Dr. Vikman
Born in Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast, Kristina Vikman is one half of the partnership that founded the Some stores in 2005.
Today, home is Manly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches where she lives with her partner in life and business, Mattias, and their two children. Travel is still a big part of her existence; you’ll often find Kristina scouring Europe carefully selecting the pieces she thinks you’ll love.
An interview with Co-Founder Kristina Vikman
Can you tell us one of your fondest memories from when you lived back in Sweden?
Some of my best memories are sailing around the small islands in the Archipelago on Sweden’s west coast; nothing is more relaxing. You can go into one of the many beautiful little fishing villages, buy some seafood from a local fishing boat (if you haven’t caught any yourself) and enjoy it at sunset, which is 10.30pm during a Swedish summer!
What made you decide to make Australia home?
I think it was love at first sight in a way. In the beginning it was a bit surreal how beautiful Sydney was, but after a few months there was no going back. The atmosphere, climate, people and endless possibilities just made it a great place to call home.
What inspired you and Mattias to open Somedays nine years ago?
Mattias had already set up a distribution company in Australia and we thought it was a great opportunity to have a home for the brands that we brought over from Sweden. The idea of opening up an underground-type store on a first floor and use guerrilla marketing
to bring people in really inspired us. It made people feel like they had discovered Somedays, rather than the other way around, which was fun. Season after season the list of brands grew and people seemed to like the concept and kept coming back. Initially Somedays wasn’t meant to be open every day, but after people kept knocking on the door on the days we were closed, it wasn’t long before we were trading seven days a week.
You hold a doctorate in neuroscience. What is the best thing about having the Dr. salutation?
[Laughs] The best thing… I don’t know. I guess it’s nice, in a way, to be able to circle Dr. as my title as my title official forms. It reminds me of what I have accomplished; it’s a big thing.
Obviously neuroscience and fashion are few and far between. How have you found the experience of owning your own business?
To run your own business is really rewarding and challenging. You have to deal with everything and anything and there’s always so much to learn. Looking back, we’ve made mistakes throughout the years, but luckily we’ve learnt from them and moved on. It’s an
endless learning curve.
What do you love most about your job?
Being surrounded by inspiring people and not knowing what each day will bring. With fashion constantly changing, the challenge is to understand what our customers will like to wear, but we’ve always said that we will only buy things we like, and hopefully our customers
like them too.
Which label has you most excited about this season?
French Trotters, a new label for the Some stores is a nice addition to our existing brands. It’s a little bit French bohemian, but still very feminine.
What was the last thing you bought?
A pair of Helmut Lang leather shorts from Barneys in NY as a birthday present to myself.
What’s your number one piece of sartorial advice?
Jeans should be an essential part of everyone’s wardrobe. To use an old Dr Denim slogan and sound really cliché, “A good pair of jeans is like a member of the family.”
Outside of being a fashion buyer, what else do you love to do?
Spending time with my kids Rocky and Noomi is the best medicine for any stressful day. I also love to exercise and try to as often as I can, whether it’s yoga, surfing or running on the beach. I love searching for new things, both for our house and for the stores, so weekly trips to vintage stores are a must.
Take a look at some of Kristna's favourite pieces below and shop the collection here.
