The zippy genius of Ellen Hodakova Larsson

If necessity is the mother of invention, then for Ellen Hodakova Larsson, ingenious reinvention might be the mother of desire. The Swedish-born designer and winner of the 2024 LVMH Prize turns mountains of deadstock items and clothes destined for landfill into extraordinary designs. Picture a glimmering flapper-style dress made from multiple zippers, a moulded bustier constructed from spliced tan and black leather riding boots or a shift dress assembled from hundreds of mother-of-pearl buttons. “It starts with my interest in communication and how we can start conversations using old stories,” says Larsson of her approach.

Her distinct clothes and sustainable mindset mark Larsson out as a leader for a generation of creatives determined to reuse rather than make things from new materials. Stars are queueing up to become her ambassadors. When Cate Blanchett arrived at a premiere in LA last year in a Hodakova top adorned with 102 antique silver spoons, the look went viral, with WWD dubbing its designer “the Greta Thunberg of fashion”. The Blackpink K-pop star Rosé recently wore a reworked Argyle sweater and shorts on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Emma Corrin and Saoirse Ronan have also worn Hodakova. “Working with these brilliant people and joining them in the storytelling, creating tension and contrast, is a dream,” says Larsson. 

Aged 32, with a mane of tousled strawberry-blonde hair, a make-up-free face and wearing one of her reworked men’s shirts, Larsson has a country-girl freshness. When we speak, she is in her studio in Stockholm finalising her AW25 collection, which will be presented at Paris Fashion Week in March. With a tiny team of eight, she goes about her work with single-mindedness and a sense of humour (one of Hodakova’s bestselling items is a top made from discarded padded bras, £580). Everything starts with the analysis of deadstock sourced from second-hand suppliers in Sweden, using AI tools trained to scan fabric composition, colour and size – although the actual construction of the garments is achieved through both hand- and machine-made techniques. Her commitment to upcycling and repurposing places her within a tradition that stretches from pioneers Paco Rabanne and Martin Margiela to newcomers such as Bode and Bettter. The cutlery pieces from the AW23 collection chime with the work of contemporary British artist Ann Carrington; Duchamp, Magritte and Warhol loom large in her imagination. 

Larsson constantly questions how items can be recalibrated to best effect and at commercial scale. “The development of designs is by trial and error, and I work with people with strong intuition so we can hit on ideas in the moment,” says Larsson. For shows, she collaborates with the influential stylist Lotta Volkova, who first put her mark on fashion working with Demna at Vetements and Balenciaga – both brands that excel in transforming the mundane into the extraordinary. “Lotta has a way of putting a realness into her work, finding elements that feel interesting,” she adds. 

It’s a core thing for me to work with found things in which you can see potential. It’s like a game

Today, Hodakova has 24 stockists, including Dover Street Market globally and Ssense. “Hodakova represents a particularly interesting point of view among emerging brands and also offers a very contemporary interpretation of the history of dress,” says a spokesperson from the 10 Corso Como buying team, which stocks the label. “The customer is intellectual, cultivated, and we see the brand next to Maison Margiela, Comme des Garçons and Junya Watanabe.” Cannily, Larsson also established her own DTC site when the brand was launched, featuring both special made-to-order pieces and regular stock such as stocking-layered skirts (£320), Belt Zip bags made from multiple belts (£2,400) and tops with berets for epaulettes (£380). The amount of accessible deadstock dictates the run on any items. But surplus belts, men’s shirts, chinos and bras are apparently available in abundance. 

Larsson’s aesthetics were honed by her upbringing on a farm in Strängnäs, an hour’s drive from Stockholm, where she was raised by a father who worked for the military and a mother who was a seamstress. The family prided itself on transforming redundant items – furniture, ceramics, fabrics – into new hybrid designs that would serve a fresh purpose. “My mother was always making everything herself, changing the perspective and the representation of the home. Whether painting or stitching, she allowed me and my brother to get involved. Neither my mum nor dad are afraid of failure,” says Larsson. 

Hodakova’s sense of sartorial elegance – the multiplicity of collars and buttons, the powerful silhouettes – was informed by Larsson’s father. “He took great care of his uniform and the details that he changed depending on the occasion. That understanding of how dress connects with traditions has just been around me.” Her favourite hobby, equestrian sports, also heightened her attention to etiquette.

The polymath went on to study fine art and sculpture at the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås, where her technical abilities and a fascination with abstract expression made her a standout scholar. Here, she learnt tailoring techniques and was drawn to recontextualisation. “It’s a core thing for me to work with found things in which you can see potential. It’s like a game. If you see a pair of trousers, what can you do with it?” 

Larsson started her own brand immediately after graduation, gaining recognition in 2021 when Vogue Scandinavia spotlighted her as a talent to watch. “I am very entrepreneurial, and I always wanted to be my own boss and put my energy into something that feels real for me,” she says. In September, her LVMH Prize win saw her beat 19 other semi-finalists to win €400,000 and a one-year mentorship provided by a team of LVMH executives. “We had our eyes on Ellen for a season or two but had no idea how much her brand would develop, even during this edition of the LVMH Prize,” says Fabrice Paineau, creative director of Double Magazine, who is coordinator of the LVMH Prize. “Then there’s Ellen herself, a luminous, determined but also free-spirited woman who has given her full potential to a vision of fashion that’s quite unprecedented. There’s a strength but also a lightness of purpose in her creations.”

Larsson’s designs underscore the obsolescence triggered by societal shifts in desire, making her LVMH win all the more gratifying. In turn, her rehabilitation of objects that most would pass by – stiff white collars, elasticated trousers, monogrammed linen tea towels – has been so successful that Swedish companies specialising in second-hand and deadstock now reach out to offer bulk items. A collaboration with Swedish eyewear company Chimi, debuting this spring, will introduce her work to more people. Until then she will continue her upcycling magic: for one look in her SS25 collection, she even managed to turn unwanted oil paintings into a very alternative maxi dress, complete with a wooden frame for a hem. 

Model, Laura Savy at Elite. Casting, Piergiorgio Del Moro and Helena Balladino at DM Casting. Hair, Hiro Furukawa. Make-up, Sacha Giraudeau at Home using ILIABeauty. Photographer’s assistant, Kevin Theard. Production, Home