Augusta Lundin (13 June 1840 in

Kristianstad Kristianstad (, ; older spelling from Danish ''Christianstad'') is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 40,145 inhabitants in 2016. During the last 15 years, it has gone from a garrison town to a devel ...

– 20 February 1919) was a Swedish fashion designer. She is considered to be the first international Swedish fashion designer as well as the first well known fashion designer in Sweden.

Early years and education

Born to

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

Anders Lundin and Christina Andersdotter in Kristianstad, she learned the profession as a child, along with her sister, Hulda Lundin.

Career

She later moved to Stockholm, where she was employed at the Emma Hellgren hatshop in 1863–65 and the fashion studio of C L Flory & co in 1865–67. In 1867, she started her own fashion studio, and in 1874, she made her first study trip to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, and started her own fashion paper. Lundin made study trips to Paris once a year. She introduced the French method of making every part of a dress separately to Sweden. In 1886, she designed a "reformed costume", a loose dress without corset or

bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...

, on commission of the reform dress society, which desired a more healthy dress model for women. Augusta Lundin, syateljé vid Brunkebergstorg omkring år 1900

Augusta Lundin, syateljé vid Brunkebergstorg omkring år 1900

Among her clientele were

Selma Lagerlöf Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish author. She published her first novel, '' Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she wa ...

Josephine of Leuchtenberg Joséphine of Leuchtenberg (Joséphine Maximilienne Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais; 14 March 1807 – 7 June 1876) was Queen of Sweden and Norway from 8 March 1844 to 8 July 1859 as the wife of King Oscar I. She was also Princess of Bologna ...

and

Sophie of Nassau Sophia of Nassau (Sophia Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette; 9 July 1836 – 30 December 1913) was Queen of Sweden and Norway as the wife of King Oscar II. She was Queen of Sweden for 35 years, longer than anyone before her, and the longest-servin ...

, as well as international clients, especially in Denmark, Norway, Finland and the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. King

Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norwe ...

gave away her dresses as Christmas gifts every year to the lady-in-waitings at the royal court. On 31 October 1892,Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Gunhild Engholm), hämtad 2015-01-06. she was made official dressmaker of the queen,

Sophia of Nassau Sophia of Nassau (Sophia Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette; 9 July 1836 – 30 December 1913) was Queen of Sweden and Norway as the wife of King Oscar II. She was Queen of Sweden for 35 years, longer than anyone before her, and the longest-servin ...

; at assignments for the court, she brought models to the royal palace to display the clothes. Lundin was known as a good employer: she was an honorary member of the dressmaker's society (1880) and aware that seamstresses often damaged their backs and eyes at work, she instigated a 12-hour work shift and a two-week summer vacation (1890), something quite unique for an employer in Sweden at a time when few employers allowed for vacations at all. She employed only women until 1910. At her death in 1919, she left the company to her siblings' children. In the 1920s, the company experienced difficulties because of the simplified fashion and the confection industry; it was closed in 1939.

Gallery

Ebba von Eckermans klänning. Röd - brun - Hallwylska museet - 4805.tif Klänning av mörkröd silkessammet med garnering av svart chantillyspets och svart silkestyll - Hallwylska museet - 89127.tif KLÄNNING Bestående av liv och kjol av mönstrad, skuren och oskuren brun silkessammet - Hallwylska museet - 89105.tif Till boken - utställningen Kunglig Vintage - Livrustkammaren - 87624.tif Till boken - utställningen Kunglig Vintage - Livrustkammaren - 87617.tif

References

Bibliography

* Tydén-Jordan, Astrid (1987). ''Kungligt klädd, kungligt mode'', Stockholm:

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer Former states * Berg (state), county and duchy of the Hol ...

.
Augusta Lundin, urn:sbl:9861, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Gunhild Engholm), hämtad 2015-01-06.
* Du Rietz, Anita, Kvinnors entreprenörskap: under 400 år, 1. uppl., Dialogos, Stockholm, 2013

External links