Andreas Schmidl & Josef Lazo. Foto: Märta Thisner.

Årligen delar Swedish Fashion Council ut priset Swedish Fashion Talent of The Year. Under modeveckan i augusti 2016 delades ytterligare ett pris ut- Swedish Fashion Council Changers Award, med syftet att lyfta ett varumärke som främjat branschens utveckling. Priset tilldelades Lazoschmidl, med motivationen “Lyskraften och det starka egna uttrycket i såväl design som koncept bidrar med ny kraft i den svenska modebranschen. Genom ett helt nytt designspråk skapar man en värld där traditionella normer, rådande stilideal och könsroller inte har en plats”.

En vän till mig brukar skämta om att “kärlek det är inte din grej, du är inte en sån som går runt och längtar efter att bli kär”, det låter jättetragiskt och är verkligen ett skämt. Men ibland tänker jag ändå att det till viss del är sant. Jag har fullt upp med min kärleksrelation till mode, och när jag tittar på något som Lazoschmidls Spring Summer 2017-kollektion (den som visades där i augusti 2016) dunkar mitt hjärta så hårt att om något annat skulle försöka ta sig in där finns det risk för hjärtinfarkt.

Det var därför ett rent drömscenario för mig när jag förra veckan fick ett ja på frågan om de ville chatta med mig inför deras för-första-gången-egna-visning nu på söndag klockan 18:00.

Ett drömscenario som jag tror kommer göra alla (ungefär) lika lyckliga som jag, för Josef Lazo och Andreas Schmidl är lika rappa i k*ften som de är begåvade. Varsågoda, från mig till er, en chatt med Lazoschmidl.

 

För att chatten skulle få ett så naturligt flyt som möjligt är den på engelska då ena halvan av designduon, Andreas, är engelsk/tysktalande.

 

Amanda
hi!

Josef
hi!

Amanda
how are you doing?

Josef
i’m good, a bit tired

we did our FW17 shoot this saturday here in Paris… those things always drain you

Andreas
recovering…

Amanda
it was intense?

Josef
the work with a collection is always intense… i was actually stitching a jacket new years eve… i closed the blinds and turned the music up loud to not hear the people having fun outside haha

Amanda
haha omg really

Josef
really

Amanda
the curse of fashionweek

Josef
totes

Amanda
when will you be back in Stockholm? your show is next sunday right?

Andreas
we’ll be back a week prior to show

do final fittings, last adjustments, show test

Amanda
you must be pretty stressed now?

or do you manage to keep calm

Josef
i think we are both very calm

at least we pretend

Andreas
calm enough to react quickly

Josef
we are very specific with how we want things… that always helps

Amanda
yes, i can imagine

Andreas
so amanda, what are you imagining ;)

Josef
you’ve received the invite so you know the title

Amanda
well

i’m sitting here with the invite right now

it appears to be a picture of a blow job going on?

Andreas
who knows…

Josef
i wasn’t there… unfortunately

Amanda
haha

Andreas

Amanda
you can’t have fun all the time

Andreas
maybe it’s at a street food market

Josef
i think there are plenty of the eggplants in the blacked out parts of the image

Amanda
tell me about the title

”velvet & cream”

Josef
what does it make you feel though?

Andreas
hungry, warm?

Josef
or both

Amanda
i just think sex right now

so both

haha

Andreas
good combo

Josef
don’t we all think of sex all the time really?

Amanda
probably

so, hungry and warm

do you want people to feel that

Andreas
yes please

Josef
i think that is a very good feeling

Amanda
it’s a wonderful feeling

Amanda
can you tell me a little bit about your brand

Andreas
we always describe the philosophy with “taste the forbidden fruit”

it’s smart and sexy

Amanda
i read an interview with you guys

for rodeo wave, by Agnes

Josef
yes she did that after our FW16 collection

Amanda
you talked a lot about sexuality, and about ”straight guys” or guys with girlfriends that fuck their male friends

Josef
i knew that would be the topic

Andreas
it’s quantitive research

Josef
well sexuality is interesting

Andreas
i’m happy for them

there’s a nice meme saying god placed the male g spot in the butt to end human existence

Josef
haha

Amanda
haha

well, when i look att your SS17 collection

all the pictures

which are amazing btw

Josef
they are not so sexual really

Amanda
i think they are super sexual!

Josef
they are hot!

Andreas
but they are non-sexual

Amanda
explain!

Andreas
they just are

Amanda
i get that vibe

that all they really wanna do is touch each other

but maybe that’s just my fantasy? haha

Josef
i think what’s nice about it, is the fact that it’s very label less

Amanda
is that your thing?

or what you’re striving for

Andreas
they are friends, frenemies, lovers and foes

Josef
it’s for the viewer to intrepid the way they want

Andreas
we explicitly do not want to exclude any interpretation or meaning

Amanda
but you surely want to lead the way somewhere?

Josef
we answered an interview recently with this sentence ‘In essence, it is sensory and sensual experiences that motivate each collection.’

