It’s an interesting turn of events that William Lundgren and Veronika Kant’s baby started talking at about the same time that their other baby, BITE Studios, is becoming increasingly talked about. It’s not just that Scandinavian minimalism is all the rage, it’s that people want to look “good,” but not fussy.
Motivated to participate in the industry responsibly, BITE has created its own equipment guide and regularly releases updates and reports on how they are doing against these self-imposed limits. The aesthetic framework within which they work is more flexible, but you get the feeling that Lundgren and Kant have chosen a direction. They are not iconoclasts; it is nuance and subtlety that they strive for. “It’s fun to develop our details and make news out of them,” Kant said during a phone call. “We try to develop based on the elements we have; we develop and reuse, but not in a boring sense.”
While tailoring is one of BITE’s strengths, it wasn’t the focus of the spring collection – although a collarless, double-breasted trouser suit in black jersey was worth a mention. Spring’s lineup wasn’t organized by a story or even a mood; the best pieces played with texture, tonality and transparency. One of the hero looks, a tank top and pants with the brand’s signature peplum petals, brought together three different materials in perfect harmony. It was an example of everyday clothing for 2024.
Layered ensembles, especially those in white, created varying coverage and a hint of the underlying skin. (They were also somehow reminiscent of Agnes Martin’s paintings.) “It’s nice to show your body as a woman, but still be able to cover up and put on as much as you want,” Kant said. A ribbed tank top in mottled terracotta sensually hugged the body without revealing skin. Ruching, a mini trend that emerged in New York, was especially interesting here in terry cloth.
Unlike the jersey and knits, the marble jacquard felt stiff; the lone denim ensemble was an outlier. BITE’s take on the cropped trousers, hiking shorts and oversized cardigan was equal parts inviting familiarity and freshness. It was the lighter pieces, which metaphorically let the air in or slide uninterruptedly over the body, that were the most compelling.
