At the Nordenfeldt Studio

Last Friday I had the pleasure of visiting the atelier of German-Finnish designer Julia Trompert. Julia is the founder and CEO of Nordenfeldt, a line of extraordinary accessories in leather and exotic skins. My friend Silva, who works with Julia, invited me to see their headquarters in West Berlin where Julia's edgy Baroque style is on full display - a taxidermied owl greets visitors at the entrance, and a stag antler chandelier hangs over the scads of newly finished booties for Spring/Summer 2012, just in from the factory. Cue full sartorial swoon!

Julia, Silva, and I chatted over some coffee about the brand, which has already been featured in magazines like Vogue and GQ (German editions), and is beloved by rock star Peaches for her stage performances. I loved hearing about Julia's aesthetic - she collects vintage clothing and jewelry, and often takes elements from these and incorporates them as details, creating incredibly fresh pieces that might seem extravagant, but are truly wearable (think blush-colored platform rubber clogs with an ankle strap and open toe - sounds crazy, looks amazing!).

The Nordenfeldt mission is to create "fashion for the urban avant-garde who has a strong sense of creativity, innovation, and [who always] strives for the ideal . . . high quality materials, intriguing patterns, and refined details make Nordenfeldt essential in the modern Hero's armor." Don't you love that? I dig a fashion company that dresses their client as the Hero of her own life - it's such an incredibly powerful message for women everywhere. And the fact that their products are strictly manufactured in the European Union by European workers using European materials? Even better. I can only hope that American fashion houses follow suit ASAP!

Is it totally ridiculous that one of my favorite things about all of Nordenfeldt's boots (aside from the buttery Italian leather and gorgeous designs) are the inner loops that make it easier to pull them on? So practical!

Go to nordenfeldt.com to shop their full collection - I promise you will not be disappointed! They will also be launching a blog of their own soon, so if you want to keep up with the goings-on of the Nordenfeldt team or find out when they're hosting fun events in Berlin and other cities, keep an eye out for it! (I will also post it here when it's up.)