Hip hop and childhood happiness at Stamm
Stamm translated both innocence and fearless passion into her heavily hip hop-inspired collection.Stamm, Tuesday 8. August 2023 at 12.00, Kedelhallen, Frederiksberg
Elisabet Stamm sent her guests an email last week. Instead of a standard press release, she had penned a personal essay. Titled “Don’t Stop, We’re Dreaming”, Stamm constructed an earnest, intimate picture of her youth. “I felt more connected to 2Pac, Aaliyah, Snoop Dogg and Eminem on MTV than the two kids next door”, she candidly wrote. Stamm praised her single mother for arranging horse riding lessons for her – a pastime she explained was usually the reserve of affluent children. She also referenced Tina, her friend from Korea, who also went by the name Kim. A fact that fascinated Stamm because she had only known boys with that name.
There’s an innocence and wonder to her writing that translates into the clothing she designs. For SS24, Stamm invited her guests to Kedelhallen: a sports venue in the Copenhagen neighbourhood of Frederiksberg. Seated on gym benches in an indoor court, the sound of hip hop heavyweights such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Lil Baby filled the space. As onlookers nodded their heads to the bass, the strobe lights placed at their feet turned on to emit an orange glow.
Suddenly, the show soundtrack kicked in: a selection of tracks produced by famed French hip hop producer Princ€. Stamm’s first model strode out, dressed in a hybrid piece typical of her design style. Part denim shorts, part chiffon skirt, a thick metal chain hung from the waistline – decorated in padlocks and Stamm-embellished keyrings. Oversized graphic-print T-shirts featured obscure dog prints and cheeky slogans like “YES to everything”. An expert in voluminous streetwear silhouettes, Stamm offered up extra-wide nylon pants, piped track jackets with billowing sleeves and side-stripe joggers tied around the ankles. A standout bubblegum pink pair encrusted with red sequins was this season’s version of the AW23 sequin puffer jacket that had showgoers in a tizzy. Most notable were Stamm’s signature leather jackets: patterned biker-style iterations that were cropped and broad-shouldered.
As the show concluded, Scandinavian-Syrian rapper Silvana Imam took to the floor to perform their debut song LIKBIL. The musician commanded the space, directly going up to seated audience members to amp up the vibes even more so. A collaboration meant to “further elevate the love for expression, diversity and inclusivity”, as Stamm’s email read, Imam’s involvement reflected the essence of the designer’s work this season: fearless passion and unbridled energy. Equally fitting, Stamm chose to walk out with her nine-year-old son – another person she referenced in her essay. “I look at my son and I see his courage, his joy, and his outgoing approach to life”. It’s this childlike exuberance she effortlessly channels through her work, or in her own words: “A youthful energy unlimited”.
See a selection of the show look below and see the entire collection here.
