Eygló — Tides Magazine

Eygló graduated from The Iceland University of the Arts in 2005 and has forever since been an icon amongst the tight knit Icelandic fashion scene. She’s worked for the likes of Bernhard Willhelm, Jeremy Scott and AsFour, but after starting her own label fresh out of university she made her own mark and has since then been stocked with the most prestigious fashion retailers both in Iceland and internationally. Later, in 2010, she opened her own shop called Kiosk, along with other likeminded designers in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Eygló arrives at mine on a rainy morning on her red classic Defender Land Rover jeep, ready for what ever the weather in Iceland will bring. We have a cup of coffee while we wait for the photographer and make up artist to arrive, and discuss how she first found the desire to go into fashion design. “In memory it's almost like I woke up one day and decided to change path. I still have the first piece I made, one shoulder top with a thunder in the front, yes I was growing a big fat mullet at the time but I actually went to business school when I was 17-19 years old. I’ve never looked back on my decision to go study fashion”.

“I don´t think anyone wants to be the only fashion designer in Reykjavík”

Both being from Iceland, we discuss how it works being in the creative industry in such a small community, and what it can bring to your career and whether it can at times be a negative. Eygló believes in actuality that it brings a nice balance to the scene as apposed to being a hindrance. “Well, most of us know each other and are willing to help out with sharing info for production and so on so I think the scene is quite friendly in a way. Also the stronger the scene is, the better. I don´t think anyone wants to be the only fashion designer in Reykjavík”.

“Icelanders were a bit sensitive towards the gun and knife print but the theme was just crime. Basic. The american tourists loved it”

Having been active as a designer for over a decade, we talk about her passed collections and I wonder which one is her favourite, with so many amazing ones to choose from! “The “Murder She Wrote” collection from 2016 is still my favorite. It was so much fun to play with the vegan leather (a.k.a. plastic) and doing prints in knits. I used to watch this show as a kid so it was a bit nostalgic at the same time. Some Icelanders were a bit sensitive towards the gun and knife print but the theme was just crime. Basic. The american tourists loved it”.

Eygló goes on to tell me which pieces is her favourite, after we discuss how various and different most of her collections are. “I’ve been wearing my amen dress a bit over the summer. I like the weight of it and the sound of the hand embroidered pearls when I move. Then there´s the Jessica Fletcher biker jacket, that´s a fun piece”.

“I’ve never really had a muse while designing, I just guess you have to have a bit of a humour to wear my clothes and appreciate the ideas behind what I do”

There is always a new theme in my collections and I love to experiment with different techniques. Being a print, knit, embroidery or lazer cut fabrics, there needs to be “juice” in what I do. That´s what I love about making new collections, starting from scratch.

Eygló goes on to explain how her creative process works most of the time. “Sometimes when I’m starting to design a new collection and the ideas keep flooding in, I get the feeling that my head might literally explode. That´s a really fun feeling. But basically making prototypes and doing the photoshoot are the most fun parts for sure. Seeing the collection come together”.

Eygló wears boots from the stylists archive.

“Inspiring without being too literally inspiring”

She doesn’t only do design, Eygló also works as a tour guide in Iceland, taking people from all around the globe to see the most amazing scenery Iceland has to offer. We touch upon how she got into that role along side of designing “I just saw an ad in the paper, this tour company looking for fun people. I’m fun so I got the job. I actually found this as a perfect mix with the designing process. I love people and I love the nature here in Iceland. It’s inspiring without being too literally inspiring, don´t know if that makes any sense”.

When we are parting ways after an exhausting fay of shooting in the rain, I ask her if there is anything we need to keep our eyes peeled for “well, we have just opened Kiosk again a few days ago so I guess I have to stop escaping to the mountains like I’ve been doing all summer and get back to work!”

Words by Lilja Hrönn.
Photography by Magnús Andersen.
Make up and hair by Sunna Björk.
All clothing except otherwise stated by Eygló.