Speak to Catalina Guirado-Cheadle for any length of time and you’ll soon come to realize that there is not much ground she hasn’t covered in her 20-plus year career. The only daughter of celebrated Spanish artist Juan Antonio Guirado, Catalina has lived in the glamorous world of the gypset (gypsy + jetset) since childhood and embraced it to the full with age.

A quick recount of her recent life is almost staggering. She has been a successful runway and print model, gracing major magazine covers and designer catwalks alike. She’s hosted and appeared on a string of successful television programs in the UK. She’s written songs with and for huge 80’s Brit acts ranging from Echo and the Bunnymen, Henry Priestman and The Yachts to the Christians, Guy Batson, St. Etienne and Blondie (and scored a chart-topping hit or two in the process, thank you very much). She’s even been signed to recording deal of her own with none other than Universal Music. Along the way, she has dazzled on countless red carpets, bewitched paparazzi and dated some of the most notable film and music stars of the last two decades before settling down into wedded bliss with her rocker husband, Matthew Cheadle former guitarist of chart topping US rock group i-94.

Today, perhaps more than ever before, Guirado-Cheadle is a doggedly determined woman focused on a career that is clearly on the ascent. Following the death of her father in 2010, Catalina was made the sole director of the acclaimed artist’s estate, which she has rebranded as The Guirado Estate and on behalf of which she works feverishly in order to promote and preserve her father’s legacy. Simultaneously, to complement her work with the Estate, the ever industrious Guirado-Cheadle launched Guirado Design with collection of luxury silk scarves, fabrics and bespoke wallpapers inspired by select enlightening works of art by her father. Needless to say, Catalina Guirado-Cheadle is a very busy lady. So I was thrilled to find an excuse to sit down with my great gal pal so that I might catalogue her thoughts for you on everything from the essence of glamour to body image and the fashion industry. Here’s what she had to say:

TheDuaneWells:    When did you first recognize the importance of style?

Catalina Guirado-Cheadle:      When I was about 11. My mum was a seamstress and we used to [visit] some fabulous homes of my mum’s clients.

TDW:  Who was your first style icon?

CGC: Without realizing it at the time, I guess it was my godmother, Marilyn. She was – and still is – super glamorous and subscribed to VOGUE, copies of which were given to me every 2 months. She would buy me Gucci and Prada accessories such as a belt or handbag every Christmas.

She also had the most fabulous homes for which my mum did the furnishings and she loved decorating them herself so we used to go and help. When I was 14, she actually introduced me to the beauty editor of British VOGUE, who was her friend, and that’s how I became a model.

TDW:  Speaking of your start, since you first burst onto the scene, you’ve been a model, television personality, celebutante and now serve as executive director of your foundation. Having lived so many lives, which do you feel best suits you?

CGC: I think the reason I transitioned into [my current role] so easily is because I have done so many different things over the years that are a natural progression within their field. Model turned TV host/actress, turned singer songwriter, turned music A&R, turned music TV executive, turned art and music PR and now President of The Guirado Estate and Creative director and designer for my Guirado Legacy design collection. I am still all of the above but I’m just choosing the hats I wear at the moment for the job title and switching them when necessary. I’m just much more mature and business-like nowadays –and, dare I say it, responsible!

TDW:  What has been your most memorable photo shoot?

CGC: The one that really sticks out was my Maxim magazine cover and spread back in 2002 shot by top photographer Willy Camden. It was when magazines like Maxim and FHM were creditable and really well produced. It was a full-on production shoot at Pinewood studios (where they shoot Star Wars and 007) and I spent the day under a rain machine crawling around a water tank in lingerie. They then photo shopped me into rainy shots of the streets of London’s SoHo. It looked amazing even though I felt like a drowned rat most of the day.

TDW: What conversations have you had to have with yourself about your body over the course of your career?

