Born in Kristiansand, Norway, and based in London, former model Silje Vallevik wanted occasionwear that would take her from day to night, no matter the city. So she created her own...
London-based Norwegian designer Silje Vallevik took matters into her own hands after years of struggling to find occasion wear that was as great in style and quality as it was in practicality. She yearned for an outfit that worked both day and night, and looked as fitting on the streets of Paris and New York as it did on the beaches of Ibiza and Marrakech.
So naturally, she created some, launching her own fashion brand Valle & Vik in 2017. “I wanted to create something that would be timeless,” Vallevik tells Vogue Scandinavia. “Something that you could travel with all over the world and not think ‘what am I going to where?’ every time you reach a new destination. I wanted a wardrobe that works everywhere.”
Having spent over a decade in the industry, first as a model traveling between fashion capitals like Paris and New York before settling in London, Vallevik was no stranger to the industry when she embarked on her own business. She spent her late teens and early twenties modelling for the likes of Alexander McQueen and getting first hand experience into a world she grew to despise. “Modelling was never for me. As soon as I got into it I couldn’t wait to get out,” she says, recalling pressures to constantly be a certain size and having a lack of control of oneself.
Photo: Valle & Vik
She was scouted in her hometown Kristiansand, just outside Oslo, a few times before eventually taking the opportunity as a means to leave home and see the world. “When I grew up, modelling wasn’t as big as it is today. I was never exposed to them the way we are today with Instagram and social media so for me, it was a way to make money and finally leave my small town Norway,” she says.
“I loved the financial freedom that it gave me and the travel aspect but ultimately I knew it wasn’t the career for me. I'm creative and I have a big personality. I’m also Scandinavian and we have a culture of not taking shit from anyone, so being in a world that was so different from that, where you constantly have to schmooze people just wasn’t for me.”
Vallevik eventually quit - after making enough money to buy her first apartment in London at the age of 22 - to pursue her real passion: art. She studied Fine Art and History of Art, focussing on female nudes, expressing strength, femininity and vulnerability.“I was an artist before anything,” she says. “I have been obsessed with painting and drawing my entire life so even between modelling I was always nurturing that side of me by studying and creating things. I’m in love with the human shape, and also abstract work.”
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Photo: Valle & Vik
Photo: Valle & Vik
At 23, she debuted her first art exhibition in London, before doing a group show in New York and Paris, though it didn’t take long for her to get turned off by the elitist, trend-based nature of the art world too. “Even though I adore art, I quickly realised that the industry was full of even more bullshit than the fashion industry,” she says. “When I was young I thought if you paint something beautiful and unique from your soul then people will feel that. But actually, it’s all about what’s on trend at the moment for these galleries. That’s not what I’m about”
Combining her fashion background with her talents as an artist, Vallevik began designing her collection for Valle & Vik. She developed her direct-to-consumer womenswear website, where she sold designs made from sustainable materials like organic linen, silk and certified fabrics. Inspired by Scandinavian folk art and tailoring, each design is unique and features a print created by Vallevik. “I love linen. Unisex shirts, skirts, everything. I’m actually also doing a corset in linen,” she says. “I also used high quality silk which is expensive but when I started the business I always knew I wanted my pieces to be attainable.”
Photo: Valle & Vik
At Valle & Vik, no piece is priced over £500. This was an intentional decision, attracting a wider pool of customers. “I wanted to appeal to the woman who buys a dress once a year because she has a wedding coming up, just as much as I wanted to appeal to the woman who works in the city and needs multiple occasion wear throughout the year. This price point works for both.”
Not only is Vallevik’s collection more affordable than other silk offerings on the market but the brand upholds exclusivity by producing only limited runs of between 20 and 30 pieces per design. At the heart of it all is versatility, style and true sartorial comfort - all of which Vallevik continues to lead with. The business side of things, however, was a challenge at first. “I learnt a lot of the business element on the job. I made so many mistakes and of course the pandemic took a huge toll on us too, but it has all been a valuable experience,” she admits. “You get a real education when you’re doing everything yourself.”
This year, Vallevik is making up for the losses of the pandemic with the launch of a brand new SS22 collection modelled by herself in beautiful campaign shots captured in Ibiza. ‘I have some really gorgeous pieces coming up and I just can’t wait to share it all this summer. It’s going to be our best yet.”