CROWD TALKS
Dear Jenny,
Welcome to CROWD TALKS!
A collective archive shared with the most fashionable CROWD people, we admire and find great inspiration from. Please meet style icon and successful entrepreneur Jenny Hjalmarsson Boldsen. She is Swedish, grew up in the Netherlands and celebrated Christmas on The Canary Islands - a quite ‘voyage’ upbringing. Today she is back in Sweden together with her Danish husband and their three children, from where Jenny is also running her business Studio Stilista, a small exclusive clothing boutique with all her handpicked items.
Can you tell us about your first fashion piece?
Ever since I was a little girl, I sewed my clothes, walked around in my mother's wardrobe and played with different outfits & styling. My grandmother was also a great inspiration to me. I inherited amazing jewelry from her to put on my shoes - she lived in a castle and had great events in politics, she really understood how to dress appropriate with a twist. At this stage my fascination for the details in styling began.
My favorite shop was an old very lady-like boutique and I found my first slippers with feathers when I was 6 years old - they were in light pink leather with heels and the down fluttered so beautifully. I also bought a silk kimono that was way too big, but I put a gold belt around my waist to make it fit right - I was definitely the youngest customer in that shop… These remarkable items were my Christmas presents from my parents; my siblings had toys. The passion for fashion started at an early stage in my life.
We are highly inspired of your style and universe on Instagram (@frustilista & @studiostilista) could you share a bit of your 'fashionista-story' with us?
Fashion has always been of greatest interest throughout my childhood and adolescence. When I was 23 years old, I opened my first store. Then the second store was established two years later, and they became a real success. After 10 years, I sold the business to have more focus on my small children and then I started with Instagram and the account @Frustilista in 2012, which grew really fast. The goal for this account was a lifestyle magazine online. I did a lot of collaborations and housing reports from our home in ELLE Decoration around the world and also for Danish RUM.
After my maternity leave, I decided to open a small shop with handpicked clothing in the old fishing village where we live. I have had such a positive response from the beginning, which therefore also means I am opening another store with interior designs. The success of Studio Stilista has been so fantastic fun - and I will certainly grow old here.
Being an experienced and successful entrepreneur, driving your own successful business, according to you, what are the main skills that are necessary for reaching your goals?
The overall business goal for me is to share my knowledge of fashion with my customers. To hand out an extra styling tip and inspire to fashion should be fun and not that complicated or correct. Let your imagination take over for a while and let the fashion trends dress you comfortably but with 'eye catchers'. I'm like ‘Pippi Longstocking', she's a 'treasure finder' and I'm a 'fashion finder' - constantly looking for fun styling. I stay updated every day and suck in fashion inputs and inspiration on my daily path. I read a lot about the visions of brands stories to stay updated and more knowledgeable. Know-how and comprehensive understanding in fashion and materials are key factors in my opinion. If you do not have this knowledge, it is difficult to be an inspiration to others.
And we of course need to know; what is your best styling advice? And do you have a “go-to-uniform” in your closet? Please share.
My best styling advice is to dare to try something new. Try not to be limited and get hung up on having the same items in the closet year after year. When you go shopping think more in 'sets' not so much individual garments.
Here are my five go-to-uniforms, which are always in the closet:
- White crispy men's inspired shirt - (can always be styled in a fun way for any occasion)
- High waisted cool black pants - (will complement all tops and makes the look ‘lighter’)
- High waisted comfortable jeans
- Sweatshirt/knit in good quality and preferably a little oversize
- Outerwear, an incredibly important piece in the wardrobe. I always choose an outfit depending on the outerwear I put on, instead of the other way around. If you do not have a nice outerwear piece, your whole outfit will fall through. That's how I found CROWD CPH - The perfect outerwear, I can combine with everything!
And finally, how do you disconnect and are you good at being present?
I have 3 fantastic children and a man who gives me lots of energy and inspiration every day. My job is more of a lifestyle to me, it's what I love to do so we are all involved in some way. We call ourselves the family 'circus' and we all love everything creative. It makes us relax together in combination with the nature, walks & trips and a good evening at home with a really nice dinner that we cook together. To be present in the 'now' is my absolute best way to disconnect.
Thanks for sharing and being a great inspiration to us!
Sincerely,
CROWD CPH
