16 years of a Swede life in Chicago

May 8th was the 16th anniversary since I took my suitcase and a couple of boxes with my favorite belongings to Arlanda, Stockholms airport, and made the move all the way to Chicago. I came on a student visa with dreams of learning the craft of fashion, and 16 years later I have my own boutique in the Andersonville area. It’s been an amazing journey, and I still enjoy my work where I can be creative on a daily basis and have an interaction with people who appreciate wearing my hats, scarves, bags and hand silk screened t-shirts. Sometimes I question the fact that I have stayed in Chicago so long, but I have figured out three reasons why I still love my Swede life so far away from “home”.

1 – the art community I have become a part of. I have plenty of fantastic friends whose support and understanding of the “artists way of life” help me feel connected to a culture and country I wasn’t born into.

2 - the beautiful lakefront. Stockholm is surrounded by water and I believe that I need the view, sound and feel of a large body of water close to my soul.

3 – the joy I feel from my art and fashion. It gives me a meaning every day to wake up to paint, sew, design, select colors and finish pieces that sooner or later find a new home to be enjoyed.

So, if you are up in my hood, specifically at 5643 N. Ashland, feel free to stop by and chat, or try on a really soft t-shirt, or play dress up with all the different hats I have on display. You just might get a feel of the Swede life in Chicago.