Mariza Scotch. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
“Ideally we’d be talking while sitting at a bar over a glass of wine,” says Mariza Scotch setting the tone for our interview. Sadly separated by the small issue of the Atlantic Ocean, we make do with Skype. Scotch is the creative director of design company Skagen, which started life as a watch brand, and is named after the cosy Danish village where the Baltic and North seas meet. A year into working for the brand, the American-Swiss designer is now on the cusp of bringing out her first collection with them, for Autumn/Winter 15, which features the category of products closest to her heart: leather goods. We found out more about the new Skagen store in Copenhagen and Mariza Scotch‘s Danish hotspots.
Sleek What attracted you to working with Skagen?
Mariza Scotch: Partially, it’s a moment I’m sensing in the market: there’s a quiet desire for things that are simply designed and really well made, and have the ability to fit lots of personal styles.
Leather Projects workshop. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
How did the leather collection come about for Skagen?
The collection actually began before I joined the company, so my task in some ways was a little bit more nuanced. I had to gently redirect certain aspects of the collection to suit a more elevated brand position. It wasn’t a revolution, more of a very elegant evolution.
I have a deep and nerdy relationship to leather goods, and what really has proven to be fun to me is that the level of detail that goes into designing a luxury handbag is very similar to the amount of detail that goes into designing a watch. I find that the volumes and lifespan that I think about when designing handbags really apply: watches and bags are both basic navigating devices.
Mariza Scotch. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
Skagen has a very Danish heritage. Being an American-Swiss designer, how do you feel about drawing on it?
The company was always heavily inspired by the core values of Danish design but what we’re doing is on a global level and the mashup of cultures is going to be absolutely essential to how we proceed.
What I love about Copenhagen is its eclecticism. I think there’s a cliché that Danish design is only simple, or only European but that isn’t actually what I find inspiring about it. It is, at the end of the day a seafaring country with lots of influences.
The Danish concept of “hygge” seems to be important to Skagen. Could you explain what that means?
I’m sure you could talk to 100 people all over Denmark who might give you a slightly different twist on it, but the way I want to understand it is that it represents warmth and conviviality. For example, in our new stores we have a hygge table, which we had designed for us. You can sit down and take a moment for yourself and enjoy the space: if you’re interested in looking at products you can do it in a low-key way. It’s very direct and uncomplicated and unforced.
Skagen represents timeless style. But how much are you inspired by fashion trends?
I think of what we’re doing at Skagen as being fashion’s alter ego, but I also feel they’re connected, too. We all benefit from a little bit of paradox in life! It’s the same as wearing vintage Gucci with a pair of Uniqlo trousers and some trainers: we like to mix it up. I use that feeling and apply it to everything we do.
Do you have a favourite piece?
One of the pieces that I’m really happy with is actually a watch called “The Hagen”. To me, that piece is a bit of a nexus point in the collection because it encompasses simplicity: it’s not fashion, but it’s chic.
I have lots of bags, I’ll just be very transparent about that! The bag that I’ve been carrying when I was travelling through Europe is called “The Klire”. It appears to be rather structured at first, but as soon as you actually start dragging it all over the place, it just loosens up, and looks like it costs three times what it does. That’s the hallmark of what distinguishes a good bag from a bad bag: a good bag just gets better with age.
Skagen Store
Inspirational Copenhagen: Mariza Scotch’s Danish hotspots
Amaliehaven Park. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
Amaliehaven
“I love this park for its scale and internationalism: a calm, grounded haven in a city surrounded by water.”
Leather Projects workshop. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
Leather Projects
“It was a dream of mine to make a limited edition of leather goods in Copenhagen as a way of honouring the soul of our brand. The collaboration we did with Leather Projects was a pleasure; now I can’t go
anywhere without my handmade leather envelope, and it’s getting more beautiful with age!”
OX Denmark furniture workshop. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
OX Denmarq
“We were invited to tour the furniture workshop at OX Denmarq, and ended up staying for hours,
talking about patina and working with essential shapes. It was amazing to see the contrast between
the steel and leather chairs and the tender, handmade ceramics being crafted in the same space.”
Interior of Soulland. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
Soulland
“Silas Adler, who founded this remarkable menswear company as a teenager, embodies
an inspiring combination of reverence for quality and unabashed style. I think the Soulland
customer will like how Skagen is evolving.”
Thorvaldsen Museum. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
Thorvaldsen Museum
“The exterior sculpture of the goddess of victory, Victoria,
appears to be lifting the building to the heavens.
Perfectly elegant and timeless: a gem.”
Superkilen Park. Photography by Mirjam Wählen
Superkilen Park
“In case anyone still thinks of Denmark as homogenous, this park will shine
an entirely new light on that cliché. Its sheer exuberance and interactive energy
represents the very best of inclusive design.”
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