CGC: Well sadly when I was a fashion model in Europe I was usually telling myself not to eat as I had to be really thin. I would make agreements with myself that If I ate a bar of chocolate I wouldn’t eat the next day. It was so unhealthy and I really blame the model agencies for creating girls that have so many eating disorders and complexes. Being told at 15 with a 23 ½ inch waist that you need to lose more weight isn’t exactly healthy and that was back in the 90s when size 4-6 was the normal model size! I had exactly the same measurements as Cindy Crawford!

Now that I’ve hit 40, I tell myself it’s okay and necessary to be a size larger as your body changes. It’s natural and a 40-year-old shouldn’t compete with a 20-year-old. Plus, I think there is nothing more unattractive than a bony older woman. Eating healthily and working out to be fit, NOT skinny is the goal, which is why I do Pilates as it’s so great for the core and body strength without creating too much muscle. I want to emulate Sophia Loren and Raquel Welch as I grow older!

TDW:  What are the essential elements of great style?

CGC: Well style isn’t something that can be bought for a start! Great accessories help of course but style comes down to interesting influences as well as a fun sense of humor, attitude and life.

I think that staying true to your own taste and personal style is so important [because] people who follow fashion seasons rigidly have no sense of their own identity in life. Mixing vintage, high street with designer labels is the most stylish look in my mind.

TDW:  What is the best piece of style advice you’ve ever received?

CGC: Accessory-wise, take off the last thing you put on! And always check your body from the back. I have a low rib cage and square hips so I have to be careful not to look bigger than I am. Also [I was told] not to wear black on the red carpet as the picture desks don’t usually pick the photos for their spreads.

TDW:  Conversely, what is the best piece of style advice you’ve ever given?

CGC: Take the last thing on, off! And, people over 40 really should not wear daisy dukes or mini mini-skirts! I don’t care how good your legs are — it’s a no!

TDW:  What are your thoughts about color? Prints?

CGC: I love wearing red dresses! It brings Instant attention at a party and on the red carpet. I’m really into color in the summer but in the winter all I seem to wear is black with a colorful scarf accessory (usually one of my own designs).

TDW:  Describe the most common style mistake women make?

CGC: Wearing all designer labels at once and not following their body type but just wearing something they think is cool [though it] should [only be worn by] a 16-year-old stick insect in reality!

TDW:  Is there a universal style weapon (secret) that works for every woman?

CGC: I was brought up in Europe and we are taught that it’s all about having great classic accessories and what’s more classic than a great haircut and blow dry? [With] clean hair, clean nails, good skin, natural make up, quality shoes and [a good] handbag, you can go out in jeans and a tank and still look good.

TDW:  What is your favorite fashion accessory?

CGC: My collection of sunglasses…mainly vintage.

TDW:  What has been your worst style moment?

CGC: The 80s. I hate everything about the horrible make up and horrendous hair. I copied looks straight out of magazines and looked like a glow worm most of the time. Luckily that’s when I discovered Camden Lock in London and my love of vintage 60s clothes started. I was slightly goth too for a while. I shot a Vidal Sassoon commercial and they dyed my hair black and cut short bangs. It was very fashion forward but not great when you are 16 and still at school. I pretended I was in the band Shakespeare Sister and dressed in Katherine Hamnet and dated a rock star all before I left school! No wonder the girls at school were so mean to me. I was so ahead of my [years]!

TDW:  What part or your body or physical attribute have you had to learn to love?

CGC: My face isn’t even and I have slightly different shaped eyes, but so does Christy Turlington so I’m okay with it. [Laughs]

I try not to look at any part of my body for too long as it doesn’t end well. Fixation is most of the problem with today’s obsession with plastic surgery.  I know I’m guilty of thinking I look fat or am sagging when in fact I look the same as before but didn’t obsess. I truly blame Los Angeles, social networking and the selfie. It’s getting scary and its not real. I leave LA and I feel fantastic about myself!

TDW:   If you could bring one fashion item or look roaring back to favor what would it be?

CGC: I’m really happy with exactly now and the revival of 60s/70s boho and disco chic. I’m in retro heaven.

To find out more about the Guirado Estate, click here. Follow the latest with Guirado design at:  www.guiradodesign.com.

