Scandi endorsed: Leading creatives weigh-in on why Aeron is a local hit

Every now and then, there are brands that cultivate a community that stretches deep into the wider creative landscape. Pairing local and global outlooks, these rare occurrences reflect brands that carry deeper meaning in their craft, resonating across design, architecture, art, music and culture.

Aeron might not be a Scandinavian brand per se, but you would be forgiven for thinking so. Founded in Budapest, with a focus on craftsmanship, modular design, versatility and creative collaboration, Aeron's core values and principles have proven aligned with the community of the Nordics.

With a slot secured as part of the official spring / summer 2023 schedule of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Aeron is set to solidify its presence in Scandinavia. In the lead up, we catch up with founder Eszter Áron, along with key players from the Nordic creative community, about their love of the brand and its inherent Scandinavian synergies.

How did Aeron come about?
I always start with my mum, because she was my biggest inspiration. She had a textile business and she was also surrounded by fashion, the factories and the surrounding environment — that was really the starting point, for me continuing and studying fashion design. My mum insisted I study the business side of it so I went parallel into both sides. After a few years I had the opportunity with a group of friends to start Aeron: it was a real dream that became a reality. It was an amazing moment for me; we really wanted to ensure that we started an international brand, and so with the first collection we went to New York and we signed an agreement to an agent as we were really keen on ensuring global recognition. It was like a family business with a few people with everyone doing everything so it was a very different structure. Even from the beginning, I wanted all the little details to be in place. For me, fabrics are important, and the ideal that I have carried from the very beginning is that I want to make garments for women that are about comfort but also that make the wearer feel balanced.

With a global outlook, does your inspiration extend globally too?
Inspiration, for me, comes from many different places, returning to small little details and looking back into the different minds that in the moment surround us. I think that there are so many precious things from our archive that I love to look at and implement. About a year ago, we decided to make some changes within our range and picked a few major fabric groups like leather, wool, silk, poplin, suiting — groups that we wanted to work with more, to cultivate a strong variety of garments. We have also shifted our focus into knitwear, now creating our collections comprising of 70% knit. Responsibility in design will always hold value, so we started producing on a machine called Shimishankey which enables zero waste through production. it is almost like a 3D printer - you program it and the piece comes out. It is quite amazing, without any seams and is zero waste. We try to eliminate synthetics, use these machines to reduce waste and create pieces that are really high quality and long lasting.

What is really amazing is that we have had our atelier in-house from the very beginning, allowing me and the team to work closely with the incredibly talented atelier staff — it has cultivated a really creative space. What is really special, furthermore, is that we have local production, and produce the majority of the pieces in our surrounding countries and so we can focus on tradition and quality. We try to keep everything close to ourselves.

You have received a positive response in Scandinavia - why do you think that is?
I have always loved Scandinavian design and fashion — I carry some sort of connection to it, I don’t know where it comes from but I feel it is quite beautiful. Not long ago we had an amazing dinner in Copenhagen (for the autumn / winter 2022 edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week) and I had the chance to spend a little more time in the city and enjoyed it so much. I love how intimate it is and I really felt the the family vibe around it. I have a young daughter and there are so many people here that have kids and manage motherhood with work which is a challenge for many women: I just felt it was a natural balance there. Women in Scandinavia are also natural and chic - I love their balance, style and attitude. There are so many things I love and we have been around the city and there is so much that inspires me. I really felt safe there, and I had a feeling that I could even live there with my daughter - I don’t have that feeling often in cities!

Aeron designs clothes for women that have full lives, careers and families. Do you think that's part of your success in Scandinavia?
Aeron is a very inclusive community. With Aeron’s ethos there is also the twist that is synonymous with Scandinavian culture: it is classic, functional and modular but there is alway some detail whether it is an interesting seam or a side slit in a hem line. That is the balance that I think we represent as well. Something that has a twist, a special meaning behind it, a signal of craftsmanship — stepping away from anything commercial and creating something for our own time.

