Johan Schalin is a designer responsible for developing Tiger Jeans' mens fashion line. He studied fashion design from 1984-1987 and has worked for numerous Swedish clothing manufacturers and brands. In 2005, he started working with denim expert Per Fredriksson to develop a jeans brand for an Asian supplier. He joined Tiger of Sweden in 2007 to lead their menswear line.

1. Profile:
Johan Schalin , Designer, responsible for developing Tiger Jeans Mens Fashion
line
Background at Tiger of Sweden:
Started Working in September 2007
Early career:
Born in November 1960, in Stockholm
Studied at Tillskärarakademien, Beckmans School of Design 1984-87.
Started to work at the legendary Gul & Blå Company in 1987 and after starting
his own company No Robots AB continued to work for a plethora of Swedish
Clothes manufacturers and brands as a freelance designer.
In the late eighties, Johan prompted by fashion photographers as Patrik
Andersson and creatives as Joel Berg started to work as a stylist and got in to
editorial fashion, advertising, film and tv. After being employed as designer for
wowens at Dobber International Sportswear during a couple of years in the
beginning of the nineties he went on to work with Film company
PetterssonÅkerlund as a creative director and after that went on to Modfilm as a
director. In 1995 he started the own brand SCHALIN with then wife Moa and
thus worked parallel with their directing commercials and heading the own
fashion company.
In 1996 the SCHALIN brand won the Stockholm prize for best fashion. Runner up
were no other than Tiger of Sweden. Shortly thereafter they started the Stylist
agency SCHALIN SHOOT.
In 2005 Johan started to work with renowned denim guru Per Fredriksson
developing a jeans brand for an Asian denim supplier.

2. Background Tiger of Sweden:
About your passion for fashion:
I was interested in clothes from an early age i.e. I didn’t like to have clothes that
did not feel “right” on me. During my adolescence I showed a keen
interest in fashion (as most young people), but I did not
really fancy what the mainstream had to offer so I learned how
to sew on my mother’s old Bernina Machine and made my own
clothes….In my early twenties I wanted to be an artist and
paint was all I did. I came across some pictures of very cool
jackets and that sparked me do to my own designs which I wore
myself and also made for friends…my first influences came of
Yohji Yamamoto which was sort of natural to me because I still
love the way certain designers treat the subject of fashion.
I started at Beckmans in 1984 which at the time was a Fashion
school with a very artistic approach.
About your start in fashion:
When I started working in 1987 I knew very little about the industry, but Maria
and Lars Knutsson, my employers at GULBLA Company quickly brought me up to
speed. I worked with them over the years until the quit in 1994 and Filippa K took
over as a natural step in the evolution of the Swedish fashion world.
About your own fashion icons:
I prefer designers over wearers of course. My favorites have been pretty much the
same over the years. I love sustainable clothes over fashion…naturally I still like
Yohji, Rei, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulmeester, Rick Owens and over the recent
years their protégés Carol Christian Poell, Damir Doma, and Boris Bijdan Saberi..

3. About the Tiger Jeans customer:
A more daring and interested customer than the average jeanscustomer. A person
that is willing to look beyond the safe look of blue denim and ageless in the
sense of modernity.
About the development of the Swedish fashion industry (within the next five
years):
The general development is strange. There is a lot of talk, but as far as I can see
there are only a few major players at the moment. I’m waiting for a new wave of
creativity. It will of course come and we as a big company must beware and take
notice. It’s easy to become too comfortable.
About the challenges for Tiger of Sweden in the future:
To be on top, both fashionwise and saleswise. We cannot brake. We cannot rely
on safety. We cannot grow old with our customer, the customer has to stay
young with us! Otherwise we will lose out! Of course the competition will be
fierce but we are a strong company with a strong urge to grow and develop.