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Sex. Drugs. Scissors.

Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Their names are often casually spoken with a familiarity generally reserved for a loved one. You might even be wearing an article of clothing that bears the imprint of one or the other as you read this.  But what do you know of the men behind the labels?

McQueen and Galliano were both tormented gay adolescents from working class families in London, who grew up teased and taunted by their peers. Neither of them was supposed to ascend to the highest thrones in the fashion demimonde, but ascend they did. And like Icarus, what a toll they paid for flying too close to the sun.

Much ballyhoo has been made about the price of beauty, but until recently little has been said about the price affixed to the creation of beauty. Without launching into a diatribe to rival Miranda Priestly’s fulmination on the far-reaching import of the color cerulean, suffice it to say that for every look sent down a runway which later enters our lives in some distillated way, shape or fashion, there is an investment of inspiration, talent, savvy, skill and, occasionally, pain that is often not fully recognized. Such is, at least in part, the premise of Dana Thomas’ recent book Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.

In an exhaustively probing examination, Thomas, a fashion journalist, pulls back the curtain on the rise and demise of two of the creative geniuses who defined a generation of fashion. The way they cut, their inspirations, their muses, their lovers, their fears…Thomas covers them all. Along the way, she also illuminates parallels between the careers of McQueen and Galliano –  superstar designers who simultaneously ruled fashion, in spite of the fact that their styles could not have been more divergent.

Irrespective of how familiar you are with the lives of Galliano and McQueen, Gods and Kings is a fascinating read. For hardcore fashionistas the book will be akin to taking a walking down memory lane and recalling both the creative magic that made the two designers gods and the demons that plagued them behind the scenes. Meanwhile, for those who have not been particularly fixated by fashion heretofore, Gods and Kings, will act as the ultimate primer on understanding the innerworkings of haute couture during the moment in time when McQueen and Galliano scaled the heights of fashion; the players that helped them get there; the players that nearly brought them down; and the celebrities and socialites that orbited their respective universes.

At times Thomas can wax a bit rhapsodic about the designers’ various collections, but the tantrums, personalities and occasionally sordid background drama that fill in the gaps help to make this biographical tome cum cautionary tale an engaging read.

To get the book click here.

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Ironically, or not so ironically, on the last day of my LivingWells California 2014 road trip, I found myself traveling the shortest distance – just a few short blocks from the Hotel Adagio to the Hotel G. Originally built in 1909 and completely renovated in 2014, the 153-room boutique hotel maintains a connection to its storied history in a thoroughly contemporized manner. The rooms are cool, spare and minimal…almost loft-like…and anything but cookie-cutter, which speaks to the overall modern vibe of the property.

That said, there is something wonderfully intriguing about the way that the Hotel G has been redone to allow bits of the past to shine through. From the winding entrance from Geary Street, to the bits of original flooring, to the staircases and the general layout of the property, the hotel’s past incarnation as a home away from home for Western travelers in the early 20th century is evident. In fact, it is a quality that bleeds over into its current incarnation which invites the feeling of an apartment rather than a traditional hotel room, a quality that I generally appreciate. Local art adorns the walls, the honor bar is stocked with lots of unexpected goodies, there’s a desk at which you actually might want to work and every room is equipped with powerful black out shades (a personal fave of mine).  I always like to say that when I’m not at home, I like to feel like I’m staying in someone else’s grander or cooler version of home and the Hotel G, definitely qualifies as the latter.

But don’t just take my word for it, have a look for yourself:

After checking in and getting acquainted with the Hotel G, I hopped in an Uber and headed over to the design studio of my friends Aaron and Miranda Jones, the dazzling brother and sister duo behind Galanter & Jones, purveyors of the hottest (all pun intended) heated outdoor furniture currently on the market. Over a casual lunch of sandwiches from the  Deli Board, Aaron and Miranda introduced to me their latest design, the Helios Love Chair, one of the smallest of their designs but every bit as chic as its predecessors.  I had such a fun afternoon  catching up with the Jones’ and seeing all the steps that go into each custom made piece and getting to understand the magic behind their innovation. I’ve probably overused the word “revolution” in this series of travel diaries but it couldn’t be truer when used to describe the creations that are coming out of Galanter & Jones. More practical, stylish, and effective than heat lamps or anything of the sort, the designs of Galanter & Jones promise to reform the way we think about enjoying outdoor living as temperatures begin to drop.

