“I wanted to show people that fashion is more than just a practical fleece jacket and Birkenstocks with socks.”
Name
Rico Berger
Profession
Print Designer at H&M Stockholm during the day, Freelance Illustrator and Menswear Designer at night
Website
Who are you? What do you do?
I am just another small town boy on his quest for love and happiness in life. My work reflects my cheesy yet honest life philosophy, and contains a lot of bright colors, graphic elements and the contrast between childish and adult clichés. If you see my design and smile for a second, I have achieved my goal.
Where are you from?
I was born in Dresden/Germany, a very beautiful yet conservative city. Growing up in Germany, I always felt that people see fashion as a necessity rather than a playful way to create your own persona. I wanted to change that, I wanted to show people that fashion is more than just a practical fleece jacket and Birkenstocks with socks.
Your style in 3 words?
Sensual, sexual, sensational
Your weakness? Your strength?
My biggest weakness is time management. I procrastinate until the last night before the deadline but I can’t work without the pressure. My strength is humour, kindness and a calm mind in a stressed situation.
What makes you different?
I am a nice guy, that is totally rare in the world of fashion, where everyone aims to be better than everyone else and uses their elbows and high-heels to make it to the top. I managed to have a great job at H&M with a safe income as well as my own private label to go crazy, all without being a dickhead.
When did you decide to become a designer?
I have always been drawing and doodling all kind of things since I was a small child. But it wasn’t until I was 17 that I decided to go into fashion design. Just before New Years Eve I was brought into a hospital last minute with a severe stomach infection that nearly killed me. When I woke up after the operation, the first thing I did was drawing a dress on a napkin. I just suddenly knew that this is what I want to do in the future. And here I am now!
What do you find most fascinating about your work?
I love to look back at the end of a project and see how I started with my ideas. The whole process is a constant change and sometimes little things can spark your imagination to go in a completely new direction. My process is always unpredictable, and that’s what I love the most.
A few words about your favourite creation?
This would be my latest collection “Dieter’s Diary” that I showed recently at the FashionClash Festival in Maastricht. The collection is inspired by a future that is neither clean and technical nor wasted and polluted, but instead colourful and quirky. I wanted to create a vision of the future that you could actually look forward to. The outfits mix naïve and childish elements with masculine cuts. This contrast is also used in my illustrations that often show sexualized male figures with a playful hand-writing.
Someone else’s work that inspired or inspires you…
I currently enjoy the work of Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, he and his team are just having a good time and it’s fun to see that in their fashion. Also, I get lots of inspiration from my friends, they are all so different in their approach and ideas. For instance, I recently worked together with my friend Henry (a.k.a. @finch on Instagram). He took analog pictures backstage at my fashion show, and I was really surprised what details he saw that I didn’t noticed at all.
A new project coming up or an idea you want to work on?
My next collection will be inspired by my constant moving (I moved in Stockholm 4 times in a year) and will be a mix of recycled materials and big and bold prints. I am already looking forward to show the results soon!
Finish the sentence „More important than my career is…“
„…good food with good friends“
Do you have a vision?
My personal philosophy – and this sounds as cheesy as the rest of this interview – is to give love and get love. I live by that every day and I think you can see that in my work as well.
2017: Where are we going?
Hopefully home, at 6 in the morning after the best dance ever, while wearing nothing but a jockstrap, glitter and knee-high cowboy boots.
Your city’s favourite spots?
I love the shop Herr Judit. I go there every week for inspiration and one day I want my flat to be exactly like that.
Tell us about your future plans…
I would love to show my work to a bigger audience, so fashion week is my next goal!
Picture References ♦ © Team Peter Stigter ♦ Henry Böbst ♦ Pasarella photo ♦ Ariel Oscar Greith ♦ courtesy of the Designer
