Markslöjd X Anja & Filippa

Anja Pärson is one of the best Alpine Skiers of all time, and her wife Filippa Rådin is a celebrated fashion stylist. They're a true Swedish power couple, and strong female role models.
Their house in northern Sweden is built and decorated with sustainability in mind, making sure all details have a natural touch.

"Our project “Styrka” is about strength and its various guises. The creative strength, the strength that comes from family, and the strength of true love.

We want to celebrate the female strength, the force within every woman. The shape of the lamp represents the female force, blossoming to a powerful form while spreading light to its surroundings."

SEE ALL LAMPS IN THE STYRKA SERIES >

Tell us about your design process? How do you work together?

In our creative design process, Filippa is great at setting the foundation. Then I add important keywords, like with Styrka I chose "embracing”, says Anja.

I felt we should work with something that has warmth, like a shelter, and that's when Filippa started sketching the flower. Then during the process I challenge her with new keywords and ideas, Anja continues.

Can you tell us more about the material choices?

We wanted to use as natural materials as possible and be mindful with the material choices. We always want to challenge ourselves and this project was not an exception. At first we had a sense of what impression we were looking for but couldn't find the right material, Filippa explains.

In search for the right material we went to a hatter, and there it was.

Tell us more about the design of Styrka?

When it comes to the design of the lamp, we started with the flower. I saw this amazing lamp from the 60's and thought we have something here. Then we started our search for the right material, Filippa explains.

When Filippa sketched the flowers, we felt they represent shelter and protection, the feeling of being embraced.

What about the two contrasting colours of the concept, what's the idea behind that?

The contrasting colours of the lamps represents the contrast in our lives.

The lightest lamp in natural beige combined with warm amber glass represents being close to nature, much like our lifestyle in Umeå. The black one with smoke glass symbolizes glamour, tulle skirts, the red carpet, and the pulse of the city when we are in Stockholm.

How did you come up with the name Styrka?

Styrka means strength in Swedish. I think we represent strength, being female role models living in a same-sex relationship. We are strong, creative women with a strong drive to move forward, Filippa explains.

For us, strength means a lot, to find the strength in yourself dare to challenge yourself. When people see the lamp, I hope they feel that they have our strength to lean on, Anja adds.

Interview and instruction