Foraging, intention, calm/de-cluttered atmospheres, cherries in wicker baskets, hygge, intentionality. A simpler time.
It makes total sense that in our LOUD era Scandi associations would be particularly appealing. Take the woman above, in this Cecilie Bahnsen creative, near the marguerite daisies. Doesn’t that look pleasant? Like an antidote? It’s easy to imagine, and be romantic about, a life beyond the fray of trend in a Secret Garden-like type world: mossy, separate, calm. Peace of mind rather than craze. Natural desire rather than dopamine distraction. With the emphasis on the material and what matters most, the region, almost (at least in my imagination) seems to exist in a Prelapsarian age: innocent, free, not of now.
My ability to be soooooo (maybe painfully) ethereal when thinking of this region is enabled by its relative mystery. Social hasn’t reached it in the same way, not when compared to say the 5,000 photos from balconies on the Amalfi coast and the 10,000 images of Paris sidewalk cafes, which have deadened our ability to imagine. Now, to say ‘Made in Italy’ or ‘Made in France,’ I’d argue, has less lure and less mythos.
With unknowing comes curiosity, and with that, romance. Place, when it comes to story, matters a lot, especially in luxury.
Where something is made, how it is made, and what traditions inform its craft determine how we think of its value. I think the over-saturation of Italy/France content, thanks to American influencers between the ages of 20-25 has, in some ways, limited brands’ ability to promote dreams about French or Italian landscapes. Now, they can’t talk enchant us with place alone. Even Jacquemus’s creative feels more charged when it's out of France. Take this image, from a 2021 campaign, featuring children in the back of a truck in Oahu (so perfectly aligned with his brand position around the promise / playfulness of youth.) This is way more conjuring / exciting than Dua Lipa on a yacht in Capri.
So Scandinavia is an easy dream for two reasons 1) It satisfies our desire for a time before all of this 2) It’s not cooked by social posts (Yet.)
Maybe we’ll get there, who knows.
The sensual way of Scandinavian living has been popularized the most on social by Matilda Djerf and her well-followed Instagram. But, somehow, her content manages to transcend the pitfalls that come with popular posting. Her digital space has a different atmosphere. Of course, it’s curated, but it contains more mystery and restraint.
The core principles of the Scandi way apply. In her most recent post, the images are, as follows: strawberries, beautifully arranged radishes, squares of very vanilla ice cream, bikes, cherries next to a wicker basket and bikini, a bike, strawberries with cream, another bike, a robe, watermelon.
I love it. More bliss. More cherries on docks and loose linen. Indulgence in the everyday. Simple blisses. That’s what makes me dream.
That Jacquemus photo is insane