What is really special about the Aeron woman is that she is not just in fashion - she is a woman from many creative environments. When you held your dinner at Copenhagen Fashion Week last February, you had ceramicists, artists, architects alongside editors and buyers.
We had so many amazing women come to that dinner, with some really inspiring conversations in such a wonderfully intimate environment. I am always really attracted to confident women, whether its their personality or what they do for work that holds meaning behind it. We really try to look for special people within our community that come from different professions with different stories. I really feel that showing in Copenhagen is a really good fit for Aeron - I just feel the unity in the country and the city: its the best place for us and I’m so happy to feel this energy.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a mother, wife, creator and — in professional terms — a consultant engaging with clients in creative and strategic processes within design & concept development. Lately, I’m working closely with the renowned Georg Jensen and Damask, the oldest textile company in Denmark.
Alongside this, I undergo personal projects in where I am a partner together with my husband Jan Gleie where we focus on design, photography, film & art. My most recent passion project 'Les Mains Des Soeurs' (LMDS) is formed together with my sister Malene Hvidt. LMDS is a series of chapters composed to explore the greater narrative of sisterhood and the intimate relations that exist between hand and object. LMDS' first chapter unfolds a jewellery collection in silver and amber, all locally crafted by hand.

What do you admire or appreciate in Aeron?
I admire Aeron for being both minimalistic and sophisticated, while also cultivating an artistic approach to their design. I love how the silhouettes are both feminine and strong, with defining details. For me, it is their long-lasting pieces that bring years of value. 

What synergies do you feel the brand has with Scandinavia?
I see a strong connection between Aeron and our Scandinavian design values, where high quality, authenticity, aesthetics and craftsmanship are appreciated and well executed.

**When do you like to wear Aeron? **
Aeron is a wardrobe favourite. Stylish and uncomplicated, with pieces that can be both caasual or dressed up. 

Tell us a little about yourself,
I am co-owner and director of n design and architecture studio called Spacon & X. I am educated as an architect with a background in fashion design. My work spans buildings, interior design and furniture — it is not so much the scale or the outcome that dictates what I work with, but more, good ideas. I grew up with my father and grandfather being architects and now it is my turn to pass it on. Now, as co-owner of Hvidt & Mølgaard furniture, I am working with this family heritage to reintroduce my grandfather’s furniture design. while also having a project with my sister Barbara called 'Les Main des Soeurs' (LMDS). s a series of chapters in a larger narrative, the collections by LMDS explore the intimate relations that exist between the hand and the object as well as the sisterhood between us. 

What do you admire or appreciate in Aeron?
The balance between feminine and masculine silhouettes. It's expressive yet subtle. Clothes are like everything else I bring into my home — it has to be in someway everlasting — not referring to a season's tendencies but as an extension of oneself. A way to feel complete. 

What synergies do you feel the brand has with Scandinavia?
The simplicity and care for craftsmanship is something that I feel is very much reflected in the Scandinavian design. In my work, I seek to find the balance in between aesthetics and functionality where materials, craftsmanship and productions methods are essential, and I feel the same goes for Aeron.

When do you like to wear Aeron?
I appreciate wearing clothes that can be used for the everyday and that is what I like with Aeron — it is, in a way, both formal and informal at the same time, depending on what mood you are in or what occasion you wear it for.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a musician, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and advisor. I am the founder of two social businesses working to empower women and I have just released an album which was composed, performed and recorded in my own home. I am passionate about collaborating with movements, companies, and organisations to be part of creating just and fair systems for everyone, in turn to build better ways to live equitably together — in harmony with planet earth. 

What do you admire or appreciate in Aeron?
I love the strong brutalist aesthetics and how the brand is taking sustainability seriously and using this as an opportunity to innovate around their supply chain. 

What synergies do you feel the brand has with Scandinavia?
The expression of a 'no bullshit' design while allowing for soft femininity. 

**When do you like to wear Aeron? **
I protect and care for my Aeron pieces — and use them on a special everyday occasions. I always get compliments and feel well dressed. I hope to keep them for my daughters. 

Tell us a little about yourself.
I mainly create objects and build up scenography and environment for fashion editorials, furniture campaigns, still-life, and music videos. I started doing set design in 2019, the last year of my master’s degree. I've worked with IKEA’s collaboration with Virgil Abloh, where I built everything from floors, to walls, podiums and even made a construction to create the illusion of floating pieces clothes in the air. Since then, I’ve created huge sneakers sculpture for Axel Arigato, object and installation for Samsøe Samsøe, and set design for Georg Jensen, Stine Goya, Balenciaga and many other brands and publications. 

What do you admire or appreciate in Aeron?
It’s both timeless and day-to-day wear, that is based on environmental sustainability and 100% local craftsmanship. For example, what I love is that Aeron works with minimal waste and ensures that the fabrics are utilised in their entirety.

What synergies do you feel the brand has with Scandinavia?
Its classic detailing that coalesces into tasteful silhouettes. You are able to style the pieces in different ways for years to come.

When do you like to wear Aeron?
My style is quite elegant, minimalistic, and — with 60% of my clothes being black — I like to combine them with Aeron's luxury knitwear or to wear a full Aeron look.