Astrid Olsson and Lee Cotter. Photo: Press photo

What made you start working with fashion?

Lee & Astrid: “We love working with our hands and creating beautiful shapes. Fashion became the creative outlet of our choice, but fashion was not the obvious career path when we were younger. We ended up as fashion designers because we love the constant seasonal progression and the continuous exploration of how to express ourselves with clothing.”

Where do you find your inspiration?

Lee & Astrid: “We often do not remember where we got an idea. Many times we ask each other—was this your idea or mine? But, when we do focus on finding inspiration we mostly look at sculptures, buildings, silhouettes, shades and illusions. We also take inspiration in finding new techniques in cutting fabric or draping fabric directly on the body. In this way we can design in three dimensions, and the creation is instantaneous.”

Name a designer who has influenced you.

Lee & Astrid: “Oh, all designers that dare to take a step from the norm are an inspiration, but few have influenced us in our design. We must answer that the old fashion houses have influenced us, made us try harder and to make all creations from scratch as the likes of Balenciaga, Lanvin and Dior. Designers who have the highest influence on our designs, however, are Yohji Yamamoto, Yunja Watanabe and Vivienne Westwood. They are all ground-breaking designers of their time and have, for decades, been a true inspiration and influence on how to create, both for us and for many other designers, architects, and artists.

What's your favorite color to work with?

Lee & Astrid: “Our color palette always starts with black, white, and the mix in between (grey). Then we carefully add other colors in each collection. However, black and white are not colors, therefore our answer is red since the color red is equivalent to the ‘non-color’ black—equally strong!”

What do you like most about Sweden?

Lee & Astrid: “That Sweden has four seasons: summer, autumn, winter, and spring.”