“Well, it only lasted ten years!” Karl Lindman exclaimed backstage at Toteme, with his wife and co-founder Elin Kling at his side. Over the past decade, the brand has grown enormously in cachet, customer base and commercial success without ever staging an actual fashion show. Lindman noted that they are perfectionists, hence a reason to wait, but that this milestone was motivating.
While not unprecedented, an off-calendar ready-to-wear show on the first day of haute couture could be seen as a bold move. But the Toteme team was tactful. Rather than a large crowd to generate maximum buzz, there was an insider-y feel as about 70 industry people (with a dash of Parisian celebrities – think Clémence Poesy and Caroline de Maigret) gathered in an airy and relatively intimate space arrived. , many of which exude the understated Scandinavian chic that is so characteristic of the brand.
Did Kling think differently about the looks, knowing they would appear on the catwalk? Not necessarily, she said. “We design for real women, and we wanted to make sure that everything we show here is something we have to offer.” However, she revisited their archives and discovered that they have remained consistent all this time. Fine sweaters with wrap-around collars, for example, have been a constant, and knits remain one of the most coveted categories (many are made from recycled cashmere and wool or wool certified by the Responsible Wool Standard).
Aside from a few wraparound pieces, the emphasis was on constructed shoulders and tapered legs, some visibly kept in check by straps at the ankle. Dresses and skirts followed a similar long and sleek silhouette, while those that were draped contoured the body without clinging. Amid the monochrome lineup, the styling was compelling, as these tucked-in yet casual looks lived up to what we often think of as evolved workwear. Similar options can of course be found elsewhere – and for different budgets. But Toteme proves itself even more distinctive through its accessories: see a pump that extends over the heel, the shaped belt that encircles the hips, or the polished bag with T-stitching. Whether or not the hand-crocheted dress was a nod to couture, it showed their ability to create on a more intricate level.
It made sense that a French-sounding brand launched in New York by two Swedes would debut in Paris with a fall collection versus a spring collection — all that luxury shearling offered a presence. Are they considering a return to the catwalk, perhaps during the ready-to-wear season? According to Lindman, “What we can say is that we are all addicted now, so this probably won’t be the last time.”
