Mislabelled Canadian Goods
This is what maple syrup looks like in Denmark. Pretty typical product design, right? The clear glass bottle lets you see how dark the syrup is and of course, the maple leaf on the label is a given. The confusion lies in the fact that this is apparently Ver(t)mont brand maple syrup, yet, is a product of Canada. The way I see it, I might as well start a company that sells Israeli oranges called Yukon Oranges. Sure, Vermont neighbours Québec, probably Canada’s largest producer (and consumer) of this delicious nectar but why not just call it what it is: Canadian Maple Syrup?
In any event, a can of Canada’s finest sirop d’érable was the only food item I brought with me from Canada. After corrupting my roommates with its delicious qualities, I am not running dangerously low and refuse to pay the exorbitant prices for this important wonder-juice.
Nicolai Fuglsig – Photojournalism graduate of Danmarks Journalisthøjskole
Remember how everyone lost their mind when Sony released this ad? So much that a nearly exact copy of it that used vegetables, instead of bouncing balls, also made it to Cannes. (If anyone can tell me who made this one, please do because I can’t remember)
Well, it was directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, a graduate of the school I am currently attending. Legend has it that for his final project as a fourth year student at the school, he took a trip to Muslumovo, Russia to capture a series of photos that would be celebrated by the photojournalism community throughout Denmark. When some critics began calling them “too perfect”, he insisted that they were completely factual and shot with a traditional reportage approach. It was only a few years later, during an interview with a Danish journalism magazine, that he suggested that perhaps some of them were staged. Effectively shooting himself in the foot and ending his career as a Danish photojournalist, he moved to the United States and started directing commercials.
Some have called him one of the strongest visual communicators in the world – adding that it is also very good that he no longer has anything to do with photojournalism.
Dance Tonight, Denim Tomorrow
This label is stuck to a pair of jeans made by French denim label April 77. Do they know that their slogan for Spring/Summer 2007 is the name of Orchid’s sweet 10″ from 2001?
Scandinavian street fashion is pretty interesting in comparison to what hip kids wear in north America. For example, while brands like Nudie or Cheap Monday or whatever else might be labels that certain people covet and whose products only a few people actually own, here, every other person in their late-teens or early 20s seems to be wearing Nudies or $400 Evisu jeans with cool selvage and terrible graphics. In a place like this where everyone is rocking what I’ve come to know to be next-level shit, it’s a little hard to tell what are the latest fashions in this country and exactly who is raising the bar. Then again, it doesn’t really matter.
What is most interesting though is how insignificant brands are. Besides H&M (which permeate this city in a serious way), it’s hard to find a pair of jeans anywhere for under $100 but Evisu jeans are still sold in what you might consider to be a Danish equivalent to Foot Locker. Also, the same person you’ll see wearing this fancy denim will also be seen wearing the same sneakers that your mom would probably wear if she was Danish. What seems to be the top selling sneakers here are not glow in the dark Nike Dunks or whatever (though people still rock these and Adidas) but this terribly made Kawasaki shoe that seems like a bad version of Chuck Taylors or something. You can find this sneak on bargain tables outside nearly clothing store and everyone buys them.
So, my dear North American comrades, next time you think about dropping $150 on a pair of European jeans, remember that if you were actually here, you’d probably be dressing like the half the 15 year olds on the bus.
On that note, I love the Cheap Mondays I was able to get for 200dkk (about $40 – no tax).
Where I live
Until sometime in December, I’ll be living in Århus, Denmark.
My brother lives here:
Who got the better deal?
Powered by WordPress with Hiperminimalist Theme design by Borja Fernandez.
RSS: Entries and comments feeds.
Valid XHTML and CSS.