As a brand, J. Lindeberg made their name in the last decade for arresting collections, combining an interest in active sportswear with high-end leisurewear. They’ve made a splash in a short space of time, creating a look that’s been adopted by sports personalities as well as the glitterati from the worlds of music and film.
The company derives their name from that of founder, Johan Lindeberg. Previously marketing director at Italian denim giants Diesel, he launched the label in Stockholm and New York in 1996. Creatively burned out from his time at Diesel, Lindeberg had toured Europe on his motorbike and it was during this adventure that inspiration struck.
With a small team of designers headed by Roland Hjort (previously from apparel brand H&M), he set to work on the first design concept.
Johan Lindeberg
21st Century Lifestyle
To begin with, Lindeberg throughout the idea of denim products – he’d already explored those possibilities during his time in the trenches at Diesel. Instead, his interest turned to the Sixties rock ‘n roll look, defining the initial collection, which became known as ‘21st Century Lifestyle’. Included in the collection were items of golf clothing, catching significant attention.
Bullishly embracing this initial interest, Johan enlisted the help of friend and PGA tour pro Jesper Parnevik to help promote their concepts. Already well known for his golf fashion sense, Jesper fitted Lindeberg’s creative vision perfectly, bringing prestige to the collections. During the Byron Nelson Classic tournament in Texas, he gained sartorial notoriety after winning the event dressed in J. Lindeberg pink chinos – rattling some conservative cages in the process.
By 2002, Johan had moved his base of operations to London and, with his wife Marcella, the couple launched their first women’s collection, as well as a full denim concept for both men and women (thus marking Lindeberg’s return to denim products).
Johan and Marcella Lindeberg
Restructuring the Brand
2007 represented the tenth year of the brand, but internal pressures brought a period of significant change and restructuring for the company. The Lindebergs relocated to New York – where it all started – while Fredrik Dahl (previously design director at The North Face) headed the J. Lindeberg Ski Collection.
During this transitional period, Johan himself expressed a desire to move away from the ‘administrative assignments’ of running a top brand. Increasingly frustrated by the demands on his time, Lindeberg desired to be more ‘creatively sovereign’ and so redefined the role of Creative Director.
J. Lindeberg at Zee and Co.
Johan expresses a profound interest in active sports and the idea of transforming elements and ideas from the high fashion industry into sportswear. J.Lindeberg has since been worn by the likes of Bono, Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Ashton Kutcher and The Killers, among others. Their personality is elegant, but not traditional; bohemian, but not carefree; active, but not competitive.
Here at Zee and Co, we’re proud to be associated with the latest brands and with the inclusion of the J. Lindeberg range; we’ve bolstered our catalogue with some really great items for this season. Exclusive J. Lindeberg shirts, knitwear, sweats and jackets are all in stock – simply follow this link to see a list of all the items we’ve got in store right now (and do keep checking back, because we’re expanding the line throughout 2012).
Why not take advantage of our limited free postage offer and sample some of the distinctive J. Lindeberg line today!
