This season, Rave Rvw's Livia Schück and Josephine Bergqvist look to the humble paper doll as a contemporary metaphor for getting dressed
For spring/summer '27, 'Paper Doll' marks another step away from the patchwork-heavy aesthetic that first defined the Swedish label Rave Rvw. Upcycling remains at its core, but the conversation has shifted. Instead of asking what discarded materials can become, Livia Schück and Josephine Bergqvist ask something more interesting: what if the wearer becomes part of the design process?
The collection's unlikely starting point is the paper doll, as a reminder that dressing once felt instinctive, playful and endlessly changeable. "I experienced dressing as a creative act," Schück reflects. "As a kid, I was constantly trying different combinations, inventing characters, then changing my mind and trying something else." That freedom is exactly what she wants to recapture. "I'm less interested in clothes that dictate a single identity," she says. "I want them to adapt into different situations and moods. I want to have freedom to create meaning rather than something already defined."
Rather than presenting a finished look, 'Paper Doll' offers possibilities: jackets come with detachable hoods, trousers extend at the hem. Scarves weave through skirts, while garments wrap, tie, fold and reverse, encouraging the wearer to continually reshape them. Throughout the collection, polished fronts give way to backs that deliberately expose ties, fastenings and layers, revealing how each piece is assembled instead of concealing it. The effect is less about deconstruction than participation.
The collection also represents a broader turning point for the brand itself. "We've been on quite a journey over the past few years," Schück reflects. "Since the brand was built entirely on upcycling, we developed a distinctive language around patchwork. Over time, we felt it was important to evolve, to move beyond being defined by patchwork and tartan." The shift is immediately visible. Patchwork still appears, but it no longer dominates. Bonded fabrics, airy organza, fluid silks and layered cottons create clothes that feel lighter, cleaner and more sophisticated, without sacrificing the resourcefulness that has always defined Rave Rvw.
Simultaneously, the mood is unmistakably Scandinavian summer. Floral prints lifted from vintage bedsheets sit alongside apron-inspired dresses, relaxed wrap skirts and painted footwear referencing traditional Swedish clogs. Elsewhere, bonded layers create the illusion of flowers gathered into a skirt, while delicate cutwork scatters butterflies across the body.
"I think it's interesting with clothes that are changed by use," says Schück. "Maybe it's a way for me as a designer to leave a bit of space for interpretation, like it's not fully finished until it's fixed and tied by the wearer."
See Rave Rvw's full SS27 collection below. All photos by Emanuel Koroly.
