"Starting fresh in one’s early 40s, untangling two deeply tangled lives and disrupting the norm of two children, is immeasurably difficult. But Anine, after much soul-searching (and therapy) walked towards the difficult thing in the pursuit of happiness"
I’ve known Anine Bing since she was an idealistic young blogger, moving from Copenhagen to LA to pursue music and modelling. So, when I met Anine in Paris, where she recently relocated her wildly successful namesake brand, to shoot this cover, I was immediately struck by how she’s evolved. This is a woman who’s mature, empowered, sophisticated, modern. A businesswoman and a mother. Often, she’s seen in jeans, a blazer and a T-shirt – the embodiment of Californian cool – but for this shoot, she gave herself over to our team completely (a rarity for a lifelong fashion girl), gamely wearing covetable looks from the top French houses (she loved the overall aesthetic – even the bigger-than-usual hair). The new Anine is also newly single, having just divorced her longtime partner, with whom she launched her namesake brand from their garage.
Starting fresh in one’s early forties, untangling two deeply tangled lives and disrupting the norm of two children, is immeasurably difficult. But Anine, after much soul-searching (and therapy) walked towards the difficult thing in the pursuit of happiness. To see her now, standing in her power, jet-setting between her immaculate office in Paris and her new oasis in Los Angeles, is inspiring. It’s no surprise her DMs are filled with women seeking advice and praising her for her bravery.
Anine is not the only woman in this issue who’s found a fresh happiness. Swedish indie pop hero Lykke Li, once the poster girl of ethereal sadness, also successfully broke her pattern of heartbreak, emerging with a certain contentment. Here we find Lykke, in her home base of Los Angeles, unfiltered (both in her thoughts and quite literally – she rejects unrealistic beauty standards, preferring to embrace ageing) and thriving. Her new energy, which she describes as “unhinged”, is crystallised in her new album, which she discusses in this magazine for the very first time.
We delve into the chaos that was the great designer shake-up – a season that will undoubtedly go down in history, not to mention set the tone for the years and decades to come
Martina Bonnier
Scandinavians have a funny relationship with happiness. While it isn’t always abundantly clear, we are actually – statistically – the happiest people on the planet. In this issue, renowned Swedish author and professor of wellbeing, welfare and happiness, Michael Dahlén delves into the phenomenon of happiness in the Nordics, namely answering the question: Why are we so happy? His essay, which really pinpoints the Scandinavian mentality, is a must-read. I was especially amused by an impossibly accurate Finnish quote: Det kan alltid bli värre, or “Things can always get worse”. Worth noting: the Finns currently top the list, but we’ll have to wait until the World Happiness Report is released in March to discover which of our countries comes out on top this year. Dahlén’s essay is joined by several smile-inducing artworks created by Norwegian-born, Sweden-based artist Marion Jaklin specifically for these pages.
It was a season of fresh starts in fashion as well, with 16 designers making 16 debuts at some of the most iconic fashion houses. Here, we delve into the chaos that was the great designer shake-up – a season that will undoubtedly go down in history, not to mention set the tone for the years and decades to come. We could think of no better person than extraordinary Paris-based Swedish fashion artist Lovisa Burfitt to capture the moment by illustrating her favourite looks from the debut collections.
But in fashion, not everything need be new. I was delighted to see the return of back-to-basics denim – traditional washes, classic silhouettes – on the runways this season. Our fashion story exploring the enduring power of blue jeans is both effortlessly cool and deeply Scandinavian; we are forever drawn to denim both for its ease and practicality.
Those looking for an extra dose of happiness need look no further than our story on pølse of all forms (including, of course, Denmark’s famous rød pølse – those ubiquitous bright red hot dogs). Not only does this story, written by the excellent food journalist Anna Norström, break down our region’s enduring love of hot dogs, it also captures the joy they bring.
Sometimes finding happiness is just about finding that thing you love and sticking to it. Look at Finnish goldsmith and artist Björn Weckstrom, who, at 90, continues to make his otherworldly sculptures in his incredible Finnish studio, where we visited Björn and his wife for an inspiring conversation about a life spent creating.
We hope this issue gives you a little Nordic happiness, whether you choose to show it or not.
