INTERVIEW #28 CATARINA MIDBY

Occupation:

Secretary General Swedish Fashion Association

What’s your relationship with clothes?

I’ve been working in fashion for over 30 years but I’m not a fashion-freak. I’m more interested in Style. Style is something different. It’s more related to how one lives, what you think, what you eat, what you drink and so on. Clothes are a good way to express your style though. I’m very interested in the handicraft of fashion, and the expertise of people working in the industry. I appreciate different kinds of materials, colours and see beauty in most things. I guess that’s my relationship with clothes.

Fashion is fun in the sense that it is continuously changing and evolving. Style is more about inspiration and the people who inspire me are the ones that have their very own style, fashionable or not but cool, eccentric, clean cut or retro. 

How would you describe your style?

My style is pretty simple, sporty but also feminine. It’s very timeless. I think my style has been this way for many years. It’s always been about dark colours, jeans and t-shirts. I appreciate good shoes, bags and uniform style pieces. Like jackets and coats. But I also enjoy a beautiful 30’sor 70’s style dress. I used to dress up more in London. In Stockholm my style is more practical. 

How would you describe your closet?

My closet has plenty of jeans in all colours and models. It has plenty of pants that are grey or black. Plenty of t-shirts! I do have a crazy amount of t-shirts. Plenty of jackets, blouses and shirts. Among all my clothes there are a few favourites which I like very much. I love shoes. Many of my clothes are from H&M since I used to work there. My closet is in order, but not too much, far from Marie Kondo-style. 

What is a sustainable closet for you?

“ Sustainability is more than just the choice of materials.”

Clothes that are sustainable in their design. They should last over a long time-period. Very good if they’re produced from sustainably sourced materials but the design has to be timeless. Clothes that can be worn for years to come. It’s also a closet that reflects your personality more than seasonal trends. It’s important to ask yourself when consuming; does this suit me? Both from a physical perspective but also based on your personality. Will I really wear this?

What do you think about the fashion industry? 

I’m part of the fashion industry and I love it. It’s continuously evolving, it’s all about change and it follows and reflects our society. We are now digitizing and thinking about how we can reinvent ourselves for the future. How to make it more sustainable and functional. The fashion industry is not stuck anywhere, it’s adaptable. 

The fashion industry is also doing a lot of good t since it’s very close to its consumers, it has to be. Sustainability is more than just the choice of materials. Transparency is a good start for any brand. High street fashion is actually performing better on sustainability indexes, while high end fashion seems to be lagging behind.

What’s interesting now during the Corona-situation is that the mid-market brands are becoming more competitive.

I started my journey as a fashion journalist and the engagement for the business has developed, with digitization it has become more democratic. 

“Style doesn’t always mean something new… it’s about going from consumerism towards style.”

What do you believe needs to change?

Change is happening! But the pace of consumption still needs to change. 

Style doesn’t always mean something new… it’s about going from consumerism towards style. 

Some luxury brands have become too expensive while the high street has become too cheap. We need more real priced products.

What can one do to create a more sustainable closet?

·     Clean out your closet to see what you have. Try on your clothes and ask yourself what really works for you.

·     Then ask yourself if there’s anything missing for you to be able to wear your clothes more often. Are there any colours you like more? And then buy things you can wear for many years to come and things you can wear with several already existing items in your closet. 

·     Re-wear your whole closet regularly. When you buy something new, do not only wear that for a limited period of time, instead make sure you’re wearing everything in your closet regularly. It should be a closet you can wear in several ways. 

·      Take care of your clothes! Know how to wash them, don’t tumble dry them! Make sure you fold your clothes and hang them in your closet in a nice way. Polish your shoes and keep your bags in dust bags. You need to know how to look after your clothes. 

·     Buy things you love! Don’t buy anything because it’s cheap. It’s better to buy what you really love, in that way you will wear it more often. 

“Buy things you love! Don’t buy anything because it’s cheap. It’s better to buy what you really love, in that way you will wear it more often.”