Advent diary
December 1
Little girl meets sewing machine
It was a neighbor who let me try a sewing machine for the first time. A single lady who lived a little further away in the townhouse. We neighbor kids often went to visit her, picked flowers so that she would be happy and let us in.
If the doorbell was off, it meant she was resting for dinner and we would sit on the steps and watch the little birds in her garden while we waited.
When we were allowed inside, we could hear stories and look at all her tiny, delicate trinkets, just look, don't touch, maybe get a cookie.
And one day she had her sewing machine and I got to try it. It opened up a new world. I don't remember what I made, but I remember the feeling that now I could make more things.
It's strange to think in retrospect how big a role the sewing machine would play in my adult life.
I was a shy child. A nice girl who didn't dare raise her hand at school. But I still wanted to be seen, so that the teachers would think I was smart.
My mom taught me how to knit before school started. An uneven and holey kind of scarf in far too thin, pink yarn. It was maybe 15 cm... But I made it!
And then I could sit and be a little better than the others in needlework class when we were knitting gnome, and my gnome also got a scarf and a backpack.
I didn't dare say much, but at least I was good at making things with my hands. And become someone who, at times annoyingly easy, can say "you just do it like that!"
December 3
Childhood dreams
In the second row of houses lived Siglinde. In the morning she came to us to take us to school. In the afternoon we played. And made big plans.
We decided that we would have children at the same time and work together when we grew up. The adults laughed at us and said that you couldn't plan such things.
Maybe that's why we felt extra motivated to do it? At least that's how it turned out! We had children the same age and started HEKNE together.
To seal our friendship, we once scratched A+S into a metal lid in the bathroom. It wasn't well received...
20 years later, in 2016, we established a real AS together. A limited company built on the idea of creating beautiful products developed without haste and shortcuts; from good, natural materials from nature and animals that are well-off, made by skilled craftsmen who are well-cared for and proud of their craft. An idea where maintenance, repair and upcycling have a natural place in the whole, because both before and after are just as important as the time of the actual sale.
Today (next year we will be 10 years old and it must be celebrated! 💃) we are so lucky that we can send this greeting to a large group of amazing followers like you, who make childhood dreams come true!
December 6
Prom dresses
I remember once designing a dress. Among all the prom dresses and other projects for myself, I think this was the first time I designed something that was intended as a future, marketable product.
I don't remember exactly what it looked like, but I clearly remember the fabrics I envisioned and was pretty sure would be the coolest contrast ever: raspberry-colored silk and coarse jute... It probably wasn't very marketable 😂 but it was the start of something.
All the strange designs and redesigns, all the dresses in overly difficult fabrics, all the notebooks with cut-out pictures, drawings and ideas for things I wanted to make.
All of this grew into a desire to choose a creative career path where I could use both my head and my hands.
I enjoy this diary, which makes me think back and bring back memories, both clear and unclear.
You probably also have memories of things that have happened, and which, although they may have seemed insignificant at the time, have had an impact on what you chose to work on later in life?
December 10
Witches, glitter and fireworks in London
It sounded coolest to go to London, so it was London.
I knew nothing about the differences between fashion schools in different countries and places - that some work with a goal of getting you a job in the commercial clothing industry, others have a main focus on tailoring and millimeter measurements, while others have a more artistic approach.
The school I went to in London is mostly about creativity and innovation, I quickly realized. They are looking for the new star who can design the craziest things and get the most attention in the fashion world.
The thing we spent the most time on were our sketchbooks. We worked for weeks on each one, gathering inspiration, developing ideas, and creating elaborate drawings and designs.
We had a teacher we called the Witch. She looked like that too - with black-painted, narrow eyes and fluttering gloves (add the British accent to complete the movie reference).
When our drawings and ideas weren't good enough, according to her, she would tear the pages out of the sketchbooks with a dramatic expression in front of everyone, making the girls cry.
The idea was to break us down, to see who was tough enough to climb back up and survive in the tough fashion industry. Or maybe she liked to feel better than us.
I was 21 and naive. Episodes like this made me realize that the real world of fashion was different than I had imagined. I realized that my fashion world wasn't about ego, glitz, and fireworks.
I was happy when I could leave there, and at the same time happy for everything I took with me; the city's endless amount of new places and inspiration, all the experience of what I wanted, and not least, didn't want, to continue.
After seeing an ego-based system where one's own success comes at the expense of others, a desire grew to create something different, made with care. I wanted to follow the values that I believe in and that take into account both customers, workers, animals and the environment. And work together with others who want the same.
December 14
The Great Love
Do you remember when creating vision boards became popular?
I had one over my bed in the tiny, freezing room I rented in northwest London. It was so drafty that I had to sit in thick wool, under the covers, with a cup of hot tea if I was going to be able to work on my projects after school. And if the gas ran out, we wouldn't have hot water until I or one of the other tenants had gone to the kiosk 15 minutes away and top up the balance on the "gas card".
Then it was a comfort to have dreams cut out and pasted together into a collage on the wall...
Maybe not that original, but I had pictures that symbolized money, love, and a designer job in Copenhagen.
And love came first!
In my second year of design studies, I went on exchange to a school in Barcelona. In the midst of startups, Spanish classes, and exploring the city's hidden gems (and wine bars), I met my true love.
The rest of the journey I have shared with Borja, who also runs HEKNE with me. He takes beautiful pictures, always has good ideas and an endless will to work and improve. We often have different opinions, but together we always come up with something better than we would have done alone.
Yesterday we stood together at Oslo's Supermarked Christmas market at SALT and I feel a lot of gratitude and pride for having made this happen together with him, Siglinde - and you!
December 21
Bead embroidery and goals and Merry Christmas!
One day at fashion school in London, a girl from the graduating class came over and enthusiastically told me that she had helped design the dress I wore when she was doing her internship.
I realized that was my new goal. How incredible that must have felt!
A couple of years later, I had the same experience after one of my internships in Copenhagen. I recognized a dress that I had designed the beadwork on.
And it felt really cool, but at the same time, something was missing. There was so much about that dress that I hadn't decided. As an assistant, I had been responsible for the details, but neither the fit, the materials, nor the production had been my decisions.
Later I realized what the real goal was. Because the best thing about being a designer for my own brand is when I get to hear about and see how our products bring joy and benefit, while at the same time I can vouch for every single detail. That everyone who has contributed - nature, the sheep, the farmer and the craftsmen - has been well taken care of and that the final product is something worth taking good care of and can enjoy for a long time.
Now I would like to wish you all a very happy, peaceful and magical Christmas season ❤️
Thank you so much for wanting to read these Advent letters of mine, and for following and supporting us!
Greetings Anja
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