Treasured Items... David Hellqvist

Every item has a story to tell and here at Style Salvage we strive to seek out the most interesting to share with you. Today, David Hellqvist, Editor of Dazed Digital and Fashion Editor of Hemma Magazine, tells us the tale behind two of his most cherished possessions. The first being the sartorial fruit of a mouth watering collaboration and the other a timeless and elegant branch of his family tree.

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"It is, of course, difficult to choose just one item from a wardrobe and call it your most 'treasured item', not least because what today is indispensable to you might tomorrow be deemed superfluous and a complete mismatch. So, in a sneaky but Salter-approved fashion, I have chosen two items, one of them representing the sort of sartorial ‘Clash of the Titans’ I love finding, and another piece that has nothing to do with fashion and style – it’s something I just treasure for the sake of what it represents and the memories it conjures. This ‘Treasured Item(s)’ is one part ‘hungry for more’-fashion, and one part timeless family memorabilia.

First up, a dark bottle green corduroy suit by Adam Kimmel for Supreme. I chose this because, as mentioned above, it represents something I’m always on the lookout for; a good brand collaboration. Some might say that in this day and age, with everyone collaborating with each other (high street chains take on high-end fashion designers to gain cred, and the designers accept because of the dosh involved), the concept of a collaborative collection is outdated and no longer relevant. That’s of course true in many instances, but it also makes a truly great collab stand out, making them more desirable due to the sub-standard offerings on a saturated market.

Dark bottle green corduroy suit by Adam Kimmel for Supreme.

So what makes a good collaboration? Much like a cover song, it’s about bringing something new to the table, about fusing two different styles, ideas and aesthetics in one exotic sartorial mish mash. I remember combing through milk crate after milk crate in damp record store basements many years ago, looking for obscure remixes and interesting producer/artist combinations. I was well into my music and for me, the next step up from just buying someone’s 12 inch single was looking for those instances when a record label had brought in another artist or producer to re-work and tweak someone I liked and respected. The way I saw it, things could only get better that way.

And that’s what I felt when I heard of the Supreme x Adam Kimmel collab. None of them need much of an introduction on this fine blog, but the fact that a skate/streetwear brand such as Supreme was willing to take its baggy and casual street approach to a ’tailor’, allowing Kimmel to cut a suit in Supreme’s boxy style intrigued me. Kimmel’s choice of fabrics and his way of fitting the jacket worked really well with the more comfortable trouser cut. With subtle colour choices and almost nondescript thin corduroy, the suit was far from Supreme’s usual logo-covered and loud statement-infused clothing. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the archetypical Supreme style. I do, but when James Jebbia and his NYC skaters allowed a menswear designer who makes his clothes in Italy and stages catwalk shows during Paris Menswear Week to distort their brand, he took them out of their comfort zone and, as such, they created the perfect collaborative suit. When wearing it, you feel like you’re part of two universes, it’s a Best Of Two Worlds experience, allowing the wearer the benefits of Adam Kimmel’s expert eye for fabrics, details and cuts while still being draped in a credible street uniform from Supreme. The combination is one I can relate to and - when worn together with other items from my wardrobe - I feel I own the suit: I wear it, not the other way around… just the way a perfect collaborative item, or any garment for that matter, should make you feel.

Other great collaborations I like:

Edwin x Margaret Howell

Ebbets Field Flannels x Our Legacy

Junya Watanabe x Brooks Brothers

Visvim x Comme des Garcons

Nike x Undercover Gyakusou

Certina wristwatch

Secondly, I have chosen an item – a useful accessory, I guess you could call it – that has very little to do with the above type of garment. This beautiful Certina watch used to belong to my father. He passed away last June and I have worn it every day since. It’s a constant reminder of him and a fitting tribute to the notion of ‘family’, something that doesn’t go away but stays with you forever, especially when living abroad and separated from your loved ones. For months I refused to change the time from the Swedish ’one hour ahead’ to my current time zone. Eventually I realised it doesn’t matter what time it shows, what matters is the fact that it sits on my wrist day out and day in, ticking along and keeping the memory of my dad alive.

Thanks

David Hellqvist"

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