GUDRUN SJÖDÉN, THE SWEDISH FASHION DESIGNER

Today, The Grandma has been buying some summer clothes. She has chosen one of her favourite designers, the Swedish Gudrun Sjödén, who was born on a day like today in 1941.

Gudrun Sjödén (née Rådevik) is a Swedish fashion label and retail chain. 

Sjödén grew up in the village of Julita in Södermanland, and studied textile and fashion at Konstfack from 1958 to 1963. She married photographer Björn Sjödén (1940-2016) in 1961. 

In 1976, Gudrun Sjödén, a 1963 graduate of Konstfack College of Arts and Design in Stockholm, working with her husband Bjorn, opened a store in Stockholm on Regeringsgatan selling clothing of her own design. By 1978 the pair had mail order sales of SEK 2 million.

In 1981, Sjödén established mail order sales in Germany with her sister, Christina Rådevik, and between 1983 and 1990 they opened two stores in the US, as well as stores in Stockholm, Zirndorf, Gothenburg and Nuremberg.

In 1993, the company began selling a home textiles collection. Over the next several years the mail order business was expanded to Norway and the United Kingdom.

In 2003, a store was opened on Stora Nygatan in Stockholm, selling fashion, home textiles and flowers. 

In 2004, Sjödén opened a store in Malmö, and she was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Stockholm Business Week magazine. 

In 2005, Sjödén was awarded the Stockholm Chamber of Trade World Class Prize. Stores were later opened in Hamburg, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stuttgart.

In 2007, Sjödén was presented by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden with His Majesty the King's medal, Litteris et Artibus, for her contribution as a fashion designer. 

After 2009, the Gudrun Sjödén company continued to expand, opening various stores and a warehouse. Sales reached half a billion Swedish kronor by 2011, and the company employed about 230 people.

In 2011, Thomas Hedström was named CEO, while Sjödén remained Creative Director and Head of Design. The company had a turnover of SEK 500 million, and about 230 direct employees within the group. 

In 2012, Sjödén was presented with ELLE magazine's Sustainability Award and also the Businesswoman of the Year Award from BPW, Business and Professional Women Sweden. She carried out environmental work at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, and in 2013 was awarded the Kungliga Patriotiska Sällskapet (The Royal Patriotic Society) Business Medal.  

They opened in the UK in 2012.

In 2016, the company is headquartered in Stockholm, and has 12 stores in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the UK and the US, and via a Germany subsidiary, six stores in Germany. The company produces and sells fashion clothing an textiles using natural materials, and unusual in fashion labels for offering sizes up to XXL. 

More information: Gudrun Sjödén

I love contrasts and surprising combinations. 
Absolutely nothing run-of-the-mill. 
Colourful stripes and mixed motifs, 
combinable multi-seasonal styles, 
functional and one-of-a-kind pieces
 that are flattering for all ages and figures, 
and will never get outdated. 
Mostly crafted from natural materials, 
with an emphasis on sustainable Nordic design.

Gudrun Sjödén