It’s a dedication any Swedish mormor would be honoured by; in fact, any grandmother would. Sisters Kristina Tjäder, Karin Söderlind and Sofia Malm celebrate their late grandmother and muse, Dagmar, through their ‘arty chic’ acumen.

House of Dagmar, established in spring 2005, has received various accolades, including the Swedish Fashion Council’s Rookie of the Year Award (2005), Swedish Elle’s pick for Best New Designer of the Year in 2006 and a fashion show by Gen Art-NY at New York Fashion Week (2007). When the Dagmar sisters presented a short film previewing their 2009 Spring/Summer collection in 2008, prominent Swedish fashion blogger Agnes Braunerhielm observed, “American Vogue’s on-trend homepage style.com has also snapped up the Dagmar film and is showcasing it right now on their popular Style File blog.”

Tjäder, Söderlind and Malm cite ‘20s and ‘30s art deco, films, architecture, art, music and dance as key influences. The crowning jewel in the trio’s arsenal however, has to be their meticulous adherence to handcraftsmanship and traditional design techniques.

Images of Dagmar’s Autumn/Winter 2009 collection prove that the sisters’ strength clearly lies in textures and creating strong lines. They don’t rely on busy patterns or bright colours; preferring to indulge in the season’s muted, earthy hues. Hints of midnight blue make the garments very wearable – a collection for the modern European woman.

House of Dagmar’s goodies can be found in countries across Europe – check their website for stockists. For savvy online shoppers, find Dagmar at ASOS and Huset.

It’s worth a look, as let’s be honest, even the most skeptical fashionistas couldn’t deny the charm of a sister-run label inspired by their grandmother!