Remember this name: Johannes Lönnborg Gaunt. The 12-year-old Swede is a born fashion savant, with the natural taste, artistic ability and encyclopaedic fashion knowledge – honed from hours spent watching runway videos – to take him to great heights in the industry. We are proud to introduce this extraordinary young fashion talent
Johannes Lönnborg Gaunt was discovered at an in-store signing event for this very magazine because of his style. The look he’d put together – the one that caught our editor-in-chief's attention – appeared straight from a fashion week street style photograph: a tight, abstract print long sleeve, relaxed fit cargos paired with a belt he crafted into a necklace. While many adults agonise over emulating this sort of effortless cool, for 12-year-old Johannes, it comes naturally; a byproduct of his lexicon-like grasp of fashion history, runway shows and the trends they sprout. Something else that comes naturally: his own designs.
“I’ve been sketching for as long as I can remember,” Lönnborg Gaunt says. His love for fashion, meanwhile, began with his history studies, at just eight years old. Initially, he was drawn in by the decadent designs of the 17th and 18th century. “I love the intricate detailing, how decorative they are,” he says. Johannes’ mum, who, along with his dad, have joined him for the interview, leans over to show me a picture on her phone: a tiny drawing the size of a thumb. A dress in ball-point, as if plucked from the back of Elizabeth I.
Photo: Kristian Bengtsson
Photo: Kristian Bengtsson
Lönnborg Gaunt’s designs are often sparked by a runway look he likes, becoming his own throughout the creative process. “I’m still inspired by historical trends, but I also like minimalist style and taking inspiration from geometric shapes,” he notes. He watches a lot of fashion shows online, which is what he plans to do directly after our chat. “I have that app, Vogue Runway.”
I'm still inspired by historical trends, but I also like minimalist style
Johannes Lönnborg Gaunt
The shows from which Lönnborg Gaunt has drawn the greatest inspiration didn’t take place during his lifetime. “I really like Mugler. One of my inspirations is the Mugler show from 1995. Have you seen it?” he asks, lighting up. “It was iconic. I like the 1990s shows. Now they’re more basic.” His reviews are astute and matter-of-fact. “The older shows were entertainment,” he says, taking a pause before adding, “But I liked the Coperni show,” referring to the spray-on moment from spring/summer 2023.
After an idea is sparked, the first thing Lönnborg Gaunt reaches for is a pencil. “Then, when I really like something, I erase it, bit by bit, so there are still markings,” he says. “And then I draw it in colour.” You can see the slight smudges – outlines that didn’t make the final cut. The final product is small, just 15-by-10 centimetres, but considered to the tiniest detail. Most were sketched at his grandmother’s dining room table. “Her furniture are these old neoclassical, ornate pieces I really like,” he says.
Johannes Lönnborg Gaunt. Photo: Kristian Bengtsson
Sketching his designs is his second favourite thing to do. The first? “Shopping,” he giggles. “I saw the new Diesel bags, and I was like ‘Oh my God, I love them.’ But then my dad said ‘me and your mum decided that you’re not allowed any more bags’ – like, torturing me!”
While his designs are yet to be realised into a physical collection, it’s something he’s already begun dreaming of. In fact, he has it all mapped out. “If I live and study in Paris, then I’d like to have it in Paris. I’d want it to be in the best possible place,” he says, adding that he hopes to attend École des Beaux-Arts. And his wildest dream? “Probably going to the Met Gala.” Wearing his own design of course.
