"When we first featured Laufey on these pages, we shot her just outside of her hometown of Reykjavík, against the otherworldly landscape of Iceland. An emerging artist, she wore emerging Scandinavian designers. And while we knew she was going to be a big star, we weren’t expecting the response her story received"
Around the same time that Vogue Scandinavia released its very first issue, amidst the uncertainty of the Covid pandemic, a then-unknown Icelandic artist with a once-in-a-generation talent began uploading videos of herself singing to TikTok. I’m speaking, of course, of our cover star, Laufey, whose incredible trajectory has moved in tandem with our own growth as a magazine. When we first featured Laufey on these pages, we shot her just outside of her hometown of Reykjavík, against the otherworldly landscape of Iceland. An emerging artist, she wore emerging Scandinavian designers. And while we knew she was going to be a big star, we weren’t expecting the response her story received. Laufey’s fans – the Lauvers – are an enthusiastic bunch and the story went a bit viral.
Fast forward to Laufey’s debut Vogue Scandinavia cover and she’s performed at Coachella, won a Grammy and accrued 8.4 million Lauvers on TikTok (not to mention 6.4 million on Instagram). It’s a great feat for an artist who is so unwaveringly true to herself, existing in a space all her own. The courage to be unique is a common trait for Icelanders, who, on their small island nation, are encouraged to forge their own path. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Laufey her generation’s Björk.
This time around we wanted to portray an artist who has come into her own while highlighting Laufey’s enchanting beauty. She wears high fashion from the most renowned houses, which she carries with the poise of a woman who is unapologetically sure of herself. Laufey’s look and music is awash in femininity, and her strength is palpable.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Laufey her generation’s Björk
Martina Bonnier
In this issue, Laufey is joined by bold women who refuse to be put in a box. Most notably, Sweden’s original fearless female: Pippi Longstocking. Conceived by Astrid Lindgren, one of our most iconic writers, Pippi has inspired generations of young women to march to the beat of their own drum, both here in Sweden (where she is so deeply embedded in the culture) and beyond. We knew we wanted to do something to honour Pippi’s 80th birthday, but I could not have imagined the result in my wildest dreams.
Shot in Astrid Lindgren’s former apartment, a humble home on Dalagatan that has remained untouched since her death in 2002, we captured three models as Pippi (a nod to the fact that any woman can embody a bit of Pippi). There’s the hair, the freckles and, of course, the socks (ours are custom-made for the shoot by Swedish brand Happy Socks). Best of all, we received special permission to bring a horse, Monty (our very own Lilla Gubben), into the actual building. It was a modern Pippi fairytale come to life (you should have seen the looks on the faces of the pedestrians passing by, and a story that will live on in the history of this magazine.
Related: How Dior’s Peter Philips dreamt up Laufey’s cover look – and how you can recreate it at home
Just as Astrid Lindgren – and, by extension, Pippi – boldly used her imagination to build a world all of her own, so does artist Alice Herbst. Like many in the fashion industry, we are enamoured with Alice’s immersive paper worlds, which she often places herself in. She also has a great sense of fashion (no surprise she was formerly a model). So, for this issue we invited Alice to create her scenes around a handful of accessories rendered in the unexpected colour of the season: blue (you usually see black or brown for autumn – rarely blue). It’s time-consuming work to meticulously build these sets, and I’m so honoured that Alice took on this story.
Just as Astrid Lindgren – and, by extension, Pippi – boldly used her imagination to build a world all of her own
Martina Bonnier
Meanwhile, when you think of bold Scandinavian women, you think instantly of Helena Christensen. Our second ever cover star, Helena has been in the Vogue Scandinavia family from the very beginning. This time around she appears as the supermodel she is, wearing the standout statement coats of the season on the streets of her current home town, New York (after summer, we in Scandinavia are always looking for the next great coat). No one does it like Helena.
And finally, we have an artful tribute to something that carries a quieter confidence: the potato. The rice of the Nordics, we in Sweden eat potatoes nearly every day. We eat them on special occasions and at regular meals. We eat them boiled plain or covered in sour cream and roe. They’re a way of life and perhaps the secret to our strength.
So, as the temperature threatens to drop, grab your favourite hearty potato dish, dig into this issue, and find a power all of your own.
