Ulrika Lundgren, designer of the Amsterdam-based brand Rika, visited Japan. After working as a fashion and interior stylist for publications like Casa Vogue and ELLE DECO, she launched the brand in 2005. Her first 20 handbag designs became a hit among models and fashion insiders, and in 2007 she launched a full-scale clothing line. In 2012, she won ELLE's Best Accessory Award. Furthermore, since 2010, she has teamed up with Jacob Wildschiodtz, art director of LOVE MAGAZINE, to publish the biannual fashion magazine Rika Magazine, of which she serves as editor-in-chief. We interviewed her, who expresses fashion through a variety of methods, at the United Arrows Harajuku flagship store in Tokyo's Harajuku women's section.


--Is the brand name derived from Ulrika's name?

Yes. The brand RICA reflects me, so I named it after myself. I design with the desire to share with everyone what I want to wear and what I want to show.

--What is the concept of the RICA brand?

It is inspired by the style of a strong woman. We create comfortable, chic, and sophisticated clothes that can be worn for any occasion, day or night. The brand's signature items are rider jackets and leather items, which express strength, but we also mix in items with a feminine and soft impression to propose styling that is conscious of "unconventional." My background as a stylist may have influenced this.

--What is the theme of the 2013-2014 AW collection?

The theme, "IRON GIRL," has continued from 2013 SS. This time, I was inspired by Bianca Jagger, the ex-wife of Mick Jagger and a model and social activist, as a strong woman with character. My styling is characterized by a mix of tailored and casual pieces.

——It has Bianca's rock influence, but is based on basic items.

I always imagine a "woman with identity," but I try to balance it out so as not to be too influenced by that image, and incorporate it into a chic, sophisticated urban style. For example, I often wear a feminine dress with a biker jacket, like a Parisian woman, creating an elegant yet somehow resilient combination.

——I heard you have a boutique and concept store in Amsterdam.

Across from the building where your Rika boutique and office are located is a building called "Maison Rika." Maison Rika's concept store on the first floor offers a variety of items, including tableware, hats, accessories, and candles, proposing a lifestyle. I personally select everything, from flea market finds to luxury goods. The window displays were created in collaboration with a street artist, and the guesthouse on the second and third floors is a space for photo shoots, home parties, and displaying photographs. All of these spaces are designed to express the Rika lifestyle.

—What kind of magazine is "Rika Magazine"?

It is a magazine that tells fashion stories using Rika items. I select free-spirited, creative, and independent women, whom I call "Rika girls," as models, and have them choose Rika items to express their own unique personalities. Their style sometimes serves as a source of inspiration for my designs.