Lister

By Morten Grønborg
Translated by Ida Mari Dreijer

”Roskilde Festival has altogether become more delicious and more aware”, says trend-spotter Lars Rønne, who normally works with fashion and life style in Copenhagen. His work is about clothes, hair, food, drinks and how people expect to live and go to the grocery store.

”Just like the normal society, the festival is concerned about quality nowadays. There is simply no discussion. Take a look at food for instance. It has to carry the right story about sustainability with it as well as it has to consist of the best ingredients. A motto could be ‘natural quality’ or even environment as ‘new religion’. This is what I think when I compare with other festivals back in time. In other words: people think before they buy, even at the festival.”

“One could also call it the conforming Roskilde”, he continues. ”We’re at the festival and practise the music, its symbols and the trashy life style one can find here. But at the same time, we shop in Kvickly, act politically correct, enjoy life and grab a brunch before noon. This reminds me of the hip areas of Copenhagen, where I live. In this sense, the festival moves closer to the ’real’ world out there. One could call it an upcoming standardisation”.

Men are to look mature again

The most essential marker of this ”trash de luxe”-tendency is, according to Lars Rønne, the way we dress. Looking at the male side, it becomes obvious that men have to look mature once again. Looking like a teenager at 35 is over and gone. The cap and jumper are out as well as the practical festival outfit. Tight outfits looking like the 50s on the other hand, are hot this year.

Rønne emphasises that the male fashion icons are dressed in hats and inside-the-pants-shirts. Another masculine symbol, spotted several times at the site, is the discrete cloth sticking out the breast pocket of a (half crumpled) jacket, blouse or shirt. There is no opposition between breath with an odour of whiskey and good style. Pure Bogart.

Bras are out

On the female side, the fashion icons are clean, feminine, sexy and aware about style. “This year’s women profit more from the good weather than the men”, Rønne explains, “and the tendency towards pale, light and short dresses shaped like an A is widespread. It is innocent and relaxed, which is also the tendency when it comes to make-up. The effects don’t have to be strong as they would have had to be if the weather had been cold.”

Lars Rønne also sees a tendency towards the naked look – as we know it from the festivals of the 70s – coming back. “Notice that there are a lot that don’t wear a bra and there’s more naked skin than the weather actually permits”.

Lars Rønne runs the website koolhunting.dk and works for the trend company Firstmove where he deals with trendforecasting and innovative development.