THORA VALDIMARS
DC: YOU TRANSITIONED FROM BEING PHOTOGRAPHED IN STREET STYLE TO DICTATING WHAT IS WORN IN IT. LOOKING AT THE CURRENT STATE OF FASHION WEEKS, WHAT IS ONE THING THE INDUSTRY TAKES TOO SERIOUSLY THAT WE SHOULD ALL JUST START IGNORING?
TM: I'm not sure if this answers the question but I kinda miss the creativity in fashion before it was all about wearing full looks from the designers. I don't want things to be the way they were because I love change, but I do think the scene has become a bit predictable and the creative rebels that used to dominate fashion are pushed to the side because commercial beauty and style rates better on social media. Maybe I'm more about the fact that we should stop ignoring the creative souls that draw outside the lines so to speak.
DC: YOU WERE BORN IN ICELAND—A LAND OF DRAMATIC LANDSCAPES AND FIRE—BUT RAISED IN DENMARK, THE CRADLE OF STRUCTURE AND PRAGMATISM. WHICH PART OF YOUR CREATIVE BRAIN IS 'ICELANDIC DRAMA' AND WHICH PART IS 'DANISH STRUCTURE'?
TM: I think my brain is very Icelandic Drama in almost everything I do, it's like I don't have an off switch. If I start thinking about one thing, it leads me to a new idea and then the (snow)ball just starts rolling. I think the Danish part of me is probably mostly in my home. I can't stand things that are there for 'no reason'. I can't have pictures hanging on the wall, and although it's often messy I really try to keep it neat. That's how I thrive because my brain is always so busy.
DC: WE KNOW YOU ARE A DEVOTEE OF CULT SKINCARE (LIKE BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE). IF YOUR DESIGN PROCESS WERE A BEAUTY ROUTINE, WHAT WOULD BE THE 'ACTIVE INGREDIENT'—THAT INTENSE, NON-NEGOTIABLE ELEMENT THAT MAKES THE WHOLE THING WORK?
TM: There needs to be that extra detail that makes it worth buying, the detail that shows that the designers care about the product and put thought into it. I want the customer to go home and feel like they spent their money well and that they want to keep the item in their wardrobes forever.
DC: WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF MICRO-TRENDS AND FAST FASHION. AS SOMEONE WHO CREATES STATEMENT PIECES, HOW DO YOU ENSURE A DESIGN BECOMES A WARDROBE ICON RATHER THAN JUST A MOMENT ON AN INSTAGRAM FEED?
TM: I actually really love classic pieces and I think when you create that extra element or details to a classic design it suddenly becomes timeless and something that feels new again and again depending on how you style it.
DC: YOU BUILT ROTATE ALONGSIDE JEANETTE MADSEN, DRIVEN BY A GENUINE FRIENDSHIP AND A SHARED DILEMMA OF 'HAVING NOTHING FUN TO WEAR.' AS THE BRAND SCALES INTO A MASSIVE GLOBAL BUSINESS, HOW DO YOU PROTECT THAT AUTHENTIC, INTIMATE 'BEST FRIEND' ENERGY?
TM: I think in that sense we're very lucky that we're still mainly considered to be an occasion wear brand which means that we love to host dinners and events both in Denmark and abroad so we always have our fun friend moments even when it becomes all work at home. It's like being married with kids and you reconnect during much needed weekend trips.
DC: YOU CARRY THE RAW, NATURAL SOUL OF ICELAND AND THE EFFORTLESS, CREATIVE PULSE OF COPENHAGEN. WHAT ARE YOUR ABSOLUTE 'MUST-NOT-MISS' HIDDEN GEMS?
TM: In Iceland, Hvammsvík Hot Springs is beyond words—it really needs to be experienced. It's so beautiful it's almost an out-of-body experience. Sitting in natural Hot Springs outside and looking at the magnificent mountains and nature, I almost get emotional just writing about it. When it's Spring/Summer time and I sit with my friends at Beau Marché or Pastis, I always get that cozy feeling of being in a country I love without actually being from there. It's just that feeling of knowing someone at the next table or saying hi to someone passing by... it's just joy.