Sweden will always be a place I hold close to my heart. It’s special to myself, my family, and to Naudic – my daughter spent her early years there, and it’s where the seeds of inspiration for Naudic were sewn. It’s a land of beautiful freshwater lakes, exquisite forests with every shade of green, and berries you can pluck straight from the wild vines and eat. Sweden is a land where you’re reminded of the dramatic potential of mother earth to your senses, of warm summers blistering winters. Those delicious, ripe red and deep blue berries, serve as a reminder that this is a standard of living which we take for granted.
As I said, Sweden was where the Naudic spark first leapt out, a culmination of my previous adventures that cast them in a new light (you can read more about them in Embark ). It was the unique Scandinavian dressing style that grabbed my attention, layering embroidered cottons year- round to contend with the changing seasons. The result is a relaxed, bohemian energy, combining the modern and more traditional. Natural fibres like soft cottons in pastels, or white and cream fabric brightly embroidered are the colour codes of the country, decorated in a style reminiscent of folk stories and handicrafts.
Summer 2022 included a few relaxed weeks at the rural summer house. A summer house day starts with a quick morning plunge in the lake, the temperature sitting around 19 degrees (a winter day by Australian standards! Brisbane feels particularly far away in moments like these). On some mornings, the lake was filled with mist. It was a beautiful sight to see, with the golden morning sun reflecting on the lake, the white mist slowly skimming the surface. The lakeside and these serene mornings are a beautiful place to sit, reconnect to nature, and imagine the vision for the collections of the year ahead.
As you can tell, life in Sweden is organic, replete with a kind of natural beauty, even when one is in the middle of a bustling city. One such haven for me is in Stockholm. Set in the heart of the city, Rosendahl Tradgarden, is a public garden that grows seasonal fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The attached café then takes these homegrown treasures and creates dishes using them, complemented with fresh Swedish bakes. All of this is served in the main glass house - once you’ve grabbed your food, you can move out into the apple yard and sit under the apple tree and eat your lunch in the sunshine. It’s totally blissfully and relaxing.
However, this trip wasn’t just about reconnecting with the past and relaxing. For my daughter, Sweden isn’t just the place where my daughter started her journey in life – now, she’s taking her first steps into adulthood as a university student there. After our lakeside break, we headed to the city, settling her in to her new life in Stockholm. I have always enjoyed Stockholm for its unique colour palette in the summer, lit with the golden tones of a slowly setting sun in the evenings, crystal-clear water, and lush green parks. Twilight is the gem of the northern hemisphere, a magical couple of hours between day and night. It is these longer days that are primed for staying outside on a small terrace, watching the shades of terracotta spring to life under the twinkle of lights and candles (Stockholm’s love of candles year-round is something I carry with me to every city, even now). It’s these magical evenings that are true Stockholm living.
After being away for so long, it was lovely to return to Sweden, catching up with friends who I hadn’t seen for many years. Seeing them, it was like no time had passed and distance did not matter, conversation picking up from where we left it all those years before. Sweden will always be part of the story of my family and Naudic, a place of inspiration, discovery, and beginnings. As she starts university there, reconnecting with where she spent her earliest years, I hope my daughter experiences the same joy, exploration, and inspiration in the streets of Stockholm. I can’t wait to hear all her stories, from a city that I will always hold close to my heart.
Until next time,
Emma
