Fashion is more than work. Fashion is passion. And Maline Sone, Head of Design at & Other Stories, also understands what drives her every day. In this interview, Maline reveals what it’s actually like to dedicate your life to fashion.
FACES: What does it mean to work in the fashion industry today, and how are you helping to shape the future of fashion and fashion consumption?
Maline Sone: Working in the fashion industry today is still the same as it was when I started over 25 years ago. Being part of an evolving creative world is the same today as it was then, but what has changed over the years is the availability of information and inspiration – thanks to the internet. Accessibility has led to more
global commonalities, and thanks to the internet, it is easier for both small and large fashion companies to reach a wider audience. This means that we have to find our own identity and make our collections unique. That is why our artistic approach is an integral part of what we do and a tribute to our heritage. I believe that every customer should feel that they can be their true self and be a part of our brand. Inspiration and creating experiences are incredibly important both now and in the future.
Normal everyday life as a designer
F: What does your normal working day as Head of Design look like, what are some of your favorite jobs and which ones do you push to the back of the queue every day?
MS: My day is characterized by working together with my colleagues. Both with the designers and collection developers as well as with other functions within our brand. It’s about working closely with the designers and developing ideas, reviewing the overall offer and informing the rest of the organization about our work so that everyone knows what collections we are working with and to inspire everyone to create the best offer both in our stores and in our online channel. Being part of identifying and developing fantastic products that attract our customers, embedded in a clear story, is the most creative and inspiring thing I know. I love to constantly be on the lookout for new ideas and see how fashion is changing, how we can improve and always be on the lookout for new ideas. I love taking the next step into the next collection and finding out what influences our desire for fashion on a general level. If I had to choose one thing in my everyday life that distracts me from what I like to do most, it would be my mailbox…
F: What are the biggest hurdles you’ve had to jump over as Head of Design at & Other Stories in the past and what do you need to be prepared for in the future?
MS: Designing collections that we believe our customers will love is always a bit risky. It’s about believing in a feeling. We dare to focus on what we love ourselves and then hope and trust that our customers will like what we like. It’s partly about designing right so that customers appreciate us, while at the same time being careful not to create products that leave an environmental footprint. It is a constant challenge to create our own personality while being in tune with fashion, but it also means that we have to dare to constantly look for new ideas and it is amazing that we can use our creativity at the highest level.
It takes almost a year to work on a collection
F: How are new collections created, how many people are involved, and how long does it take for the designs to be found in stores as finished garments?
MS: Our collection work takes almost a year from the initial idea to the product that reaches our customers. It all starts with a close collaboration between me and our material manager, where we look at fashion trends and fabrics and create a seasonal direction for our entire brand, but at a higher level. We then hold discussions with all the collection designers responsible, in which we exchange ideas to find our different concept directions. The concept and collection designers then work closely with their respective teams to design, plan and develop their collections.
The new & Other Stories location in Zurich
F: Why did you choose Zurich as a new location, what is the fashionable image of the Swiss and what potential is there in Switzerland?
MS: We know that Switzerland is a country with many fashion-loving women (we have been available online in Switzerland since 2020) and strong creative people and we are very much looking forward to the opportunity to meet new friends, tell our story and hopefully get to know new customers.
F: What role does & Other Stories play in the H&M family, and with what credo do you approach the collections, their cuts, shapes and colors?
MS: We are a fashion brand, which means we follow the trends when it comes to silhouettes and colors. We want to appeal to a fashion-conscious woman who can express her own personality. Our collections reflect this through a feminine and expressive approach to fashion, in which she can find different forms of expression depending on what she loves. Whether she prefers a dress or a suit, she’ll find what she’s looking for here. Whether she loves colors and patterns or prefers neutral tones, she will find what she is looking for in our collections.
How smart fashion consumption works
F: What do you mean by smart fashion consumption, and what do you look for when you buy clothes and accessories yourself?
MS : I’ve been in the fashion industry for over 25 years and love to keep up to date, but I have a clear style and aesthetic, which means I like to invest in products that I know I’ll love for a long time. For me, it’s not about renewing my entire wardrobe. I update myself every now and then with a few new items of clothing, a new shoe and maybe a nice accessory.
F: How does the new & Other Stories store in Zurich score and win over even the most stubborn online shoppers?
MS: Shopping in the online channel can be both efficient and inspiring, but I don’t think online replaces the feeling of physically experiencing the qualities and atmosphere of a brand, which of course you can do in a physical store.
At & Other Stories, we want to inspire our customers. Telling stories and curating beautiful experiences and spaces is what creates memories and emotions. I hope that we can surprise and inspire many new customers to come to our brand and become part of our family.
& Other Stories opens on 8. September 2023 in Zurich with its first Swiss store.
& Other Stories
Bahnhofstrasse 77
8001 Zurich
Here you can find the latest collections from & Other Stories online.
Fancy even more fashion interviews? Here you can find our interview with Berlin designer William Fan, and here Wannasiri Kongman and Jesse Dorsey from Boyy tell us all about their everyday life as a design duo.