Later that afternoon, my dinner plans for the evening cancelled, which was in some ways a relief after the procession of dinners that the weeks leading up to that evening had included. So, rather than reschedule or wander out on my own, I ordered in Chinese from one of my favorite spots in nearby Chinatown and began a mental recap of my road trip from start to finish.

After 22 days, 17 hotels, countless restaurants, events and meetings, a myriad of activities and nearly 2,000 miles of driving, I would be less than truthful if I said this juggernaut had not left me exhausted and desperate with desire for my own bed. However, it would also be dishonest of me not to admit that it’s been an amazing ride. I have, of course, traveled extensively around California in the past but never have I done so in such a comprehensive manner.

The opportunity to explore the Golden State so intensely these past few weeks has renewed my love for the state and the unique diversity of experiences it offers. From its oceans and lakes to its mountains and deserts to its urban metropolises, California, perhaps more than any other state in America, can best lay claim to offering something for everyone, the oft-used if rarely true marketing ploy favored by destinations around the globe. As a travel journalist, I have spent a great deal of time traveling the world, but I have spent precious little getting to know the state I now call home.  This trip reminded me why that is the case.

As I close this chapter in my travels, I must extend a few major thanks. First the sponsors. To eBags, who provided my luggage for this trip, LockerDome, my wonderful new collaborator for their support in promoting this three week journey, and the Autograph Collection, which welcomed me with open arms in destinations across California, I express my heartiest appreciation. Second, to Sonoma County Tourism, Visit Laguna Beach and all the tourism boards across the state who offered advice, counsel and support, this road trip would not have happened or been as memorable without your guidance and backing. Third to the tremendous group of publicists that I had the great pleasure of working with to make this trip happen from JPR, i.d.e.a., Elizabeth Borsting PR to Hunter PR and Workshop Collective, you are the stars of my life. And finally to my great friend Rob Musick for acting as my fellow road warrior, driver, photographer and voice of reason throughout this epic adventure I say thank you, thank you, thank you.

And that’s a wrap. Below is a look at a few images from the final day of  my road trip. Stay tuned for the first comprehensive LivingWells Guide to Californiai in 2015. Ā bientôt.

Lobby, Hotel G, San Francisco

Suite , Hotel G, San Francisco

The view from my suite at Hotel G, San Francisco

Another suite view, Hotel G. San Francisco

Love the robes at Hotel G, San Francisco

Aaron and Miranda Jones show off their popular Evia design

Evia design by Galanter and Jones, San Francisco

Checking out the Helios Love Chair, Galanter and Jones, San Francisco

21 days and still smiling...that's a wrap!

(Scroll over image to see details)

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Even before entering a single rose bud vase arrangement into competition at a State Fair in Castle Rock, Washington at the tender young age of eight years-old, Jason Vorse, the Los Angeles-based, internationally recognized Lead Floral Designer of AOO Floral, had already developed a passion for flowers that would dictate the course of his future. In truth, Jason was merely continuing and building upon the interest in horticulture that his great grandmother Rose, a florist herself whose name in and of itself presaged her great grandson’s future career, had nurtured in him early on in his childhood. You might even say that Jason was born with a proverbial green thumb.

“I was that dork…I was about my only friend I guess,” Vorse says with a laugh reflecting on his early forays into floral design. “Grandma was helping me at the time [but] my interest began in my own house. I helped create 35 acres of gardens surrounding our house. I’ve always helped in the garden. I’ve always done little arrangements for different parties or whatever… from an early age. Probably from like the age of four or five that’s what me and grandma and my aunts did. A few years later, after I kept competing in the Castle Rock Fair, I went onto my first job at 15 which was working in the greenhouses where I was cultivating the varieties with different scientists.”

