The collection Académie des Femmes (Women’s Academy) for spring/summer 09 is a tribute to the American expatriate Natalie Clifford Barney who started a literary salon in Paris in the year 1900. For more than 60 years every Friday she brought together writers and artists from around the world. Among the visitors were art collector and patron Peggy Guggenheim, actress Sarah Bernhardt, painters Tamara de Lempicka and Marie Laurencin and dancer Isadora Duncan. What made Barney’s Fridays the place to be was the fact that it was acceptable to be who you were. Throughout her life Natalie Barney promoted art, and created her life into a work of art. She celebrated everything female, praising womens power and intelligence. She was an advocate of the equal social and economic rights of women before the women’s liberation movement existed. Natalie Clifford Barney transformed the world around her and she will always be remembered as the Amazon who not only knew creative people, but also inspired them.

The spring/summer 09 collection is inspired from usually incompatible styles from the “Belle epoque“ to the 1980s fashion from TV dramas like “Dallas“, 50s glamour to loose and flowing ancient Greek fashion. “Académie des Femmes“ create a feeling of amazing kaleidoscope of colours and forms. The quality is everywhere in the materials (silk, soft cottons and ramie), the immaculate line, perfect cut and manufacture. Fitted bodice and full skirt dresses, remarkable dolman sleeves, tailored slacks with high weist and trench coats with androgynous look. The major accents are elegance, comfort and style.

Styling/Set design by Bea Szenfeld.

The Bea Szenfelds autumn/winter collection is based upon chick and feminine garments with masculine details.

The inspiration comes from a novel “La garconne” written by Victor Marguerittes and published in 1922. The novel deals with the life of a young woman who decides to live life freely and on her own terms, this includes of course wearing man outfits. Although the theme is not particularly shocking in the present day, but at the time it was considered quite scandalous.

The colour scale of the collection is simple and neat: white, gray, dark brown and black together with a blue shade as a contrast.

The collection contains feminine dress suit shirts, tops with delicate draped sleeves and bows and tunics with Peter Pan collars. A pair of dungarees with a delicate feminine cut , a pair of wide legged culottes with clever vintage details and a raglan jacket with a hood and fake fur details. And of course a pair of tailored trousers with a classic finish.

Styling by Bea Szenfeld.

This collection consists of amazing coats and jackets for the autumn and winter season. An exclusive and extravagant style of the 50´s mixed with a fin de siècle silhouette is the strongest inspiration in this collection. The female line has a beautiful cut with a marked waist, over sized buttons and checked fabrics. The male line has a more sporty edge with snow white duffle coats and baseball jackets. This season’s range of colours contains chocolate brown, navy blue, lion yellow and snow white.

Photography by Ann-Katrin Blowqvist.

Styling and fashion design by Bea Szenfeld.

A collection inspired by the 30’s and the 40’s. The ladies’ line is veryfeminine with pastel colours and delicate lace. High waists and blouses with ruche. The men’s line has a masculine look with high waist trousers and aninfluence of sports with a jazzy feeling.

Photography by Marcus Ohlson.

Styling by Angie.