Meet Alice Herbst

  • Alice Herbst in Britt Sisseck
  • I was born 1993 in Stockholm, Sweden. I now live and work on the island Lidingö, north of Stockholm, as an oil painter. My most common subjects are identity and relations and I have come to work with these themes due to my interest both in people’s behaviour and the ways we express ourselves through fashion, hairstyles and makeup but also the way we furnish our homes. There are a lot of exciting clues about a person in all these choices.
    My paintings are always a result of an imaginary moodboard, my experiences and things I have seen that inspire - and in the end it is a fusion between the real and the fantasy. If I were to describe my style in painting it would be figurative merged with abstraction.

    1. Any advice you would like to share for aspiring creatives in your field?

    Strive to be as independent as possible, educate yourself in how to take care of a company, how to market your work and reflect about what you want to accomplish and how to do it.

    Besides the business side of it all, practice what you love and let yourself be inspired without thinking too much about outside opinions. Tell the world what you truly want with your art. And even if you can’t explain your own art - it probably has a meaning which you have not yet discovered yourself that is unique to you.

    2. What is the hardest lesson you’ve learnt? And how did you grow from that?

    I did learn quite recently that I can never be too sure about the legitimacy of a gallery or art dealer.

    I almost lost eight of my paintings at a gallery overseas due to the owner being dishonest, lying about the sales and having no interest in sending my work back to me. Thankfully I managed to get them back.

    My realisation was that it is never rude to ask questions and request references. I thought that I had made enough research but apparently not!

  • Alice Herbst wearing Suzyl dress
  • 3. What was your biggest revelation as a result of living through the recent COVID-19 pandemic?

    As some might be familiar with, Sweden has not been in complete lockdown. My day-to-day has not changed much as I work by myself in the studio every day and still have been able to continue as usual, which I am very thankful for.

    I have heard from so many friends that they have been struggling with keeping to a routine while working from home. Many people use their workplace as an escape route - I have definitely gathered a deeper understanding and acknowledged that.

    4. What is the relevance of fashion in society?

    I touched on this subject when explaining my paintings - style and fashion can describe a person's personality a lot, but it can also be a way to protect one’s fragility. I think that everyone has misjudged a person for being tough and overly self confident, based on their daring fashion style, when the truth actually is that behind the style someone a bit shy is hiding, or vice versa. I explored many different styles in my teens, as a way to belong to certain groups of people.

    I believe that the healthiest way to use fashion is to have fun and be inspired in a creative way. 

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    Alice Herbst in Britt Sisseck
  • 5. How do you think your childhood surroundings and environment have influenced your sense of style?

    I moved around in Sweden quite a bit with my family in my childhood years and we actually stayed the longest in a smaller town were most people knew each other.

    This was a town where most kids played sports, and I turned to soccer which was a very popular hobby amongst all girls.

    During this time I wasn’t interested in fashion at all, I mainly went to school in a soccer team one piece and sneakers which my mom bought for me. I also had both boys and girls clothes from my cousins second hand and I never thought it was embarrassing; but I later learned that my classmates thought it was odd.

    I developed an interest in expressing myself through outfits first in my teenage years when I was trying to find out who I wanted to be.

    I believe that the style that I have today is very free, I often know what I like and I never overthink an outfit. In my wardrobe you will find boyish jeans and shorts, similar to the ones that I got second hand from my cousins ages ago and I wear them with an elegant twist.

  • 6. What does the word “style” mean to you? And how do people emerge as “style icons”?

    I appreciate a good combination of contrasts, when a person has put effort into mixing different materials, patterns, cuts and eras and when they make it work well. I think in the same way when I look for inspiration for my home. I just love to combine the old and the new and break the rules.

    I believe that style icons through history till today has had some things in common. It could be a signature haircut, makeup look or fashion sense that is new and groundbreaking to the time, but what I think is the most important factor is that the person who’s famous for this look is someone interesting. It can be a mysterious aura, confidence or a vulnerability that gather people’s interest. It needs to be someone likeable that can influence a big group of people.

    7. What’s your favourite way of styling a classic white boyfriend shirt?

    I always like a good contrast between the masculine and the feminine. Right now in the summer I would combine the boyfriend shirt tucked in, in a voluminous skirt - like the Laura skirt - paired with flat, brown leather sandals with simple details.

    I also like the shirt together with oversized, high waisted suit pants. The contrast in this look would be a nice belt and heels. I am not much of a jewellery wearing person, I often tend to use makeup as a way to add some extra glam to a look.

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  • Alice Herbst wearing Anima blouse and Laura skirt
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