by : Manuel Palacios

Photos: Courtesy Agentry PR

Reading time: 5 min.

You are visiting the International section of Superhype Magazine adapted to English

This interview was originally published in Spanish.

From New York City and exclusively for Superhype Christian Juul Nielsen goes over his career, walks us through his new collection and talks about the impact that the pandemic and sustainability may have in the fashion industry.

With vast experience working at luxury top brands, the designer tells us more about AKNVAS, brand he founded in 2018 and that, in his words, it was a white canvas waiting to be painted.

SH: Why AKNVAS? What does that anagram mean to you?

AKNVAS is a play on the word canvas, which is kanvas in Danish. I love the idea of a new canvas stretched up on a frame ready to be painted. I wanted to create a new word, playing on the words “a canvas”, and the name AKNVAS was created.

SH: How would you describe your brand in two words?

Relevant and wearable

LEARNT LESSONS

SH: You have quite an experience working for luxury brands. What role did you play on them? What did you learn from those experiences? I am sure you learned many valuable things during that time. What have you put into practice for your own brand?

My last job in Paris was as a senior designer for Christian Dior Couture. When I worked with John Galliano I would drape up all styles on a mannequin. I would cut out shapes from fabrics or deconstruct vintage, and then make 3D ideas rather than sketching them. Basically all my designs were draped. I then worked with Raf Simons, in the same position, and learned from him the importance of in-depth research and sketching development. We would spend significantly more time finding the right story and idea than sketching down on paper. I learned to push myself to unexpected sources of research including sources that were not fashion related. This process would create newness and fresh inputs.

After Dior, I moved to New York City and worked as design director for Oscar de la Renta, before starting up an Los Angeles-based brand called LAND of Distraction. My job was to create an identity for the brand and serve as the creative director. The launch was a great success. I loved creating something from scratch. The brand later on decided to take a pause, which was when I saw the opportunity to start on my own. A brand new canvas ready to paint on. In my collections for AKNVAS you will see hints of my past mixed with my vision for a modern woman.

ABOUT AKNVAS

SH: What inspired AKNVAS? How would you describe your brand aesthetic and what do you want to communicate with it?

AKNVAS is inspired by my friends and life in the city. It was the idea of creating a brand for girls that work. A full wardrobe that you can wear day to night.

How can you arrive to a meeting and look feminine, but powerful? How do you dress for work, when you know you won’t make it home to change before dinner?

The aesthetics are minimal and clean, but always adding something graphic or surprising in cut, graphics or color. When possible I try to add a hint of couture, never forgetting how I was trained.

Through the collection, I want to communicate that women are powerful and to give them an option with their wardrobe to feel creative and feminine in their profesional world.

SH: What is your influence based on?

It is a lot about building a wardrobe, and always making sure new styles go with previous seasons. I love looking at American sportswear from the 40s, and I love the sleeves and necklines from the 80s. Furthermore as mentioned I am inspired by women I surround myself with.

SH: How much of Christian do we see in the brand?

A lot. Funny enough, a few people have said to me that this is how I would dress if I was a woman.

SH: Who is the AKNVAS woman? What makes it unique?

The AKNVAS woman is a city girl that works. She is very much aware of what is going on in the world in terms of politics as well as environment. She has an eye for fashion, but is not dictated by it. Her feeling confident in what she wears is more important than following trends. What makes it unique, is that I never look at trend forecasts or cuts of the season. I look at women around me, and think a lot about how I would like them to dress.

FUTURE: UPCOMING COLLECTION, PANDEMIC & SUSTAINABILITY

SH: What’s the story behind your next collection? What is your inspiration for this upcoming season?

Spring is going to be a new step for AKNVAS. With everything going on, I do not feel the need for a new large collection. I want to create pieces that are strong and that corresponds to the woman and the brands. I want to focus on having a selection of great pieces, rather than a dictated amount of styles requested by the showroom. For inspiration for Spring 2021, you will see more of my Parisian background.

SH: We can’t ignore that 2020 has played us all unexpectedly with COVID-19. Do you think it will be a game changer for the fashion industry? How did you managed during this pandemic?

It's a tough question. To start, we have seen a lot of brands closing down completely. I do think that this will stop the overproduction of fashion, and that people will start looking for something special rather than lots of inexpensive items. I think a lot of people are asking themselves if they really need this much stuff and then how they can make a difference.

Personally I have taken this time to really focus on my spring collections. As mentioned earlier I have prioritised to make really special pieces, rather than lots of pieces. I have been working with a pattern cutter via photos and done fittings on zoom. It has been tough, but also forced me to make decisions faster.

SH: I know that sustainability is important for AKNVAS. Do you think the pandemic will open new business opportunities for sustainable brands?

Yes. A lot of the online stores have sustainable departments, and one is even talking about being completely sustainable by 2022, which is revolutionary to me. A lot of brands have been forced to produce locally, as the pandemic has limited transport overseas. I have personally seen a new blue sky above New York City, and I thank the reduction of pollution for this new environment.

Christian gave us a sneak peak on the next steps he is taking this spring. Instead of having an entire collection he will present strong design pieces for the AKNVAS woman, strongly inspired in his Parisian experiences. Despite of speaking about a new brand the designer’s professional background provides him with adaptability and permeability to these difficult times and with the certainty to take the right decisions to keep growing.

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This Interview is part of the Digital version of Superhype ‘The New Hype’.

Download it for free.

Only available in Spanish.