English Version | A Midsummer Night's Dream

Water surrounds the city center, reminiscent of Venice, creating glimmers and reflections. Hopeful people cycle around, electric scooters mingle with pedestrians, and everywhere, people sit with their gaze turned towards the sky. When summer finally arrives in Sweden, Swedes are starved for sun and warmth. Not unlike a bear emerging from hibernation, we peek out and squint at the strong sunlight to embark on a quest for sustenance. The streets fill with excited students venturing out into what is called life.


Somewhere in the heart of the city, however, a hundred or so people are indoors, working tirelessly. Some of the world's most skilled tailors have been sent here to oversee a global event happening here for the first time. In Stockholm's fashion-forward neighborhoods, whispers circulate about beautiful creations and celebrity elites rumored to be on their way.


Max Mara, which organizes a lavish fashion show in a carefully selected location around the world every year, has chosen Stockholm this time. The Resort collection 2024, is said to be inspired by the Swedish author and Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf, who, with her incredible story of Nils Holgersson, takes us on a journey through Sweden's landscapes. This, combined with the mythical Swedish tradition of "midsummer," a day when the sun never sets and nature is abundant with delicate plants. A day when mystery hovers over Swedish meadows and trees. A day when it's said that you should place seven different types of flowers under your pillow to dream of your sweetheart.


Choosing this as the backdrop is both daring and exciting. The chosen venue is Stockholm City Hall, a landmark literally built on the water in wine-red brick with turrets and towers that evoke fairy tales and the Middle Ages. It is also where the Nobel Prize banquet is held, and countless talented scientists and authors have gathered here with the Swedish royal family to receive their well-deserved awards. Selma Lagerlöf was the first Swede and woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Personally, I've been to City Hall on several occasions, most recently when I got married. Just the thought of hosting a fashion show in this venerable building is bold.


For many years, Sweden has painted itself as an exemplary democracy. In the 1960s, a movement was born in Sweden that aimed for "gender equality," "equal pay for equal work," and "daycare for all." Slogans that permeated Swedish politics. During the welfare years of the 1950s to the 1970s, the democratic utopia known as "the Swedish welfare state" was created by the Social Democratic Party. The new gender equality policy also paved the way for our sexual liberation. Bold films were made and spread around the world. In the film "She Danced One Summer," the female actress showed her nipples. When it won a Golden Bear in Berlin in 1952, it sparked a debate that later led to the concept of "the Swedish sin." Ingmar Bergman's "Summer with Monika" was also an international success as it portrayed a young couple with a sexual relationship without being married. This liberation was further advanced in the 1968 movement with strong feminist voices that pushed through groundbreaking opportunities for women.


All of this was observed by other countries, both shocked and seeing opportunities for their own development. But as Sweden's welfare state solidified and gender equality progressed, there was also a sense of satiety and contentment. We began to lean back and think we were done. Swedish politics had been dominated by the Social Democratic Party for 44 years but lost power for the first time in 1976. In connection with this, a series of political scandals were revealed that had been successfully covered up by men in power. There was an organization commissioned by the Swedish government that registered people with different political affiliations (read far left). There was also an extensive political scandal involving the purchase of sexual services by leading politicians. There were also rumors of misconduct with children, which could never be substantiated. When the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was confronted with the scandal by his ministers, he delivered a legendary speech in which he disdainfully attacked the Swedish police. The satisfaction of being a country that was envied by the world for its clear democratic values had led to the belief that we no longer needed to look inward.


The author duo Per Sjöwall and Maj Wahlöö began questioning the dismantling of "the Swedish welfare state" and the aforementioned contentment as early as 1965. Their groundbreaking series of novels featuring Police Commissioner Martin Beck, read worldwide, laid the foundation for the now-popular genre of Nordic noir or Scandicrime. Like Selma Lagerlöf, Sjöwall/Wahlöö attacked their contemporary society by portraying and highlighting injustices in their literature.


Debate has been divided regarding Selma Lagerlöf's sexual orientation. There are countless stories about her relationships with her close female friends and whether they were just friends or needed to hide their love due to prevailing laws. In the early 20th century, Sweden was a country where homosexuality was illegal and punishable. The legislation changed in 1944, but it wasn't until 1978 that the classification as an illness was removed. Critics argue that it's wrong to portray Lagerlöf as a gay icon in retrospect, a classification she never had the opportunity to choose herself. But let us still be inspired by the fact that Selma Lagerlöf chose her own path and broke norms, regardless of her intentions. Just as she was inspired by her foster son, Nils Holgersson, who allowed the world to follow Nils on his journey through Sweden and its landscapes. What was initially intended to be a textbook for her students became a literary classic. Selma Lagerlöf's groundbreaking literature took her all the way to a Nobel Prize, through all its simplicity.

I wouldn't claim that Max Mara's Resort Collection is in any way simple. Nor is the extravagant show at Stockholm City Hall. But just as with Selma Lagerlöf's works, I am struck by the exceptional in the basic. The simple earthy tones and the clean cuts of the creations, accompanied by a lively detail, make each garment shine with its presence. I've been a loyal customer for many years, there's no denying that. But it also makes me a critical observer. Because I see the renewal in the small details. Around me sits a handpicked group of the world's celebrity elite like Giovanna Engelbert and Demi Moore mingling with the Hilton family. I see the Max Mara family, also known as the Maramotti family, sweeping past one of the Gothic walls, and time stands still for a moment. They represent exactly the kind of elegance that has always been my motto. Seem but not be seen. Just like this quietly sparkling collection.


Max Mara's Resort Collection 2024 may be inspired by a woman who lived and worked over a hundred years ago. It may be inspired by the mystical Swedish midsummer. But it also reflects the looming darkness. The increasingly uncertain political situation worldwide. What also characterizes the fiction of Nordic Noir, a realistic dystopia that has taken over the democratic utopia. Because even on a brilliantly beautiful midsummer's eve, darkness descends, despite all the flowers. And even though Selma Lagerlöf was groundbreaking, the world is currently heading towards an increasingly exclusive and condemning reality. Anyone who says that fashion isn't political doesn't know what they're talking about. Max Mara Resort Collection precisely reflects where we are. In an alluringly beautiful world but with a seriousness lurking in the background.

A functioning democracy is nothing to take for granted. Across the world, right and left-wing extremist winds are blowing, eager to strip democracy of its human and inclusive values. Selma Lagerlöf, like Sjöwall Wahlöö, through their writings and sharp pens, emphasized the importance of fighting for exactly that. A vibrant and inclusive society where everyone has a place and is welcome regardless of sexual orientation or political color. Let us all be inspired by that. Let us place seven kinds of flowers under the pillow and dream of a beautiful future.

Translated from the original in the Arts Issue, published November 2023. Full stories and credits in the print version.