The late Queen at Balmoral—head scarf-wrapped, in tweed and wellies, or astride a horse—is a poster woman for the season. She made an appearance at Diesel and was on Rave Review’s moodboard in Stockholm. In keeping with their ethos, Josephine Bergqvist and Livia Schück weren’t thinking about elitism, however. The duo’s m.o. is finding value where others see none; they work with deadstock and found materials and objects that they assemble using patterns and techniques that can accommodate small runs—or scraps—of fabrics. And in Sweden, explained Bergqvist on a call, riding “is still very countryside; it’s not like you have to be posh to ride.”
The lookbook was shot at Foderby Gård in Vallentuna, about an hour outside the capital, where Bergqvist, once an avid cross country rider (the sport involves dressage and jumping in a paddock and in the woods), learned the ropes. The idea was to mash up equestrian and more sporty influences (note RR’s take on jodhpurs and twisted polos) with British heritage fabrics, like tweed and tartan, and play with more classic items of dress such as scarf-blouses (RR’s can be worn tied around the neck or as a hood), and kilts. “Skirts are always our favorite garment, I think we have 10 different styles,” noted Bergqvist. The one in the opening look, with the twisted panels was made of a double-faced fabric. Also of note was a skirt with a 3D lattice made of the base fabric. For fall, many garments that looked like they were two-pieces were actually integrated; see look nine where a pleated skirt was hung, hip level, from a lining-fabric dress. You really are seeing double when it comes to look 22 however; it was a layered cost set with a hooded blanket coat under a generously proportioned laminated plaid topper. A series of black dresses accessorized with RR-customized Tretorn rubber boots had an emo-romantic mood that is very of the moment.
This collection didn’t go so far as to be a reset for the brand, but stepping away from the runway (Rave Review put on three shows in Milan) feels like the right move. The catwalk tended to overwhelm the clothes and make these, at times, look messy and repetitive. It wasn’t just that the materiality of the clothes was blurred, but the move seemed motivated by brand positioning. Not only was this offering more (literally) close to home, it was also especially personal for Bergqvist, and not only because she is an equestrian—her mother and her mother’s horse Everyoneshope, appear in the lookbook. Much more, it seems, could be done in this direction. Schück and Bergqvist, who are increasingly interacting with their customers, might show their work on the friends and community they have gathered around them in their quest to make fashion in a more beneficial way.
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