INTERVIEW #55 SANNE BRÄNNSTRÖM
Based in: Torne River Valley, Sweden
Occupation: Content creator
Get inspired: On her Instagram: Warginna
Why we love her: Because of her country-mixed-with-70s-style and colourful photos
Who are you?
My name is Sanne Brännström and I’m from Pello, in the Torne River Valley, which is located in the northernmost part of Sweden - right on the border to Finland. This actually means I belong to a minority group. We have our own flag and our own language, meänkieli. This has shaped who I am and what I do today in many ways. Nature is in the centre of everything I do. Today we are living a vagabond life, my fiance Isak, our two dogs and I. Isak is a professional hockey player. During spring and summer we are based in the Torne River Valley, in a house in the countryside, the rest of the year we are located wherever his hockey career takes us. Last year we bought an old house which is located 17 km outside Övertorneå in a small village named Kuusijärvi. Only two people live here all year round.
I run my own company as a photographer, graphic designer and influencer on my Instagram channel @warginna. I’m currently planning to open my own second hand webbshop with handpicked second hand and vintage items. Of course with my own prints as well.
I also run the nature-based communication and adventure business called Re-Wild Creative Studio with my partner in crime: Therese Lundin. Together we are working with companies and organisations and individuals who love nature as much as us, and are longing to reconnect with it. We are for example holding courses in edible plants in nature. Nature is the red thread in everything we do. Also the sustainability perspective.
“Nature is in the centre of everything I do.”
What’s your relationship with clothes?
Clothes have always had a big role in my life. I love to express myself in many ways. Clothes are a way to show who I am. As a child I was fascinated by my grandmother's wardrobe from the 60s. I was actually 12 years old when I started my first fashion blog. I’ve always enjoyed looking at clothes and listening to music. I had a period when I was younger as a “glam rocker”, my hair was standing right up pointing to the skies. With the years my view on clothes has changed. When I lived in the city, I often visited stores and bought fast fashion but as soon as I got to learn more about the challenges it was impossible to go back. Now I mostly go for second hand and vintage. I also make better choices when it comes to ethical companies. Fast fashion is simply not interesting and quite frankly also… pretty boring. When it comes to it, almost everything we do in life is in some way political. It really is about changing one's behaviour as your perspective changes.
“When I lived in the city, I often visited stores and bought fast fashion but as soon as I got to learn more about the challenges it was impossible to go back.”
How would you describe your style?
I love the 70’s and retro. I really like those colours, particularly yellow, orange and pink. The 70’s had so much more colors and I love the shapes. Wide pants and so on. I also love country/western fashion and get a lot of inspiration from that culture with fringe jackets, cowboy boots etc, and also from the music I listen to. I listen a lot to classic rock, blues and classic country music. I try to mix the things I like but I’m also an outdoor person, so I have a lot of outdoor and hillbilly clothes too. Some say I’m the Dolly Parton of the forest, haha.
“Fast fashion is simply not interesting and quite frankly also… pretty boring.”
Where do you get inspiration from?
Besides the music, I get inspiration from photos, as a photographer photos are really important. I think I mostly look at pictures or videos of my rockstars and just get inspired to experiment with clothes! Instagram is a very good tool too. There I can find similar minded people. Old pictures and movies from the 70s are a huge source of inspiration. I get inspired by good values, the forest, cowboys and the whole hippie era.
“I get inspired by good values, the forest, cowboys and the whole hippie era.”
Any favourite items?
I have a thing for so called “Penny Lane”- jackets like in the movie Almost famous with Kate Hudson, but they are originally called Afgan coats. I also love wide pants, cowboy boots, hats and everything with turquoises. And of course, fringe jackets! I can’t stop buying them and I have no regrets!
How would you describe your closet?
It is a closet full of items I love, colors, vintage and extravaganza. I don’t wait for the right time to wear nice clothes, I like to wear special pieces whenever I feel like it. I believe if I truly love something, there’s room for it. And also, If I’m attracted to it it's a part of my style. But since I got a lot of extravaganza in my closet: I’m currently focusing more on finding basic items that work with everything else I got. I love those special items but I also want to have things that I can wear with everything else. More like a capsule closet. When it comes to consumption, I try to only buy what I truly love and always think “second hand first”. When I buy something new, I want to choose to buy from ethical and local businesses and creators. I think my closet is normal sized but if you would ask my fiance, he might say something else...
What is a sustainable closet for you?
On my behalf it has a lot to do with second hand and vintage. I choose to buy second hand first and to be conscious of my consumption patterns and shopping habits.People are never going to stop consuming things, but we can learn how to consume in better ways and to consume LESS. When buying something new, do your research. How is it produced? Who produces it and under what conditions? What’s the environmental impact of the materials used, are they eco, recycled or really... bad? When buying second hand, I think it’s easier to navigate from a sustainability perspective since you know everything is pre-loved. But a sustainable closet is not only about having items that are fairly produced or pre-loved, it also means that you should have clothes you really like and feel comfortable in. Clothes are supposed to fit and feel convenient. I don’t think much about if it's trendy or modern, I simply buy what I like. The relationship between you and your closet should be like a friendship. Choose clothes with care.
“People are never going to stop consuming things, but we can learn how to consume in better ways and to consume LESS.”
What do you think about the fashion industry?
There are so many things that need to be improved. The climate is suffering and people are being poorly paid and are not working under good conditions. Consumers are tricked to buy new collections several seasons during the year and think fashion should be that cheap, but it’s always someone who pays the real price in the end. There are so many ethical dilemmas. It makes me angry to think about it. There are so many things that need to change. From how we consume to how clothes are produced. But also the social aspect of how we view our bodies. What are the ideals and who are being shown in the clothes? I think It is finally improving, even though it’s going real slow. I have noticed that sometimes when you walk into a regular store with clothes, it happens that the size you normally have suddenly does not fit at all. It’s like the normal sizes on the clothes suddenly are shrinking, and you have to have a certain body type to fit into these clothes. I mean, come on! What’s that all about? What are we telling people when that is the case? What signals does it bring? It is affecting our mental health in a very negative way. We are all human and we all look different. There should be clothes for everyone.
“The relationship between you and your closet should be like a friendship. Choose clothes with care.”
What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?
Review the way you consume and your view on clothes. Be careful about what and how you consume, make sure it’s good quality and decent working conditions if you are buying something new, but choose second hand first hand, there’s something for everyone second hand - not only retro lovers. Choose clothes with care, clothes that make you happy and that you think you are going to use for a long time, and take care of.
It doesn’t have to be that hard! All of us can start somewhere, in fact you can even start today! See it as a fun challenge! Be open-minded and dare to try new things second hand. And last but definitely not least: search for small-scale and ethical businesses and artists! Support small and local, especially if it’s sustainable.