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Stella Nova
Trine Skoller | STELLA NOVA Copenhagen
If you’ve not heard of STELLA NOVA already this is the brand to know – its bright-coloured trapeze dress was trending across social media as a summer must-have. Founded in 2002, STELLA NOVA is the Copenhagen fashion brand that creates ultra-feminine, statement pieces that need little to no styling.
Founder Trine Skoller shares how she designs with a full wardrobe in mind, with each piece having its own story. Sitting down with the creative director, here is everything to know about the cult brand…
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#1 How did you come to start STELLA NOVA
I was educated in Copenhagen at the Danish School of Design, The Royal Danish Academy-Design. After I finished my education, I worked for different brands, and after a while, I felt a strong need to start my own brand and to make a design DNA of my own.
#2 Where does the name STELLA NOVA come from?
She is my muse and my best friend! I like that it means “new star” and could also be a girl’s name.
#3 What’s important to you when designing the STELLA NOVA collection?
I always have different names for each wardrobe, we do not call it collections but name their wardrobes. To me, it is not a collection, but a wardrobe and each of them has a different story. This is very important to me as I like the idea of creating the items around a story, and I think it somehow adds value to the garment that there is actually more to it than just a dress or a shirt. I don’t know if it makes sense, but at least it does to me!
#4 Describe the STELLA NOVA women in 3 words?
Playful, daring, and cool.
#5 Where do you get your inspiration from?
As I said, each wardrobe has its own little story, and this is where the inspiration comes from. The wardrobe coming out now is called ON STAGE WARDROBE, and it’s a playful and happy statement wardrobe inspired by the 70s and 80s iconic rock stars such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Elton John amongst others. They all have in common that they questioned gender and sexuality and gave many people the confidence to be themselves and feel good about it.
This wardrobe has a quilted patchwork jacket with a heart on the back. I once met Prince, he was so sweet, funny, and a lovely character and he wore a jacket with a heart-shaped mirror on his back, so this one is for him.
#6 What is your favourite go-to piece in your wardrobe?
I have many, but dresses and suits. Blazers and pants are always favourites. I always love to mix the girly stuff with the more masculine and stricter style and I guess this is pretty much the DNA of Stella styling.
#7 How important is sustainability to STELLA NOVA?
It is something we cannot escape from, and of course, this also plays an important role in our setup. However, we wish to do things the right way and not just to go with the easiest solutions, which at the end of the day may not make any difference at all, and in the worst case, might even make things worse.
It is a jungle; therefore, we have started a deeper workshop and teamed up with people who are skilled and educated in this field to look into how and where we can make the biggest impact. I’m looking forward to the process and learning more about these issues as I believe knowledge is the most important key to starting change.
#8 What’s your favourite thing to do in Copenhagen?
Ohh there are so many lovely places, lovely restaurants and nice little spots. But one of my personal favourites is a boat trip on the canals, it is so nice to see the city from that angle – Definitely, one to recommend!
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