Tiger of Sweden Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection

Thinking about legacy is second nature to Bryan Conway, who worked with Christopher Bailey at Burberry. Since joining Tiger of Sweden, Conway’s mission has been to define what a Swedish heritage brand is, and he’s been looking for answers—and materials—from the source. He’s been inspired by the architecture in Stockholm, photographed Swedish tourists in Mallorca for one lookbook, and, having sourced Swedish wool on the island of Gotland, included the sheep keepers in another.

“Nostalgic comfort” was the m.o. for the fall collections. Those are the words Conway used to describe the feeling he had when looking at the stone carvings in the Ostermalmstorg subway station in Stockholm by the artist and activist Siri Derkert, his seasonal muse. This cheering work was created, as the show notes explain, to be “a place of comfort and safety in the uncertain world of the mid-century.” Once again in 2024 we’re standing on shaky ground and Tiger is here to bolster us up with hearty, indestructible, and classic outerwear in a Prince of Wales check and a houndstooth made from Gotland wool. There’s warmth, and style too, to be found in the Fair Isle-style knits Conway based on those he wore as a child. He inverted the stitches to create a blurry effect, because, he explained, “you never really remember exactly what it is.” This relates in a way to the legacy of Derkert—of whom Conway says, “the wonderful thing is obviously absolutely everyone will have seen her work, whether they knew [about] her or not”—and perhaps to Tiger of Sweden as well, as the 121-year-old company, known for its suiting, looks to reimagine itself for the 21st century.

Tiger’s specialty is a boon this season; despite a rapidly changing work environment, there is focus on reimagining the corporate look. Tailoring, says Conway, is a “loaded” subject that extends beyond clothes, and is associated with the establishment. “What I love now,” he adds, “is because the office isn’t codified anymore, you don’t need to wear a suit to work…so it’s almost the opposite now when you see tech bros wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, but they’re the baddies, now they’re the corporate fat cats. So actually wearing tailoring, it’s become a choice, and that’s why we are making more expressive big shapes, different shapes.”

The leather pieces (see the long skirt with pockets) were inspired by the protective pieces Derkert needed to wear when working underground. Conway made a choice, he said, not to lean too much into workwear, yet the contrast might have been very interesting indeed, as work and play are two sides of the same coin in this time when comfort is king.

In keeping with Swedish values, Conway wants Tiger of Sweden to be “for everyone, not for the elite few.” How to please many, while establishing a strong point of view that aligns with the brand’s story is the challenge Conway faces. You could say the brand needs to be somehow humanized. There were many beautiful pieces in this collection, but the narrative was strongest, and most emotional, when it related back to the designer’s own story rather than to his research.