Most of the time you can strip back an entire menswear collection to one theme. Sometimes even one product or one silhouette if there is a certain star in the pack. You can build up style guides, opinion pieces and editorial shoots to show the length, breadth, diversity and quality of the collection. Or sometimes you can just ask the guy that created the collection all about it. So, in and amongst the chaos of climate change and the need for lightweight layers, we did the latter. We got Mads Ulrik Greenfort – one half of Legends of Copenhagen - to walk us through the brand’s new spring/summer drop. So, the narrative you see below is straight from the Danish man’s mouth. You’ll learn about the specific techniques, textures and top pieces from the new collection plus a few stories about how it’s all pulled together.
“The Legends spring/summer collection is largely a mix of colours and shapes of vintage uniforms combined with the finer details of workwear,” Mads explains. “Basically, the concept for the collection came from the same place where we start all our work from. It starts with a concept that originates from a feeling of where the fashion scene is moving and where we fit in this context,” he emphasises. “Specific silhouettes and styles are then developed from there. Some through our back catalogue and some as entirely new designs. Beyond that simple formula, the most essential part of the design process is sourcing our fabrics, as this is where the ideas come to life.”
Taken aback by the words of ‘come to life’, and trying to imagine what this process looks like, we pressed Mads for more. “Well, you can see in the key pieces from the new 'Freetown' collection what we mean by materials bringing the ideas to life,” he responds. "The entire collection is inspired by the freethinkers that dare to question the norms of society. Vintage uniforms and workwear inspire the shapes and details, and the colour spectre is a journey through bright yellow fields of sunflowers to the clear water of the Mediterranean Sea."
"Key pieces, like the Clark Shirt," he adds. "The short sleeve shirt has finally become an accepted part of the menswear wardrobe. With the camp collar style shirt, you get a nice casual piece of clothing that brings back memories of the legendary Cocktail movie," he empowers. "Also, the Ponta Denim Jacket is an evergreen essential. It’s made from raw denim and features off-white contrast stitching. A classic denim jacket silhouette with subtle details like the clean breast pockets without flaps," he pauses. "The more you wear it the better it will look."
But what about your personal favourite, we interject. “I’m pretty keen on the Hobson Vest. I never really worn vests before but I feel this is the perfect item for transitional layering," replies Mads passionately and quickly. Which, if not strange, is a nice change to the usual long-winded responses we receive. He does elaborate, though. "That said, I really like the updated version of our Balboa Track Jacket. Again, its a style which can be used for layering, for instance underneath the new Atlas Coat, but also as a light spring jacket."
It’s been short, we’ve learned a lot. Got a bit of homework to work on too. But we couldn’t help to ask Mads how this is all possible. Just how hard is it to stand out in the rapidly expanding and increasingly busy menswear market in Scandinavia? As you’ve probably guessed, he had a good answer.
“For many years Scandinavia has been the rise of brands,” Mads explains. “Menswear in particular has had a good run. Whether it’s hard to stand out or not in this market is not the most important thing. The most important thing is focus.” He pauses again. “Finding your own path and sticking to it. We opened up our first Legends store in Copenhagen almost three years ago. Running our own concept store has been a central part in shaping who we are. It’s a showcase. It’s a place where we can grow from, too. It's everything we need to keep pushing forward.”
If you’re on the lookout for another insight into your favourite brands, then check out our exclusive interview with the ‘sustainable essentialists,’ Unrecorded.
