Inspired by Nipples

Henrik Vibskov is Denmark's hottest young designer, and his refreshing ideas are taking the rest of the fashion world by storm. Henrik recently stopped by in Iceland to help Danish fashion students get ideas for a new project and short film in the making. He also made time to visit friends and held a workshop in Kron kron, a boutique that sells his designs.

"I'd been to Iceland twice before, once because of girlfriend issues and once with my mates and we had our hearts sets on going up on a glacier. People here laughed at us because we were wearing sandals and tank tops. We didn't make it to the glacier" Henrik says and laughs. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, getting in on a scrapbook he put together the day before the deadline to apply. " I finished my BA degree but I left before I finished my MA. I felt like I was too old to be a student by then."

Henrik looks young and actually doesn't look like a fashion designer at all. He's wearing a shirt, old jeans, weathered tennis shoes and has that typically relaxed Danish look about him.

Yet magazines such as Dazed and Confused, ID, The Face, Wallpaper and Vogue have all featured articles about him and his designs are now sold in shops including Colette in Paris, Pineal Eye in Hong Kong and NO-ONE in London. " My graduation project caused some waves in London. It had a pig-theme to it - Palestinian scarves with pigs on them and printed t-shirts and pants." After graduating I was totallly skint and had to sell t-shirts to my friends and family to be able to eat. Then I made a pair of trousers that became very successful and finally started production. His new collection features women's breasts and nipples. " I'm inspired by the environment around me," he explains.

But does he like Icelandic fashion ? " I don't know that much about it. I know the Aftur sisters who had a shop in Copenhagen, and I've heard of the Reykjavik Collection. It seems that people here lack a bit of experimentalism." Favourite designer? " I don't really have one. I never buy clothes, except for socks. But I do think Comme des Garcons, Bernhard Vilhelm and Paul Smith are outstanding in their particular fields."

Check out Vibskov's designs at Kronkron, Laugavegur 48.