Establish in 2014 by designers Elin Kling and Karl Lindman of Stockholm-based TOTEME, TOTEME explores the modern uniform through distinctive design cues and meticulous craftsmanship – creating an extensive edit of occasion-wear tailored to women’s daily needs.
TOTEME applies its signature minimalist aesthetic and carefully-curated selection to its online store, which offers best-of-breed Shopify Plus solutions that support its global expansion plans.
Founded in 2014 by Elin Kling and Karl Lindman
Stockholm-based label Toteme clothing represents an exclusive style universe with its own aesthetic. Its pieces transcend trends, and have become timeless wardrobe essentials. Aiming to provide effortless Scandinavian minimalism, Toteme clothing carries signatures of its founders Kling and Lindman; Kling initially began her career blogging before turning towards designing fashion; Lindman began as an editor before realizing his dream of becoming a designer.
Toteme designs ready-to-wear and shoes out of their Stockholm studio, as well as bags and accessories. Their team searches for high-quality fabrics such as boiled wool, cashmere, shearling and denim while prioritizing organic fibers when selecting materials for production. Among their natural dye options include Japanese mugwort, copper mordant and wood iron acetate dyes used with bicycle rust as well as dried guava to bring color into their collections.
TOTEME stands out as an essential brand that makes luxurious essentials feel luxurious, yet never go out of style with each season. Founded by fashion bloggers Elin Kling and Karl Lindman both from Sweden, its pieces boast Scandinavian minimalism that remains fashionable year round.
As travelers themselves, the duo prefer timeless pieces over trends. Their minimal color palette of neutral hues such as camel, chocolate, black, cream and greys also play a big part. Pieces such as the camel Robe coat with its exaggerated lapel and wide waist tie that drapes down to ankle are sure to become timeless wardrobe icons in no time!
Toteme offers more than just essential closet staples – they also offer an exquisite collection of swimwear and separates perfect for beach vacations. Toteme’s beachwear offerings have a distinct focus on fabric quality with a subtle, simple aesthetic crafted according to Toteme’s signature aesthetic.
Toteme has long been available online, in select high-end e-tailers and department stores, and at its own physical flagships; but its debut store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood represents a monumental leap forward for Toteme as it marks both its inaugural U.S. storefront as well as marking the debut of its third collection.
Focused options and signature styles
As fashion trends have rapidly evolved, minimalist silhouettes have been hard to ignore. Stockholm-based Toteme stands out among the many brands offering minimalist clothing with its subtle aesthetic, and stands out as our favorite among them. Established by fashion blogger Elin Kling and former art director Karl Lindman in 2014, Toteme offers timeless pieces with softened Scandi-cool elements like denim jeans and outerwear; along with signature pieces like an oversized cuff silk blouse or striped jumper–that are classic but with a contemporary edge that stand out among their counterparts–a stand out among your typical black bottoms and white button-downs!
Toteme designs pieces with an intuitive understanding of women’s needs and designs collections that can be worn year after year. Their goal is to craft a style universe with their signature aesthetic by exploring modern uniforms through specific design cues, meticulous craftsmanship, and methodical repetition.
This approach allows the brand to sidestep chasing fleeting fashion trends. Each collection is thoughtfully designed, made with quality materials (including organic and recycled ones), produced in small batches with limited number of sizes available at any given time and produced only if enough demand exists – guaranteeing pieces of superior quality that outlive fast-fashion counterparts.
Toteme produces shoes and bags with an elegant aesthetic in addition to its core line. Additionally, Toteme works with high-end e-tailers, department stores, and multi-brand boutiques to sell its collections – each store offering minimalist interior design as a reflection of Toteme’s values.
As Toteme continues to expand, its brick-and-mortar presence will expand with it. Recently, they opened a 3,400-square foot store on Manhattan’s Mercer Street which features tall windows for ample sunlight as well as loft-like features that complement their clean yet tailored aesthetic.
Toteme’s new store provides women with ready-to-wear clothing, shoes and accessories from timeless and understated pieces like monogram trousers to travel tote bags in its timeless and understated space. Additionally, its signature colors of deep navy and optic white can be found throughout.
Elevated fabrics
Toteme’s collections feature fabric as a key theme. Their focus on rigid yet soft materials allows them to create pieces with defined shapes such as an anvil-sleeve sweater or an oversized collar coat – creating pieces with unique aesthetics while still being suitable for everyday wear – makes each piece feel special and distinctive.
Toteme doesn’t design to follow trends; therefore, you won’t find too many flashy or embellished pieces here. Instead, the pieces have been carefully chosen to complement and build upon one another, creating a wardrobe that offers style, quality and purposeful longevity.
Swedish brand’s pieces are an amalgam of their native country and time spent living in New York, drawing influence from both cultures to craft timeless wardrobe staples that can be worn year after year – not just seasonally. They aim to inspire their wearers “to make conscious choices and build for longevity”.
Toteme presented its Fall 2018 collection alongside an art exhibit curated by two Swedish sculptors at Bukowskis Auction House, creating a dialogue between fashion and art that highlighted their mutual influence.
This brand’s collections may be difficult to wear, but they will become timeless additions to any closet. Crafted from high-quality materials that stand the test of time and comply with REACH legislation and voluntary eco-labeling schemes; plus supporting local talent through collaborations with artists like Stockholm’s Mats Theselius.
Toteme clothing can be found both online and in select boutiques throughout the world. Their website provides an intuitive shopping experience that lets you narrow down options, save, name and save-n-name your search as well as view their latest arrivals.
Methodic repetition
Fashion enthusiasts have become familiar with a number of fashionable buzzwords recently, but one that stands out is “contemporary.” Sitting somewhere between luxury and bridge (a subset of designer brands sold at more reasonable price points), contemporary brands target shoppers looking for high-fashion aesthetic without designer prices tags; thus making contemporary a popular item among women looking for their own personal style. This market segment has quickly become an integral component in women’s personalization journeys.
Contemporary fashion aims to stay relevant while being timeless; therefore, instead of catering to short-lived trends, modern fashion attempts to observe how these have changed over time and their lasting relevance within our wardrobes. By doing this, contemporary fashion creates an edit that is both stylish and long-term in terms of both quality and relevance.
Toteme fits perfectly into this category with its collection of timeless staples that seem to have always been there in your closet. Established by fashion blogger and influencer Elin Kling, Toteme explores the appeal of an evolving everyday uniform through distinct design cues, meticulous craftsmanship and methodical repetition – creating a wardrobe which continues to evolve season by season allowing the Toteme woman to define her dress code and build closets that support her purpose.
Each season, Toteme unveils new styles while updating existing offerings to address the current climate and lifestyle of their target consumers. This year, Swedish brand Toteme focused on revitalizing its signature denim pieces – particularly striped jumpers with contrasting cuffs to elevate casual silhouettes, and proportion-playing leather boots which have proven immensely popular with fashion editors and influencers. These timeless pieces have quickly become favorites across Instagram feeds and influencers alike.
Toteme offers more than jeans; its knitwear collection is tailored for versatility and long-term wear, featuring jumpers and dresses with loose, relaxed yet comfortable shapes that make everyday use possible. In addition, there is a selection of boots and heels designed with similar aesthetic in mind.
Contemporary apparel may be on the rise, but not every consumer prefers this shopping method. Many consumers prefer more relaxed styles that provide more comfort. Luckily, many designers can cater to this market; two such are Maniere de Voir and Nastygal which boast trendy designs perfect for this market segment.