Andreas
it’s human

existential

essential

experimental

Amanda
let’s talk inspiration, for this collection?

or theme maybe

Andreas
Amanda’s desires

Amanda
i love that

let’s make it all about me

Andreas
we asked hundred men on the streets of Stockholm ”what would Amanda want to see you wear”

Amanda
what was the answer?

Andreas
nothing really

Josef
skin!

Andreas
so we have a complete show without clothes

like in Pret A Porter, the movie

Amanda
perfect

just what i wanted to hear

Josef
‘The Emperors new Clothes’

Amanda
you saw a lot of skin the previous collection, and body in general, everything was very tight

Josef
nothing will be changed really when it comes to the tightness

Andreas
it’s dressed up nudity

Josef
we need to give the viewer lust

FW17 is an homage to the lust of life

Amanda
i talked to my roomie just before we started chatting

we talked about the tightness

Josef
ok and what was your conclusion

Amanda
how men so rarely dress that way

and it’s such a shame

not just because it’s hot

but it’s fun

Josef
they do though

tight jeans

but maybe not a leopard body

Amanda
yeah, but whatever

denim is not so revealing

Josef
depends what you got to reveal

Andreas
they all should do leo body

they like it and we all like it

leo undies for the world

Amanda
amen!!!

Josef
we had a few orders actually for the leo tangas

Amanda
really?

Andreas
bestseller

from cute guys

Josef
i think if you wear something kinky under your normal clothes you will be so strong

i mean especially in sweden, men should consider their underwear more

Andreas
or they should just go commando

Josef
well then no sales for us

they should just go leo

Amanda
can you tell me a little bit more about the fall collection

give me something

color, anything

Andreas
there’s something we just discussed that will reappear

Amanda
leo tangas?

Josef
no that was SS17

Amanda
then what’s reappearing

Andreas
something in between

Josef
something we will always do is a mix of sexy qualities, that’s something which will reappear

Amanda
the tightness, some skin

some boys

Andreas
definitely

Josef
this will be our largest collection to date, so yeah some boys will be served

Amanda
longing

how big?

the collection

Andreas
20cm

Amanda

Josef
as we mentioned in the beginning we just did the shoot and i have to say it’s looking really good, am i allowed to say that?

Amanda
yes of course you are

Andreas
it looks damn good

Josef
i think what we are both looking forward to with this show is the fact that we have the full creative direction on how we want to present this collection

it will be our first solo show

Amanda
yes, and that’s a whole other thing

to be completely in charge

Andreas
we’ve been waiting for that night

Josef
i have been waiting for that night since i was a young boy

i’m going to say something cheesy, i sometimes get goosebumps thinking about it

Amanda
i was very excited when you told me that you were doing a solo show Josef

some nights ago

Josef
that you even remember that…

Amanda
of course i do

that’s all i do

collect information

and feel

like any other human?

Josef
feel is a good word, i think this collection is very ‘feelable’

Andreas
we’re all about feelings

Josef
physical as mental

Amanda
give me 5 feelings that describe your collection

Andreas
fear, guilt, happiness, desire, irony

Josef
yup!

Amanda
interesting

looking at the invite i felt fear, guilt, desire and irony

Josef
so did the person in the picture

Amanda
haha

Andreas
which one?

the aubergine?

Josef
both i guess, feelings spread on both of them

Amanda
what do you think about mens fashion in general?

or menswear

or whatever you call it

Josef
i like that there are more and more options

things are happening

maybe not so much in sweden but internationally yes

Andreas
we love it

menswear has the ease and freedom

Josef
there are so many rules to break that it’s fun

Amanda
what’s your response from men

regarding your clothes

Josef
i mean i think people would want to wear it but some are chickens

there are pieces that aren’t so dearing

Amanda
i have a hard time seeing a lot of straight guys in your clothes, but i think that every man secretly would love to wear it

the more daring pieces

Andreas
i agree

Josef
there are enough clothes on the market for the ‘straight’ guy anyway

Amanda
yes

that’s not what’s missing

Josef
exactly, we offer an alternative

Andreas
everyone is gay

but doesn’t need to be gay

Josef
when i lived in London they used to joke only difference is a pint of beer

Amanda
hahaha

true

Andreas
i like that gay also means happy

Josef
english language is so good for that reason

Amanda
is that what you mean by happiness

the five feelings

Josef
for sure!

Andreas
i love happiness

Amanda
everyone does

which means everyone love/will love your brand

Andreas
eventually

in 100 years

Josef
i hope

Amanda
no one will hesitate to wear those tank tops

Josef
i hope the people we respect likes it

not everyone has to like it

Amanda
no

that would be sort of boring

Josef
yes

Amanda
ok, well

i’m looking forward to being entertained next sunday

really really really eager to see it

can hardly wait

Andreas

Amanda
is there something you would like to tell me? that you want everyone to know

Andreas
be ready to be happy

Josef
and to enjoy