The Cos way: ‘We’re modernists at heart’

It’s hard to believe that Cos has only been around for 10 years. Founded in 2007, “collection of style” has quietly spread its minimalist , Scandi aesthetic across the globe. The head of menswear, Martin Andersson, has been with the clothing brand since 2008, and he helps to ensure the store continues to produce classic, understated wardrobe staples. When he visited the flagship store on Dublin’s Wicklow Street recently, we quizzed him on style, modernist aesthetic and exactly what it is that makes the Cos brand so popular.

How did you become interested in fashion?

“I grew up around a very creative family and I always knew I wanted to be a designer of some description. When I was very young it was car design, then interior design. I was a teenager in the 1980s, when MTV was at its height, and I loved all their clothes. But in the countryside in Sweden, fashion of any kind was pretty hard to come by. My solution was to design the clothes myself and get my seamstress mum to make them. That’s how it all started really.”

Describe the influences in your early life

“They are so varied. Britpop was a big influence. I was a huge David Bowie fan. I loved experimenting with looks, just like I saw him doing. There were lots of corduroy blazers and pea coats. Functionalism was and still is so important to me. Almost every Swede grows up with this idea that design should be functional and purposeful. I grew up with that as my design backbone. My father bought me a big Bauhaus book when I was very young, and I became really interested in it. That is something that has affected my aesthetics since.”

How would you describe your personal style?

“If there are more than two colours in my outfit I tend to freak out. I’m very monochrome. I think I’m representing my personal style pretty well today actually. I’m wearing navy socks, navy runners, navy trousers and navy blazer, with a white T and a white stripe running along the back of the runners. It’s all about the little details for me.”

Has Cos influenced your design aesthetic and/or personal style?

“I think our aesthetics and core design values were always similar. I certainly had an interest in modernism, art and design, the cornerstones of Cos, long before my first day. When I joined Cos in 2008 the first store had only been open a year. Even then, there was such a strong brand identity, and I related to it. I actually worked just next door to the store and was frequently in there. The day I got a call from a headhunter about the job, I was actually wearing a pair of Cos trousers. It was meant to be.”

Why do you think Cos has been so successful?

“There are so many reasons. I think the pared-down design aesthetic appeals to people. We sell everyday essentials; the perfect white T-shirt, the perfect chinos. Everyone needs these things. We design them with the highest quality in mind. Then we also occasionally include a bit of a twist. Whether you’re flamboyant or a minimalist, there is something for everyone.

Has the core business idea changed as you have grown?

“No. It has always been [about] the best possible design and the best possible quality, at an affordable price. Someone once described us as the missing link between high fashion and the high street. I like that. That was a gap in the market spotted by our big sister, H&M.”

How do you stay on trend while creating timeless clothes? 

“We set out to create style with a sense of longevity. We’re all modernists at heart, and with that in mind we look at people like the modernist architect Mies Van Der Rohe. One of the most modern buildings I have ever seen is his Barcelona Pavilion, and he designed that in the 1920s. That, as a source of inspiration, is powerful. The idea that someone can buy a blazer from us and want to wear it again in three, or 10 years’ time, is what drives us.”

Are there any items that have been with you since day one?

“The Curtis shirt has in one way or another been with us since the beginning. It’s the perfect formal shirt. It can be worn with a tie for work, or with the sleeves rolled up for a night out. We are constantly looking at different aspects of it, of course, like the fabric or the collar size. We might add a millimetre here, take one away there. But it remains a classic.”

How do you decide on the theme for each season?

“About a year and a half in advance, Karin Gustafsson, the head of womenswear, and I lock ourselves in a room for a week. We take no meetings and no one can disturb us. We bring with us everything we’ve been inspired by over the last year and present to each other. Our inspiration can be from modern art, design or architecture, but it’s just as likely to be from a musician, or something we’ve read, or the colour of a phone cover.

"From here we start building stories, matching things together and thinking about times of year they might be relevant to. We get a real rhythm going, and after a few days we've mapped out the whole season. It's at this stage we bring in the team, and they start with their ideas. It's intense, but super fun. The Friday at the end of that week I am always exhausted. I go home, put the feet up and watch EastEnders."

Are there any garments you would never sell at Cos?

“Never say never; I live by that. We’re constantly evolving.”

Any new interesting things you are working on?

“Something we are very excited about right now is hybrid technology in fabrication. This involves taking very natural materials and mixing them with new, technological materials. Imagine taking linen, and mixing it with nylon, and then coating it with polyurethane. We’re aiming to be at the forefront of fabric innovation, but in a sustainable way. I find that super-exciting. We have a fairly pared-down design aesthetic, which means that tactility is very important to us.

“We’re also really excited about denim, but not as you know it. We’re not talking jeans. Watch this space.”

What one thing should men buy that’s in store right now?

“Our lightweight, technological bomber jacket in navy. It doesn’t sound special but when you put it on, it’s something else. Wear with a white T-shirt, summer shorts – perfect.”

And for autumn-winter?

“We’re very excited about the suit for next season. We’ve talked a lot about the relevance of the suit for the modern man. Men rarely wear full suits any more, they mix and match instead. Women have been doing the matchy-matchy thing for a few seasons, and now we think it’s the men’s turn.”