INTERVIEW #67 SOFIA MALMIA
Name: Sofia Malmia
Occupation: Fashion designer
Based in: Florens
Occupation: Fashion designer and stylist
Why we love her: Because her sustainability concept does not only relate to material and working conditions, but also to human being our right to be loved and comfortable in who we are. Her creations are extraordinary and her bags are on our list of must haves!
Tell us about yourself?
I can't really remember how or why I started to get interested in fashion but what I do remember is that ever since I started school I always thought about what I wanted to wear. My mom used to put my outfit together when I was in kindergarten but when I started school I told her I wanted to do it myself. It was a way for me to express myself, have fun and play with clothes. I’ve always been interested in clothes and dressing up. When I started university in Australia I understood how important fashion was for me. I was questioning my choice a lot, was I really supposed to work with fashion? But at university we had a lot of sustainability talks and I felt this is what I was called to do, to help inspire a positive change in the fashion industry.
I moved to Australia in 2015 and fell in love with the country. I was very inspired by nature, the colours, the ocean and the people there. I went from having a very typical Swedish style; black, white and minimalistic to a more maximalist style, I think I took a piece of nature with me in my styling. I grew up in a small town in Sweden where it was very important to fit in and I didn’t dare to stand out. In Australia nobody knew me, so I allowed myself to blossom, find myself in my fashion and become who I had always been on the inside.
When I started to study it was because it was time for me to focus more on myself and my future. I loved Australia and I wanted to stay, so of course I wanted to do my degree there!
“At university we had a lot of sustainability talks and I felt this is what I was called to do, to help inspire a positive change in the fashion industry.”
What did you study?
My degree was called Branded Fashion Design which meant that it was a mix between learning design skills as well as branding and how to create your own label. We learnt everything from sewing, pattern making, how to draw both by hand and digitally but it was also very branding based. How to create your own fashion brand, making cost sheets and all the technical stuff as well. The whole process of designing, from the initial first sketches to finished garments. People often think of fashion as easy but it is lots of very hard work, but I learned so much from the workload. My creativity and thinking really developed and I learned a lot about myself. We got a little taste of everything during the course. To learn about all the aspects of the industry was also very beneficial when you’re seeking a job, since we learned the whole process of what is going on at a fashion brand.
How would you describe your style?
Well I could probably relate it to my own brand, S.MAL, which is an acronym of my name (Sofia Malmia) but also stands for sublime, maximalist, androgynous and limited. I would say my personal style is a mix of all those words and forms of expression. I used to be a minimalist but now I explore way more. I love maximalism in fashion and I have stopped thinking about what other people think about the way I dress. I feel I could never overdress. You can’t look too pretty. I like to play a lot with masculinity and femininity, for example wear masculine boots with a feminine dress.
“I love maximalism in fashion and I have stopped thinking about what other people think about the way I dress. I feel I could never overdress.”
Any favourite items?
I have a vintage blazer, from a friend's vintage shop in Costa Rica. It’s an oversized blazer with little checks on it, orange, rusty red and green stripes and I decorated the end of the sleeves with pearls. That is my favorite item! I can dress it up and dress it down. Also my sandals, sporty and chunky! Looks like sneakers but cut out on the top. They´re probably my most worn items in my closet.
How would you describe your closet?
At the moment my physical closet are two suitcases on the floor since I just moved country. In terms of what I have a lot of, it is shoes! I haven't bought anything new in a very long time, I mostly by second hand. And shoes are so fun to find second hand. One of the suitcases are pretty much only shoes! I also make little bags that I create from upcycled materials. They have a lot of details, like chains or pearl details. I usually make them from old bed spreads and other leftover materials I gather on my vintage hunts. I also really enjoy anything that changes your silhouette, I love anything that is oversized.
What is a sustainable closet for you?
It’s so individual. It’s different from person to person. But for me, a mix between vintage and upcycled. I love secondhand and vintage, it’s an easy way to recycle. When I was living in Costa Rica we had a vintage store and it was a good way to recycle our clothes. All of the people who came into our shop could resell their clothes there. It was our way to recycle them. When it comes to clothes, I believe the best way to see it is that you either buy it new because you have the intention to wear it for a very long time or you can find things second hand. Some items can be hard to buy second hand, like running shoes but you will wear them for a long time so it is sustainable in its own way. Also, vintage normally comes with better quality! It is also cheap and you can find such unique pieces too, so for me there is just so much potential.
When working with second hand clothes in Costa Rica, we used to connect people with clothes, you know that amazing feeling when you find something special and it fits you perfectly, it means that item has been waiting for you. It was meant for you! There are so many beautiful clothes in the world, just waiting to be reloved. Reloving yourself, reloving what you wear, we had this manifest as a part of our campaign.
“When working with second hand clothes in Costa Rica, we used to connect people with clothes, you know that amazing feeling when you find something special and it fits you perfectly, it means that item has been waiting for you.”
What do you think about the fashion industry?
I’m very torn. Because the industry is a very beautiful creative outlet and a place where people can come together. You need to wear clothes everyday so why not make it fun. But we need change too! We need to change how things are done. But overall I try to have a positive outlook on it. To see from a negative light won’t help but instead find solutions and contribute to good practices. Inspire more people to make changes, for a brighter future.
Where do you find inspiration?
Online, on social media apps and so on. Pinterest is a beautiful source of inspiration. I love people watching! Especially in Florens. I find so many cool people by looking around me. I’m also inspired by nature. Hanging out with creative people also makes me very inspired. I’m super interested in the futuristic, aliens, the weirdos and so on. It is not so wearable but everything that is alternative is interesting. Drag queens are very inspiring!
What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?
Have fun, don’t put too much pressure on yourself on your journey!
Speak to the universe, communicate what you need and want!
When you’re out shopping for second hand and you think that you are done, or haven’t found anything - take another round! That’s usually when you find gold!
My final message would be don’t put too much pressure on what you buy and where, you’re allowed to find your own balance and what works best for you. I prefer second hand, always. For my feet I want good quality, so I choose what works for me. I knew I wanted a specific pair of shoes and just searched for them on a second hand platform and found them instead for a much cheaper price, and they were almost brand new! Search through the apps and you will find gems!
“My final message would be don’t put too much pressure on what you buy and where, you’re allowed to find your own balance and what works best for you.”