A quick study, Vorse had earned the designation Master Gardener by the age of 16 further confirming the course that had seemingly been ordained for him from birth. After high school, he continued onto the Seattle Floral Design Institute where he studied Floral Mechanics and Design Elements and it was in this period that he began to develop the “modern with a romantic edge” approach to floral design, combining sculptural and cerebral elements, that would become his calling card.

“[When] I studied horticulture and plant physiology… I got into the plant physiology …and that was when I started to see how I could pull things apart and use them in different ways and actually design with them in a different fashion than I actually saw before,” Vorse offers in explanation of his groundbreaking work. “I use the product in a different way typically. With my knowledge of plant physiology I often don’t use things in water at all. I often separate the orchids into five or six different pieces and then reconstruct them in a different fashion. So the way that I put things back together whether it’s in their natural form or after I have basically dissected them is basically what creates the difference [between what  I do and what other floral designers do].”

Vorse’s unique talent earned him not only the immediate attention of the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, whose design department he would head for five years, but also that of none other than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who commissioned the designer’s talents to brighten up a celebration for one of her royal descendants.

“Queen Elizabeth hired me to come down to Sandringham Castle the first time for Princess Beatrice’s 18^th birthday,” recounts Vorse. “We transformed one of the ballrooms into a discotheque which was ridiculous. We utilized what was in the ballroom…these like $50,000 crystal containers… which was scary as all get out but it was a pretty cool opportunity to be able to really go in there and change that whole space.”

Not too long after that royal appointment, the Thai royal family came calling offering the master florist the most ‘exciting’ opportunity of his career – creating a calendar promoting tourism to Thailand that gave him the rare chance to scour the jungles of Thailand along with all the local shops and products to  design a calendar utilizing the country’s natural resources. “Really jumping into the culture was probably the most exciting part for me,” he says.

A born Gemini, Vorse acknowledges that diversity is what keeps him interested in his work, saying flatly, “I get very bored if my brain is not being stroked.”  It is a fact well borne out by the variety of freelance projects the floral Jedi took on in his freelance years prior to joining AOO Floral, a division of AOO Events.

“[After the Four Seasons] I started freelancing and looking for different ways to express myself,” Vorse says of his journey to his current destination.  “I started to do more editorial and that really pushed me into different directions. That allowed me to do floral in a different way. It allowed me to build wedding dresses for photo shoots and to do jewelry lines. I actually worked with several different jewelry designers making prototypes out of real flesh floral before they were cast in silver, gold and diamonds. I did that for about seven years and worked freelance and now I’m kind of doing all of the above with AOO.”

With such a full and varied plate, one might be inclined to think that Vorse had already discovered enough boundaries to test, but that notion couldn’t be further from the truth according to the designer who also aspires to create “wearable art”.  “Most everything I do is pretty sculptural,” he expounds. “But I think [I’d like to create] some sort of livable, wearable piece for someone like Lady Gaga because it lends itself to my style. Back in the day when Gaga was first coming out Gaga Gone Green was my goal to get after. But even a Raja get up lends itself ultimately to what I want to do. I could see that happening very flawlessly.”

And quite fragrantly no doubt.

Find out more about Jason Vorse and AOO Floral at www.facebook.com/AOOEvents.

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You probably know Stephen Collins as the irrepressibly dashing and undeniably urbane host of Bravo’s Property Envy, the panel talk show he presided over alongside property expert Jeff Lewis, interior designer Mary McDonald, and Chicago-based real estate guru Brandie Malay.  However, I first met the Renaissance man in his pre-television days back in London when he was the proprietor of the jaw-dropping emporium that he had opened as a sort of showcase for all the magnificent wares he had accumulated over the course of his nearly two decade long grand tour of some of the most fabulous corners of the globe. The showroom was a sublimely eclectic wonderland filled with richly storied objets d’art that reflected a life defined and refined by a heady cocktail of art, beauty, color and, of course, high style. I vividly recall how Collins, with almost professorial glee, took me on a tour of the space imbuing each and every nook and cranny with novel-worthy tales about how his passion for, and pursuit of, beauty had given birth to the showroom.

