Anti-odor clothing for kids smells badly

Children and babies are more vulnerable to harmful chemicals than adults

Christmas shoppers on their mission to buy presents for family and friends may be bringing home sports and baby clothing that contains poisons. Clothing which claims to be “anti-odor” often contains tiny silver particles which are poisonous for the natural environment. Some tests suggest they could also be harmful for human health.

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI) has conducted tests of sports clothing made of synthetics as well as “anti-odor” clothes for babies. The results of the tests were “worse than we expected,” Anne-Marie Johansson of KEMI told newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

The watchdog agency randomly bought clothing and textiles in Swedish stores which are marketed as “anti-odor” or claimed to provide “lasting freshness,” “hygenic protection,” or to be “antimicrobial.”

Of the 30 articles tested in a laboratory, 16 were found to contain silver nano-particles and anti-bacterial agent Triclosan. Although the use of silver particles was most common in sports clothing, investigators also found it in children’s pajamas and other types of clothing.

One of the products containing silver was a hair-band from Buff with a Winnie-the-Pooh design.
Three fourths of the silver particles in the hair-band had been leached out after three washings, according to the Swedish study.
“One can really ask questions about usage, especially when it comes to children’s clothing. There are concerns about the effects on health; children may suck on their clothing,” Anne-Marie Johansson of KEMI told DN.

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Hot swimwear from cool Iceland

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As the first snows of winter dust the streets of Stockholm, my thoughts turn to Iceland. Right about now, it would be nice to be warming my toes in the Blue Lagoon or some of the other geothermal heated pools with dot the North Atlantic land mass perched between North America and Europe.

I once took part in a fashion photo shoot by Börkur Sighortson on the outskirts of Reykjavik.
What has Börkur been up to lately? An excursion on the Internet turned up these images Börkur took of the S/S 2012 collection of swimwear by Nikita of Iceland.

Hair & makeup by Fríða María Models: Andrea Röfn, Bryndís & Rós
Photographic assistant: Héðinn Eiríksson

H&M clones human beings for bikini models

Clothing chain H&M has broken new ground when it comes to standardization in the fashion industry. Eight of the models showing bikinis in H&M’s webshop have exactly the same body, with different heads attached.

Is this a bizarre coincidence? Or perhaps it is a case of futuristic cloning, the creation of a new race of identical women?

No, it would seem that the Swedish retailing chain has Frankenstein-like attached different heads to an imaginary body created in a computer.

”We are doing this to show the clothing,” H&M spokesman tells newspaper Aftonbladet. “It isn’t a real body. It is entirely virtual and created in a computer. We photograph the clothing on a maniquin, like the ones in our stores, an give it a human appearance with the assistance of a computer program.”

Win a Versace outfit this weekend

Fashion retailing giant H&M has pulled a new marketing trick out of its corporate hat. The company today (November 11) unveiled a large glass-walled structure at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm containing samples from its Versace-for-H&M collection, which will be launched in 12 Swedish stores and in its online shop, starting on November 17.

“H&M always tries to surprise its customers and we want to do something glamorous with a party feeling to attract attention surrounding the Versace for H&M campaign,” says Sofia Jegerborn, marketing manager for H&M in Sweden.

People who visit the Stockholm installation this weekend can use their mobile phones to compete in a contest to win a Versace-for-H&M outfit. You use your smartphone to scan in the QR-code shown in the Norrmalmstorg display, which will allow you to choose a tune to be played in the installation’s Fashion Jukebox while simultaneously competing in a contest to win a Versace outfit.

Airbrushed models out of fashion in Norway

Label: This advertisement has been retouched and gives a false picture of the model

Norwegian minister of Gender Equality Audun Lysbakken wants to reduce the pressure on young girls to try to live up to unrealistic ideals of beauty. Lysbakken plans to start a dialogue with the advertising industry and the media to stop advertising which promotes unhealthy body ideals, according to daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende.

One possible course of action is to label advertising that features people who are airbrushed to look thinner.

The leftwing youth organization Red Youth (Rød Ungdom) last year staged a campaign to bring attention to digitally retouched advertising which features stick-thin models. They pasted large labels on advertising billboards with digitally airbrushed models. The campaign is likely to be repeated during the Christmas shopping season this year.

“A hundred thousand girls have eating disorders. We know that many other girls have an unhealthy relationship with food and body. When they encounter advertisements designed on a computer, it constantly tells them that they are not good enough, thin enough, fine enough. This leads to low self-esteem and ultimately can lead to eating disorders, says Red Youth deputy chairman MarteTeigen.

What would Lisbeth Salander say?

Lisbeth Salander, the rebellious heroine of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy would probably be pissed off to learn that her personal style has been reincarnated as a fashion collection for H&M, one of the world’s biggest retail chains.

Luckily, the anarchistic computer hacker with a violent temper is only a fictional character in the books, so she is not about to start smashing department store windows or kidnapping business executives.

The collection has been designed just in time for the Christmas shopping season by Trish Summerville, costume designer for the upcoming American movie based upon the best-selling book: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

The press release for the tough-looking collection says that Salander’s look is “all about individuality as well as survival.” Black leather racing jackets, a hooded wool coat with a diagonal zip that wraps across the body and leather or slashed denim pants are part of the mix.
Photo: H&M

My first (and only) gig as male model

A shady character

I recently visited the studio of photographer Cengiz Bozkaya in order to have my photo taken wearing various models of Ashade sunglasses. They are a new brand of “organic eyewear” designed in Sweden that will be coming on the market in a few months. A blonde woman named Johanna was the female model.

We took turns standing against a large, three-sided white backdrop wearing the shades and turning our heads in various directions. “Put your chin up a bit up. Look directly in the camera again. Tie your hair back tighter. Hands on the hips, please… and now we’ll try it with your hair fluffier.”

It is an interesting experience to serve as a model for the first time. It was also rather fun. I got to pose

Has Mick Jagger gone crazy?

That was the reaction of a journalist friend, upon learning that The Rolling Stones will be on center stage in a new campaign to promote Dressmann, the largest menswear chain in the Nordic region.

Dressman has 400 shops in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Iceland and Germany.
In February, Dressman will re-launch with a new logo, a new store concept and a new message, reports media watchdog Dagens Media.

“We contacted Universal with our idea about fusing music and fashion and they went for it right away. The Rolling Stones wants to develop their brand in fashion,” Dressman marketing director Thomas Behring told the trade paper.

The clothing chain, which is part of the Norway-based Varner Group, has created a Rolling Stones-inspired collection, with a special series of T-shirts called “As Worn By” based upon garment worn by band members back in the day.

The Gap signs Swedish Indiepop band

The Gap, one of the world’s largest clothing retailers with over 3,000 stores, has signed a two year contract with You say France and I Whistle, a Swedish indie band you probably never heard about. The contract gives The Gap exclusive rights to use the group’s tune “Cats” in its marketing, daily Dagens Industri reports.

Stockholm-based You Say France, comprised of Patrik, Clas, Ida, Petter, and Christian, has been playing since 2007 according to its Facebook page, and they love “colorful teddybears and other soft toys, and bubbles, and dancing, and speed baking.”
Having your song picked up and used for advertising can open doors for a band. In the past, Swedish singer/songwriter Jose Gonzalez did a tune for Sony, and The Hives sold a song to Nike.

Merry Christmas from Finland

This cheerful holiday greeting found its way into my in-box. Minna Parikka will be showing her collection at Premiere Classe in Paris, Porte de Versailles between January 22-25 and at Gallery in Copenhagen Febrary 3-5.

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