Swedish Stockings

Text: Linnea Dunne | Photos © Swedish Stockings

Look good, feel good, do good

When Linn Frisinger and Nadja Forsberg watched a documentary outlining how products are made to break in order to stimulate consumption, they dropped everything. “It was an epiphany for us, and it tends to be an epiphany for our customers now,” says Frisinger, founder and CEO of Swedish Stockings, the brand that designs and manufactures stylish, comfortable pantyhose that last.

Back in the 1950s, pantyhose were a luxury garment you would bring in for repair in order to make them last. Fast-forward to today, and they are up there among the most disposable throw-away garments around. “Most people don’t think about it, but they’re a petroleum product – it’s just as bad as throwing away a plastic bottle,” explains Frisinger. “We felt that there was a lot that we could do – from an environmental point of view, certainly, but also in terms of design and packaging. It felt like a part of fashion where not much had happened; it was quite stale and sexist.”

Today, Swedish Stockings is the only brand in the world to produce pantyhose from recycled materials and with sustainability as a central USP. The goal was ambitious from the start – to change the entire industry for the better, using transparency and innovation – but they just keep raising the bar. “The goal now is to create a product that is completely biodegradable – a product that actually disappears,” says Frisinger.

Innovation by Swedish Stockings

Recently, the brand launched the new Innovation by Swedish Stockings. Under this banner, they will launch new innovations with the aim of driving research forward, including the recent pantyhose with recycled elastane – an achievement deemed impossible until Swedish Stockings found a solution. Produced in Italy by the world’s best pantyhose manufacturers, the garments are of the very best quality, fit and comfort because, as Frisinger puts it, “you can’t sell something that isn’t comfortable – and quality is a crucial aspect of sustainability”.

At a time when almost everything we own is in our phones, she ponders, fashion has become the last expression of who we are. “We don’t buy products – we buy stories. Our customers want to display social intelligence They want to look good, feel good, do good. For us, that means a combination of intellectual innovation and flair for design – it can’t be one or the other.”

This shows – not least in awards as well as high-profile collaborations including one with Filippa K in 2016, with SAS as their in-flight business-class stockings, and soon with the renowned Ganni. “We’re working hard to further establish Swedish Stockings as a trusted brand globally, especially online,” says Frisinger. “It’s no secret what we’re doing – we want other brands to produce the way we do.”