Flash forward nearly seven years later and Collins has transformed his world dramatically. In addition to appending the title TV host to a CV that already included the job titles hotelier, writer, curator and designer, he has exchanged the bustle of London for the simplicity of desert life in Palm Springs. Moreover, though the London showroom is a distant memory, it is soon to be replaced by a new showroom in his adopted home to which Collins had shipped five containers chock full of the fabulous, wondrous pieces that populated his former UK-based love letter to interior design. Needless to say then, it came as little surprise to me when I recently reconnected with Collins that, despite the change in environment, the unbridled flair that has always seemingly defined the multi-hyphenate’s world remains perfectly intact.

Now fully ensconced in desert life, Collins has brought his love of Modernism to the latest stop on the whistle stop tour that is his life and has fittingly been named the official ‘Man About Modernism’ for Modernism Week which takes place from February 13 – 23 in Palm Springs.

“Modernism is at an all-time high, celebrating an incredible revival across the world,” Collins offers enthusiastically embracing his role as the spokesperson in chief for the desert’s ode to the movement. “Where else in America, possibly in the world [other than Palm Springs], is it possible to see such a concentration of seminal architecture and design? I think it’s largely down to a realization of just how well designed and thought-out the building and furniture of the Mid-Century really was. As the world becomes increasingly ‘tight’, as bottom-line thinking pollutes almost all decisions in both private and public design, Modernism reminds us of a time when all things mattered and how they affected our daily lives. The train and bus terminals, office buildings, schools and hotels, airports of the Mid-Century more often than not embodied schemes that were well executed and well thought-out.”

Man About Modernism Preview:

“Well thought-out” is perhaps the most dead on description for Collins’ new digs which will play host to a sold-out event on February 16 that is expected to be one of the biggest highlights of the weeklong roster of more than 170 events scheduled for Modernism Week 2014. Taking primary inspiration in interiors from David Hicks and Nancy Lancaster, who he says, “embody the ethos I admire most,” Collins has turned his Palm Springs home into a showplace that for the first time brings together his life’s collections along with the treasure trove of new finds he has unearthed locally since his arrival in America  a little over eighteen months ago.

“I knew what I had in mind for the remodel of my home here in Palm Springs,” he says. “The house I live in is not of any major architectural merit. I knew that I wanted a glamorous late 1960s/early 1970s feel as the backcloth to my extensively eclectic collection and personal style. I happen to like texture and layering in my decoration. This house needed it badly as there was little to play with in terms of detailing and architecture.”

But play with it he has. Dominating the living room, there is the brightly hued Guillerme and Chambron sofa he “fell for at first sight.”

“I like the architectural elements in this piece,” he says of the sofa which was originally made in Lille in northeastern France. “I also like its sense of strong Mid-Century design whilst almost clashing with a traditional vernacular style; yet the ‘clash’ is harmonious. It amuses me. It is ever so slightly kitsch.”

Similarly, curtains by the late Maria Kipp, whose clients included King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Claudette Colbert, Walt Disney and Loretta Young, which he acquired from an estate sale in Old Las Palmas after dogged pursuit are also an important part of Collins’ home which is, in short, every bit as remarkable as that London showroom I remember so faithfully.

For those not lucky enough to get tickets to see Collin’s home in person and also for those not planning to attend Modernism Week in Palm Springs this year, there will still be an opportunity to take part in all the fun. The designer-cum-man about town is excited to be hosting a special web-series, also entitled “Man About Modernism,” that promises to give viewers an exclusive inside peek at the best of Modernism Week as well as an unprecedented level of access to some of the most remarkable homes, parties, shops, and best kept secrets in Palm Springs. The series is being produced in collaboration with World of Wonder, the international entertainment company with whom he began a consequential relationship in London four year ago that played a significant role in his decision to move to the US and ultimately culminated in this series and what he describes as an “amazing” collaborator..

