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Great Danes and hot Swedes

March 5, 2012 12:05

ByJan Shure, Jan Shure

2 min read

The Scandinavians are definitely having a moment, And not just on TV where, watching the superb Danish imports, The Killing, Borgen and Those Who Kill, which started on ITV3 last week, has become a paradigm of middle-class, cultural attitudes, or in pop-lit where Stieg Larsson, Jens Lapidus and Liza Markland regularly top UK bestseller lists.

The Scandinavians, as it turns out, are good at fashion, too, and not just for understated wardrobe staples for which they were once a byword.

Swedish chain H&M, which became part of the British high street landscape after launching in 1977 in Jewish North London's favourite mall, Brent Cross, is about to wow us with a guest collection from Marni, which arrives in UK stores on March 8.

Following in the footsteps of Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Versace, et al, Consuelo Castiglioni, creative director and founder of the quirky Italian label, has created a beautiful, very grown-up guest collection, full of her wild, punchy prints and muted colours. There are insouciantly droopy silk dresses and statement silk tops, print knee-length skirts, sleek leather bags, chunky platform sandals and her colourful, amusing jewellery.