SOFT GALLERY
Press Release Spring-Summer 2011

Kid's collection Spring/Summer-2011 ”Blossom”

“Break open a cherry tree and there are no flowers, but the spring breeze brings forth myriad blossoms”, Ikkyu Sojun

Devotion to the arts and a desire to create a unique children’s fashion label has been key to designer Tine Holt Möller and fashion photographer and stylist Barbara Hvidt, who are the driving forces behind the Danish fashion label Soft Gallery. Soft Gallery launched its first children’s fashion collection in 2007, and since then a women’s collection and home collection have been added.

Soft Gallery continues to support the idea of artistic collaboration. For every new collection Tine Holt Möller and Barbara Hvidt, commission different artists to create pieces or collaborate on certain themes, which is then translated into a clothing collection. This season the decoration of T-shirts, sweats, dresses, bodies, bags and pillows have been fashioned by the gifted young artists: Kristine Mandsberg, Victor Lieberath, Christel Bibi Blangsted, Marco Pedrello, Anna Lindberg and Fontaine Anderson, Rafaela De Campos.

Even though these artists each have their own unique artistic sensibility, the look of the collection is held together by a shared theme : “Our S/S 11-collection is inspired by Japan. Early Japanese poems with their mild wisdom have this power to stimulate all kinds of creative thoughts and artwork”, Tine Holt Möller and Barbara Hvidt explain.

The inspiration from Japanese dress is found in abstract curvy embroidery on necklines, pockets and sleeves. The link to Japan is also obvious in the commissioned artwork. Embroidered bows, decorative bird’s faces, Japanese craneshiding behind feathers and hand painted Japanese calligraphy strokes in black, white and coral tones set the scene for a Japanese fairytale and the languid interplay between couturish handmade embellishment and eye catching, contemporary illustration underpin the Japanese starting point.

Comfortable silhouettes like t-shirts – both slim and oversized – sweatshirts, dresses, trousers and cardigans are important parts of the collection. The magpie trove of paillettes, buttons, and beads on sober gray cotton jerseys and cotton crepes, complimented by more simple styles adorned with graphic artwork has become part of the Soft Gallery signature.

Soft Gallery is constantly evolving. The whole process of each season picking out significant artists adds a sense of novelty and surprise. This season – as something completely new – a shoe line is introduced: A classic “two tone shoe” with lace is introduced in four different color combinations.

Soft Gallery ’s children’s range is found in two categories: Baby 1months -2 years and children 2-12 years.

For S/S-11 Soft Gallery has been collaborating with the following artists:

Kristine Mandsberg, Kolding, Denmark.
Kristine Mandsberg graduated from the Royal College of Art, London in 2008. Her work is a mixture of illustrations, textiles and graphics. She works with set designs, costumes and animation projects. Kristine has exhibited her work at the Spring Exhibition at Charlottenborg (DK), and was nominated for Politikens Talent Award 2009. For Soft Gallery’s S/S-2011 collection Kristine Mandsberg has been inspired by the Japanese origami and the traditional costumes of a Geisha.

Victor Lieberath, Copenhagen, Denmark
Victor Lieberath is a graphic designer and art director, educated from The Danish Design School. His style is both solid and simple, and is characterized by an artistic sensibility that embrace both a commercial crowd as well as those into a more artistic allure. For Soft Gallery’s S/S-2011 collection Victor has created a beautiful artwork using traditional Japanese patterns combined with modern strokes.

Christel Bibi Blangsted, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Graduated from Central Saint Martins in London in 2009 with a BA in Women’s Wear. She has worked as an illustrator and art director in London, and had her first exhibition in Copenhagen this winter. Her drawings have brought her many awards, but recently she has focused her attention towards sculptures and expressions through textiles and imagery. For Soft Gallery S/S-2011 Christel Bibi Blangsted was inspired by the rhythms found in old Japanese writings and prints and painted them with the colors of the early cherry blossomed spring.

Marco Pedrollo, Copenhagen, Denmark
Marco is a self-taught graphic designer and art director. After five years as office manager at the avant-garde design studio GOLD STUDIO, Marco has now gone freelance with his own company in the creative collective SONS OF STUDIOS. His work is a strange mix of modern graphic with a heavily influence of the old art style Memento Mori that are characterized by dead animals and skulls. This is also seen in the artwork he has done for the Soft Gallery S/S-2011 collection. Here a printed skull made out of birds and feathers adorns a range of T-shirts.

Anne Lindberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
Anne Lindberg graduated from Kolding Design School in 2007, specializing in knitted textiles and has since worked with knitwear in fashion. Her approach to fashion is conceptual before trend-driven and characterized by handcrafted skills, abstract motifs and a sophisticated color range. For Soft Gallery’s S/S-2011 collection Anne Lindberg has created a set of unique embroideries inspired by traditional Japanese patterns.

Fontaine Anderson, Southern Australia.
An eclectic mix of dreamy worlds, Japanese textiles, Egyptian Gods, 1980’s clip art, fashion and music inspires Fontaine Anderson. The art pieces she has created for Soft Gallery’s S/S-2011 collection represent a unique combination of handcrafted embroidery and eye-catching print.

Rafaela De Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Rafaela’s work has expanded into many different areas of work such as costumes, fashion, illustration and sculptures. She loves working with colours, animal motives and subtle narratives. Recently she was awarded with a price from Danish Crafts & the Ministry of Culture. Rafaela’s work is signatured by her hand drawings and beautiful embroideries. For Soft Gallery’s SS 2011 collection Rafaela has created
an amazing hand embroidery.

Experience the Soft Gallery S/S-11 collection, August 12th to August 15th, 2010 at CPH KIDS, TAP 1, Ny Carlsberg Vej 91, 1760 Copenhagen , Denmark, Stand no. T1-026

Sales Child
Denmark:
Soft Gallery Att: Barbara Hvidt +45 208544 55 // barbara@softgallery.dk
France:
Stéphane Poncelet, +33 158590 081 // sp.trading@wanadoo.fr
Holland:
NB Agency, Att: Nathalie van Beekveld, +31 636435348 // nbagency@kpnmail.nl
Norway:
MyAgency, Att: Trude Ulvesaeter, +47 95227081, trude@myagency.no

Sales Woman
Annika Nolsö: +45 2835 3353 // an@asuiagency.com

For more information please visit www.softgallery.dk