Lies in the streets. Candy for the weak. So much trash. Blown away.
Blown through ye. Stickin’ to your guns never had so much meaning. It goes beyond downloading whatever or liking whenever.
Berlin. Berliner. Spree-Athen. A city with so much history. So much Grit. So much darkness. So much diversity. Booming in terms of creativity and underground musical haunts, on the fashion front, this mastodon has been rather sleepy. Perhaps it needed a no-nonsense Swede to finally click things into gear…
Yep, you might know him from his tactile deconstruction of leather, his subtle body-dysmorphic garment projects, or that illustrious customized all-black Yamaha…but Richard Söderberg is back… well actually he never really left. Re-kindling a completely new side to himself, his latest menswear project, the eponymous SÖDERBERG, is a true banger.
F##ck measly context, needless branding, random logo-stickin’ or faux-hypes; for a taste of realness in terms of merch and candid tailoring, why not give this wicked mage a proper go. R, welcome to these pages, let’s dive in, shall we……
WHIRLPOOL. Richard welcome, so what was your yung’ self-pondering?
I was wedged between escape and pursue/conform and reject. A constant jumping between the state of wanting to be alone with yourself to show the world who you are and what you were capable of. Escaping into the night was definitely something persistent and magical growing up and still is for me. The night has this romantic idea of the unknown, something more to life that you never fully reach / the other side of the coin to everyday life, as we know it.
HOT-TUB. From that inner struggle, hiding in the night, at some point there must have been a moment of reckoning, where you simply said, I will design garments, this shall be the path?
Ever since I was a child, I was always very strong willed. I would pursue whatever I decided was right for me at that moment. Very little would be able to stand in my way in these moments of ecstatic passion frenzy. When you are deeply into something you rarely think about how or why things come about. With that being said my path was never something I deliberately decided – I’m just…. here. But, I guess the real spark started when I made my first leather jacket in my dad’s leather workshop if I really allow myself to track back.
JACUZZI These days you are based in Berlin. So much has been said about this city, especially since the Wall came down. What does Berlin mean to you personally?
The creative energy and magic that sparks from such a strong history, with major events such as the wall coming down just a few decades ago still exist in small portions. If you see this in combination with a quite liberal political climate, to me it is the most logical place to live in at the moment. When I was living in different countries and cities; I always considered myself merely an outsider, even in my old hometown. Perhaps I’m beginning to realize that it is exactly Berlin’s diversity and craziness that I need to feel completely at peace.
YAKUZA. So I need to ask: Söderberg, marks a new chapter for you. What is the message?
That is a dead cert. There is no message, only a vague shadow of a man’s existential crisis surrounded by people and the things he loves…
‘NDRAGRETHA. You shot this editorial for us with Nicolas Endlicher from HERRENSAUNA. How did the link-up happen?
Being connected to the Berlin music scene it was simply impossible to miss the Herrensauna parties over here. I used to go there finding myself in a basement with dripping condensation from the ceilings and a crazy influx of expressive people, operating underneath 135 bpm. techno rave bangers. Perhaps there was an attraction to that energy and love that they shared together, which was something that I hadn’t seen before. I ended up contacting Nicolas to model for my label and we found a mutual thread of sensibility despite having very different approaches to expressiveness. I think this is what makes this ongoing collaboration interesting.
BRATVA. Far away from HS and its inclusive feel: there is often talk of a sense of homogenization or gentrification in today’s society, mainly infused by the all-seeing internet monster. Is there still room for subcultures and real underground movements?
Interesting question. I don’t believe the human mind is capable of adapting quickly enough to the exponential growth of sensory power that the Internet is providing us. Being connected to everything, and everyone creates a large and unknown vacuum in what we perceive to be a reality. This makes us afraid and seeking a desperate need to feel loved and visible. Therefore, I think it makes it much more psychologically difficult to go against the stream and stand by doing something outside of your comfort zone. If Kanye West approaches you to collaborate, you win and lose at the same time. Integrity and disciplinary principles come at a price in these social media times…
SPRING. Avant-gardism might be dead, but what if we have to think of a much needed ‘renaissance’ in fashion, where to begin? What would you like to see differently?
I feel that fashion = art + politics + socioeconomics which makes it incredibly complex, but yet there is still an equation behind it. With this in mind, there are a lot of interesting things happening in fashion at the moment, even if I do not enjoy them all; it is still comforting to understand where they come from. What I hope is for more transparency and a more honest approach in regards to production and where materials are being sourced. Even a consumer that does not care, should still be put in the position of a conscious choice, understanding the real price of what he or she is buying.
FALL. And when it comes to identity, how do you see the concept and role of masculinity + sexuality?
Well, having an opinion on sexuality is kind of missing the point – it is something so natural that in any utopia it is just who we are, not why we are.
BANGERS. Design is often connected to or rooted in music. Could you drop us a special Söderberg playlist for the darker season that lies ahead?
Sure, I would be happy to. Actually, we just did a collaboration with the label ‘Instruments of discipline’ featuring a music compilation with many amazing artists on a special USB, but the list can also be viewed here: https://www.richardsoderberg.com/consume/workers-vest-4bn5s-x5dcy-yrkm9 Let me know what you think.
AND. Same goes for some late-night bar-hopping. What dungeons or hidden gems can you share with us in good ole’ Berlin?
Let me refer back to your question called NDRAGETHA haha, tracking back to my friends at Herrensauna, trust me you won’t be disappointed.
MASH. I like to ask all individuals featured in this magazine: what they think it really takes to be 100% Fucking Young?
Stop thinking you’re in control. Take a shower, brush your teeth and let the rest of life be unwritten just like you did when you were FY!!
ALL IMAGES BY NICOLAS ENDLICHER x HERRENSAUNA
SHOT ON LOCATION IN BERLIN.
