21st Century Style Icon: Matilda Djerf

21st Century Style Icon: Matilda Djerf

By: MC Middleton

Matilda Djerf: twenty-four-year-old Swedish designer and influencer with 1.8 million followers on Instagram. Known for her dreamy photos on the streets of Stockholm and in the Swedish countryside, she is a master of oversized, comfortable, and elevated basics, proving herself to be a marketing genius with a keen sense of authenticity that keeps her followers coming back for more.

Even if you do not follow her, you have no doubt seen her influence.  I remember adding pictures of her bouncy curls and fluffy bangs to my Pinterest boards before I stumbled upon her Instagram account and immediately followed.

Matilda wears designs from her namesake label, Djerf Avenue, in seemingly endless combinations: an oversized button-down with matching boxer-style shorts, a simple blazer paired with a matching skirt and knit bra top, or an elegant slip dress with a canvas tote. Paired with a city, studio, or seaside background, she makes it hard to resist falling in love with her style. 

So, what is her secret? None of the silhouettes are new or remarkable by any means, but that might be why it works. She creates a timeless capsule wardrobe with her own brand, and she demonstrates exactly how versatile it is with her own styling. With a limited color palette and classic pieces, the collection seamlessly transitions between seasons. Non-seasonal style is not a new concept, but Matilda makes it incredibly accessible by keeping her looks simple, fresh, and easy to recreate.

Matilda’s style and marketing scheme are eye-catching because they are so obvious yet so overlooked. She reinvented the capsule wardrobe with an expanded color palette, demonstrating that a pared-down closet can be kept fresh and interesting as trends come and go.

Keeping the designs so basic also allows for endless personal expression through dress, which, as she says, “never goes out of style.” 

She has commented on seeing recreations of her designs in fast-fashion shops, saying that she would always rather see her designs remade in a sustainable way by her followers by finding similar items secondhand or recreating her designs by hand.  

Head to Matilda or Djerf Avenue’s Instagram page for some inspiration for your fall wardrobe and tag @um.squaremagazine in your recreations so we can see your looks!

Images belong to Matilda Djerf.