because if we're not optimistic, what is the point of doing anything really?” - Ann-Sofie Johansson
Episode Highlights:
02:18–03:17 | The Making of a Fashion Creative, Growing Up in Sweden
03:17–04:40 | Swedish Values and the Culture of Collaboration
04:44–06:00 | How London’s ’80s Club Culture Changed Her View of Fashion
06:06–07:18 | When a Personal Passion Becomes a Creative Career
07:56–09:31 | Four Decades at H&M, Staying Curious in a Changing Landscape
09:40–11:43 | The Karl Lagerfeld Collaboration That Democratized Luxury Fashion
11:43–12:53 | How Designer Collaborations Bring Creative Worlds Together
12:53–13:59 | Beyond Designer Labels, Rethinking the Meaning of Luxury
13:59–15:30 | Cultural Relevance and Creative Instinct in Choosing Designer Collaborations
15:46–18:19 | Commercial Appeal vs. Conceptual Design, What Audiences Want from Fashion
20:23–23:15 | H&M Studio and the Search for New Creative Possibilities
23:39–28:00 | Fashion, Image-Making and Technology, Rethinking the Runway with Nick Knight
28:00–32:35 | Fashion’s Responsibility to the Next Generation of Designers
32:35–33:14 | Instinct and the Qualities of Great Design
33:14–34:17 | Why Optimism Matters in Creative Culture
34:17–35:34 | Finding Your Voice in a World of Constant Visual Influence
35:34–37:07 | Illustration and the Importance of Craft
37:07–40:09 | AI, Human Creativity and the Future of Design
40:09–41:15 | Can Fashion Become More Individual in an Era of Globalization?
41:15–43:15 | Social Media, Algorithmic Echo Chambers and the Future of Trend Forecasting
43:16–44:17 | How Brands Participate in Contemporary Culture
44:17–46:27 | The Cultural Connections Between Fashion, Art, Music and Literature
46:27–47:00 | What Is Contemporary Now? The Timeless Value of a Good Conversation
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from What's Contemporary Now?
Alastair McKimm returns to What’s Contemporary Now?, this time on camera, to discuss life after 23 years at i-D and the launch of Prototype, a new creative venture bringing publishing, product design, and creative services under one roof. Now also Chief Creative Officer of Visual Talent Group (VTG), McKimm reflects on building a new model for creative businesses, his work with Gap, Marc Jacobs, and Miley Cyrus, and the role of curation in navigating an increasingly saturated world. From editing creative work to editing our own lives, we explore instinct, ambition, insecurity, and the challenge of sustaining a career without losing sight of ourselves.
It’s all about the Big Willy energy these days. What was once an independent, primarily menswear label showing at New York Fashion Week has become a full-blown fashion brand known for staging high-quality productions and often politically charged shows during the Paris men’s collections. The paradox of Willy Chavarria is that, despite the wide reach of his media storms, he’s still being discovered by new audiences even now. The illusion of overnight success is almost always backed by stories of hard work, an enduring willingness to prevail, and a commitment to learning everything one can along the way. His story strikes all of the favorite chords in any good human interest story: growing up as an outsider, learning to live with no regrets, and realizing that we always stand to benefit from thinking big.
Copenhagen Fashion Week marks its 20th anniversary at a moment when the fashion system is being asked to account for itself. In conversation with CEO Cecilie Thorsmark and COO Isabella Rose Davey, this episode examines how a regional fashion week evolved into a platform with global influence, and what that evolution reveals about the future of the industry.
With a quick trip to Copenhagen for the city's 20th anniversary fashion week, we will be attending the shows, interviewing the organizers, and participating on a panel with Vogue business to explore the idea of what a magazine is today. Their impressive programming, in addition to the designers, includes an impressive array of subject matter that warrants a timely exploration and we'll be back on Monday with a full episode sharing all of the juicy details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The episode follows AMBUSH’s evolution from jewelry made for friends to a brand that Yoon describes as a platform, shaped by experimentation rather than a rigid business plan. She speaks candidly about learning in real time, being paid to learn, and why every job and skill eventually becomes useful. From research as a daily practice to AI as a tool that can accelerate creative work without replacing it, Yoon makes a case for staying open, resisting the urge to live in boxes, and trading horizontal expansion for deeper, more human storytelling. Her definition of what feels contemporary now is simple and powerful, pursuing who you are fearlessly, and staying uniquely human in a world increasingly driven by algorithms.