Stories

stories of
a nerd

yvonne
koné

A nerd can be many things but to us, it is those who head in new directions through a passionate and nerdy approach to their craft. Our Nerd Chair series by David Geckeler was designed from this idea of perceiving the nerd as a positive force of change—someone who shines through in their ways of creating new perspectives within their work. Wanting to explore this notion of the Nerd even further, we visited three creatives across the world to hear their thoughts on being a nerd. The final of the three creatives being Copenhagen-based fashion designer, Yvonne Koné of her namesake label.

Yvonne Koné launched her eponymous label in 2011, creating and reflecting an effortless sense of style that upholds story and heritage over trend by grounding the design with colors, forms and textures. Driven by her dynamic cultural background, Koné is one of Denmark’s preeminent designers within luxury leather goods and wardrobe staples.

Having designed her own clothes throughout her youth, it was not until visiting her family in the Ivory Coast at the age of 20 that Koné became intrigued by design as a career path: “I fell completely in love with the colors and structures of West Africa and decided that I wanted to work with colors and materials in my professional life somehow”, she says.

When asked if she would consider herself a nerd within craftsmanship and compositions, Koné says: “When it comes to craftsmanship, I’m more of an observer as I don’t master any traditional craft myself. I have an understanding for good craftsmanship and one of my favorite occupations is to watch skilled hands at work,” and adds: “Turning to compositions, I think it takes a little nerdiness to work in this field. It is all about the details and balance and, as with everything aesthetic, it is also very personal”.

On her approach to balancing being nerdy with her design philosophy, Koné notes: “I like to refine the products I develop, and this often takes years, even for the simplest looking products,” and ends: “I get to be nerdy around my very own personal color universe without developing too many new products. I’ve always liked to keep things as simple as possible”.

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