Charlotte Eskildsen is the persona behind Designers Remix Collection; she is one of Scandinavia’s hottest fashion designers and everything she does rocks! We had the luck to meet her during Copenhagen Fashion Week and we present her to you.
When and how did you decide to become a fashion designer? When I was a child – so cliché – but really, I have always known.
How did you come up with the name “Designers Remix Collection”? The brand started up as a customized brand – Where I “remixed” old styles by hand.
Your label is getting stronger collection by collection, both artistically and commercially; how tough is that within a pessimistic global financial environment? I have a positive mind – I think the global financial situation can also create opportunities. Of course we are very careful not to overspend, so we try to be on top of the situation by having a very controlled financial system. I honestly believe that a brand like Designers Remix Collection can easily grow in a tough financial world – because we are not so small I see more options than threats.
You are the creative director of the label; are you also in charge of the business matters? No, I am only in charge of the creative side. My husband is the CEO, so in this case I am of course very involved in the discussions but business and creativity go hand in hand. In this case we support each other a lot.
Is Copenhagen the ideal hub of your creativity? Do you feel privileged to live and work in the Danish capital? Are there any limitations? Yes, I feel privileged – Copenhagen has a very strong design heritage especially from architecture and it’s a very small, beautiful and peaceful city. But you really have to travel a lot not to feel narrow minded and a big disadvantage is the Danish tax system, which is the highest in the world.
Your SS09 collection had a strong Japanese touch; what has inspired you? Kyoto – and Japanese simplicity, especially the concept of “IKI” which means finding the beauty in something simple.
The colors in this collection are intimate, with loads of purple, lilac and lingerie pink, however your AW09 collection was dominated by black; are we all going back to black, after all? Black is my favorite color and my fall collections always tend to be darker than the spring collections and I believe a lot in black.
The equestrian world and horse riding seemed to be the main theme of your AW09 collection, which you presented during the recent Copenhagen Fashion Week. Is it your favorite sport, and if not what inspired you? No, I don’t ride myself; I saw a house with lots of high end riding uniforms and horses and I started to use it as a theme. I like the whips and the leather stripes – so it became a story also for the campaign. I like the attitude in riding. It’s very noble and very “snobby” and it gave a cool, luxurious touch to the collection.
Are you thinking of designing for men sometime soon? No, I don’t feel like doing menswear. I am too much of a girl.
Have you ever been to Greece and if so what do you think of the Greeks’ style? When I was a child I always used to visit Greece in the summer with my parents and we loved it very much. I was actually inspired by ancient Greece for one piece in the high summer collection. Ancient Greece had a cool style.
What is your wildest dream? Space charter and building my own house.