“Man About Modernism” began its tour of the best of Palm Springs on February 5th on Modernism Week’s YouTube channel, which is part of World of Wonder’s WOW Presents network of channels.  Episodes will air on a bi-weekly basis every Wednesday and Saturday through mid-March.  Follow Modernism Week and/or World of Wonder to see the latest webisode.

For more information on Modernism Week visit: http://www.modernismweek.com/

To read this on the Huffington Post click here.

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Duane Wells 
8/17/2011 

I’ve got a little issue. It seems that I have contracted a fashionable new strain of Stockholm Syndrome. I use the term ‘fashionable’ to describe my particular version of the psychological affliction, because rather than a group of sympathetic bank robbers, I am instead being held captive by the style of Stockholm. I fully admit that I not only identify with my chic captor but I fully bow down to it and embrace it. If loving the style of Stockholm is wrong, then sign me up for a bad romance.

Like many people, when I think of stylish cities my mind generally tends to wander in the direction of traditional stalwarts like Paris, Milan and London for obvious reasons. After all, every season streams of images from Fashion Week runways in the aforementioned iconic fashion capitals add new pages to the fashion bible that dictates what those of us who give a damn about style should and shouldn’t wear and how we should wear it. But after my recent return visit to Sweden, I will without question be adding Stockholm to my short list of stylish epicenters.

It’s funny, I had previously visited Stockholm during the winter when temperatures were below freezing and the city was blanketed with snow. My eagerness to stay warm and avoid wiping out on the city’s icy sidewalks probably explains in part why Stockholm’s style quotient didn’t quite jump out at me upon first introduction. I mean, you don’t see much when you’re constantly looking down to watch where you’re stepping and praying to Judy mother of Liza for a slip-and-fall-free day. So, no, I didn’t connect the style dots in Stockholm sooner, but I really should have because Sweden is actually a case study in style and Stockholm is its undeniable star. Let’s not forget that even though Sweden has a population smaller than Los Angeles County, it is a global force to be reckoned with when it comes to style.

Don’t believe me? Just think for a second.

Ever shopped at H&M? Bought furniture from Ikea? Or sidled up to a J. Lindeberg store in search of the perfect outfit? Have you ever ogled a Volvo with envy, bought an Electrolux appliance, read a Stieg Larsson novel or lusted after Marcus Schenkenberg, Alex Lundquist or Fredrik Ljungberg? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes” (and I know that it must be if you‘re reading this article), then you’ve been touched by the undeniable style of Stockholm and my guess is that you’re better off for it.

On the streets of Stockholm, the urbane sophistication that is the hallmark of Swedish style is in evidence at every turn. Just as in France and Italy, style is clearly not simply an option for the Swedes, it is part and parcel of who they are. With that in mind, I set out to capture some of that uniquely Stockholm style on my recent visit, and after painstakingly trudging from boutique to antique store and bar to restaurant and back again, I came up with the following insights on some of the very best the city has to offer.

Design

Sleek, modern and contemporary are just a few of the buzzwords that best characterize Stockholm’s design aesthetic, and the city’s hipster Södermalm neighborhood is one of its best showcases. At stores likeDesignTorget you’ll find quirky, innovative products that are long on both style and function.

With imaginative new products arriving on DesignTorget’s shelves every week, you’re guaranteed to find some ‘I’ll just die if I don’t have it’ items on every visit. Then, after shopping DesignTorget and some of its equally cool neighbors, do yourself a favor and pop into Urban Deli at nearby Nytorget and have an authentically Swedish lunch in a space where rugged Lower East Side Manhattan edginess meets cool, sophisticated Stockholm minimalism.

If you’re in the mood for heavy duty shopping—as in the kind that requires shipping—head a little north to Östermalm and stop in at Svenskt Tenn, a legendary design institution in Stockholm for over eight decades. It is here in this massive space that the latest trends in Scandinavian interior design are hatched. From beautifully crafted furniture to everyday housewares, Svenskt Tenn speaks Swedish style like no other.

