ME AND MARGARETHE | MOMME OSTENDORF | 2018

My MA collection is an ode to the danish Queen, Her Majesty Margrethe II of Denmark. Taking her as a muse and translating her world into a men’s collection, I create a world that thrives only on personal admiration. A daydream, where the two of us have a lot in common.

As a child I wanted to become Queen one day. Now I’m grown up. The fascination for the world of Margrethe II still lingers in me, I can’t help it. I admire the beautiful order, the ceremonial clothing, the matching outfits, which all underline one thing: festivity – in my opinion we’ve mostly lost that in our everyday lives. Putting an effort into what you wear really becomes visible if everything matches. The total look to me screams of festivity, everything is thought trough, planned ahead, set in place.

I wanted to create a symbiosis of the Queen’s universe and my own one. A festive collection for young men. But opposed to aspects like gender-bending or drag, I wanted to define the limits of my own femininity, not loosing the masculine side of things. Personally, I would feel uncomfortable in a dress, it would feel like a masquerade to me. I did not try to blur the lines of sexes – rather pointing them out – I like masculinity and I admire femininity, I wouldn’t want to give any of them up. One of the most important aspects of my collection and the main reason why I admire Margrethe II. of Denmark, is the renewal of old craftsmanship and tradition. I think monarchy is still relevant today, because it holds up culture, art and craft. The danish Queen combines old traditions with her own modern taste and thereby helps keeping rare crafts alive, and making them visible to the public.