Looking for something new to wear in lockdown? Say välkommen to Adnym. This genderless label, founded by Stefan Söderberg, Frippe Persson, and Johni Tadi prides itself on accommodating fits, beautiful fabrics, and ease of wear—all #WFH requirements. As a further enticement, the price point is also friendly.
Admyn (a puzzling-together of anonymous dystopia) launched as a progressive denim label back in 2016. “We wanted to do a genderless brand,” says creative head Stefan Söderberg. “Nowadays everybody’s talking about genderless, but at the time it felt quite new and fresh.” The founders also wanted the brand to fly somewhat under the radar; to reject the show-off culture of reality television and social media. “We wanted to be stronger, have integrity, [and] to be a little bit more private,” says Söderberg, who now admits that the anonymity concept might have been carried a bit too far. As to the dystopia referenced in the brand name, Söderberg says, “Something that’s broken can be very nice.”
That denim is the brand’s core product speaks to Söderberg’s experience—he’s an industry veteran who worked at Acne Studios in the 2000s after founding his Hope brand in 2001—but also seems very Swedish. “I think there’s a generation in Sweden that grew up with Levi’s and denim, so that comes somewhat in the blood,” he states. “We’re not used to dressing up. I would say we are kind of farmers in a sense; it’s not so much glamour.”
Aesthetically, Adnym mixes a “raw Scandinavian” look with Middle Eastern silhouettes. It’s an interesting combination that results in a sort of warm minimalism with a polished casual vibe. Though sustainability is not the brand’s raison d’être, the company works with small, certified producers in Europe and favors materials like repurposed cotton. “I think today a lot of brands are using [sustainability] as a marketing tool. Instead of just shouting it out, we have it as a given,” Söderberg says.
Making explicit the founders’ core belief in individuality and choice is the line in the brand logo, styled ADNYM. This nods to the Green Line running through Beirut, and the heritage of Tadi, a cofounder who has moved on to other projects. “We are definitely not political,” says Söderberg. The idea is that “you can choose either side or decide to be neutral. [We believe] people are individuals and should decide to do whatever they want to do, think, and wear themselves.” That said, the brand takes a simplified approach to sizing; clothes are designed to fit into one of three categories: onsize, undersize, and oversize.