A personal favorite I discovered was a family-owned silversmith called Rey Urban on Silbyllegatan in Östermalm. It’s a little pricey, but when you consider the quality of the items and the fact that every glorious silver item is made by hand (and that you can custom order anything you want from candleholders to card cases), well, let’s just say that if you or someone you love is due a treat, this would be an excellent place to find it.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a nod to the H&M Home Store. And yes, in case you didn’t know, there is such a thing and, no, they have not opened one in the United States yet, which makes a visit to the Stockholm flagship store all that much more fun. Part store and part gallery, discovering the H&M Home store for the first time is just as jaw-dropping an experience as the first time you took a gander at a price tag at an H&M retail store—and the products are just as fun.

Fashion

When it comes to fashion, Stockholm is all about clean lines and great, almost architectural fit. As with interior design, Södermalm is home to shops with a decidedly more urban appeal like the trendy The Local Firm, some of whose wares you may have seen in stores like American Rag and Urban Outfitters in the U.S. Great jeans, sweaters, T-shirts and the like abound at this sartorial gem.

Others worthy of note include Sivletto, a converted garage space where you can do a bit of vintage shopping, get a haircut and a have a cup of coffee without ever leaving the building. Lovely and efficient. How brilliant is that?

Meanwhile uptown in Östermalm, Birger Jarlsgatan is sort of like the Fifth Avenue of Stockholm. Along this bustling thoroughfare, you’ll find swank upscale boutiques chock-full of Stockholm fashion. One notable fashionista treasure located just off Birger Jarlsgatan is Sture Gallerian, a smart collection of boutiques, many of which sell items that are singularly Scandinavian and thus not likely to be seen back at home on anyone but you.

Personally I always leave a little piece of my heart at Acne Studios, a Swedish brand based in Stockholm that in my opinion epitomizes functional sophistication and modernity. From footwear and accessories to jeans and outerwear, Acne scores big fashion points. It’s actually one of the few stores about which you might find yourself the slightest bit conflicted. On the one hand you wish they would open an Acne outpost near you, but on the other you’re grateful on behalf of your bank account that they haven’t. [Note: Here’s a little tip—if you’re looking for a bargain, try the Acne Archives in Vasastaden where they sell samples, pieces from past collections and re-designed secondhand garments at prices that won’t make you blush.]

Food, Folks & Fun

Finally a quick note about Swedish cuisine. What does Swedish cuisine have to do with style you ask? Well it’s all in the presentation and there are more than a few hotspots that celebrate Sweden’s individual and ever-evolving style. Along Grev Turegatan in Östermalm you’ll find several popular watering holes like Grodan, which is one place to see and be seen for lunch or afternoon cocktails. Meanwhile Salu Hall is the ideal place to sample local Swedish delicacies in the confines of a Neo-gothic structure that is more than a century old.

That said, several of Stockholm’s hottest, most intriguing dining spots have one thing in common—they’re all a part of the F12 Group. Spawned by the dizzyingly diverse culinary imaginations of celebrated chefs Danyel Couet and Melker Andersson, the F12 Group operates the most buzzed-about restaurants in every district of Stockholm. There’s the vibrant and whimsical bistro Rouge in Gamla Stan where the mood is young and lively and the food is decidedly French; F12, the namesake of the group, where Chef Couet does fine dining with Swedish flair; Kungsholmen, a waterfront lounge and dining room that gives new upscale meaning to the idea of ‘food courts’; and a host of others with more opening soon. Each restaurant in the F12 family has a different theme, impeccable food and a waiting list for reservations—so book early if you want to get a table. More importantly, every F12 restaurant contemporizes any preconceived notions you may have had about the style of Swedish cooking without sacrificing an iota of integrity.

Bottom line: From design to fashion to food, folks and fun, Stockholm has definitely got a style complex. And that’s not only a good thing—it’s downright addictive in every single sense of the word.

Find out more about Sweden at visitsweden.se.

 FrontiersLA | The Style of Stockholm

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