If you’re thinking about changing careers and diving into something completely different, Bryan Conway is proof of why you should do just that. The creative director of the long-standing fashion brand Tiger of Sweden is full of cross-border ideas, and you will not believe how it all began.

Coming from Ireland, although not evident from his strong British accent, Conway has struck his own unconventional path. It was not until 2011, after spending several years studying and working in economics and business, that he plunged into the fashion world – and literally never looked back. Getting through the creative landscapes of various brands, from assisting Head Pattern Cutter at Giles Deacon via a period at E.Tautz to starting as an assistant at Burberry (who will later become acting Head of Menswear) and then as a Senior Designer At JW Anderson, Conway has experienced all levels of the hard industry.

Conway leaves a significant mark when it comes to transforming the story and pushing the boundaries in design, and in 2019 he knew it was time to take that work ethic and energy to Tiger of Sweden. Since then, he has given the brand a refreshing makeover and taken it back to its roots while staying here and now as much as possible. We chatted over Zoom to get caught up in all the past, present and future.

About how he went from economics to fashion

“I think I was doing economics because that’s what my dad, many of his brothers and everyone in my school studied. I wandered into that sleep and never really questioned why I did it. It’s a social science that is so “Like, how I see the world of design. Actually, you just look at how people behave, both individually and as a group, break it down and then reflect it back to them within something new.”

“I was offered a job after leaving university with a degree in economics at the age of 22 (this was 2008, so the financial crisis really hit). Although I actually loved the job, it was mostly the lifestyle that was completely wrong for me, which I kind of knew it was going to happen. I ended up quitting Camberwell College of the Arts in south London. I’ve always wanted to be a painter and do my art. that I had a completely different life that is possible. “

“As much as I loved it, in the past you had to graduate if you wanted to get anywhere. Nowadays it’s very different with Instagram, etc, you do not necessarily need formal education. So I went to study fashion at Westminster University It was incredibly competitive, I’m sure it still is, and was challenging from the start in a way that studying economics in Dublin, ever was. In the second year, work ethic was so intense, people were grinding themselves . It was the only time I asked myself. I thought, “yes, is that me?” But I stuck it out. “

About his first experiences in the fashion industry

“I did a summer internship at Giles Deacon and other brands in London as a pattern cutter but ended up working on the menswear label E.Tautz. I remember working there to basically try to come up with a commercial range for him. So more like a merchant advisor “I really did a lot related to the business side of fashion.”

“Halfway through my fashion degree was when I first got in touch with Burberry. A friend was working on product development there and they needed an administrator assistant – at the bottom level.”

“You have to be lucky and be in the right place and at the right time – and that was it for me at Burberry. I agreed with the Head of Menswear who took me to Milan as a design intern. There I met Christopher Bailey and within a month or two I was taken on to the design team. “

“So I went my last year in Westminster and was fully employed by Burberry. Half my week was in the Burberry London studio and the other half at the university. Just a really random break and then I worked hard to make sure I did. the biggest turn I have. “

About what drew him to Tiger of Sweden

“I think the time to move companies in general is when you’re not desperate to – when you’re in a happy place. I realized I had a good position at Burberry, and it was time to look for something else.”

“I worked with Christoffer Lundman at Burberry and we really clicked. He left to take the job as creative director at Tiger of Sweden, and had asked me to go with him to make menswear there forever, so the only big draw was working with him again, even though I was on JW Anderson then. The other big draw was the potential of Tiger of Sweden. In very simple terms, the way I looked at it was, “this could be as big as Burberry So after some time on JW “Anderson, I ended up starting at Tiger as Head of Menswear and eventually took over from Lundman when he left.”

“Tiger has a long-standing European heritage of over 120 years and really had the potential to do something special.”

On his creative charge in Sweden versus London

“Sweden is incredible. With thousands of islands, there is so much light and water and Stockholm just spreads over it. It is so calm that within fifteen minutes you are completely at peace with yourself. I can just shut down and let my subconscious do things. and thing., which is a stupid cliché, but you need it for ideas to flourish. “

“In London everything is faster. You shift up a gear or two and then you are met with a fairly direct impulse. There is so much culture, even just on the street it is a total mash-up, but even if it is the opposite to Stockholm “I think they complement each other and I need both.”

About Swedish design

“I think that what is good about modern Swedish design is that it first and foremost serves man. Then, secondly, almost as important, is that it must be beautiful.”

“Around the turn of the century, Sweden and Japan all thought the same way. In Japan it was called the Mingei movement and it was to find beauty in everyday life. So just because you are not the aristocracy does not mean that the objects around you that you use, can not be beautiful. It’s about celebrating that kind of beauty in the rough. “

About what makes Tiger of Sweden stand out from the crowd

“Many brands and people in Sweden do not want to break the rules for Swedish design, ie it must look veneer, minimal and beautiful. With Tiger, I want to challenge it and break the rules while we keep our Swedish heritage at its core.”

“As such an established brand, there is a lot of history and depth in our sartorial identity. When you combine our ethos, tailoring and craftsmanship with today’s mindset, it becomes something really interesting.”

About crafts and honorary materials

“Crafts are deeply rooted in our brand, and always will be. Our latest FW22 campaign was a mix of models with people actually working on Tiger in our supply chain and their families, while our genderfluid capsule, the ALL collection, was brought to life by our fantastic pattern cutters that we have had for 20 years – they have been making our costumes for so long. “

“This summer, we developed a fabric with the Swedish traditional weaving manufacturer Klässbols Linneväveri. With a weaving dating back to the 1920s, they produce this linen jacquard which is probably the best in the world – the Royal Court also uses it. Our collaboration highlights the natural quality in linen in unique jacquard fabrics but also strengthens our journey towards a focus on local production. “

“For our FW22 campaign, everyone got a chance to talk about what craftsmanship meant to them – whether it’s a pair of shoes their grandmother had or a certain type of pottery. For me, this was so important and reminded me that you have to put people in the process at the center of the story.A guy’s grandmother used to hand knit beautiful woolen gloves and mittens up north in Sweden, where he comes from, but she can no longer.So we decided to make 100 pairs of Swedish Wool hand knitted by a local knitting group (two of the ladies you can see in the campaign photos) in an exclusive collaboration with Hemslöjden. “

“Without the feeling, what’s the point? With fashion, we do not make an item that you need anymore. You buy it because you want to, because you love it. Because you feel connected to it.”

About what he thinks of Tiger of Sweden’s future

“We have really started to focus on making products that are for a reason, mixing different disciplines – and sustainability is a big part of it. The key part of a collection should in a way be timeless and as a tailor-made brand, we are well suited for the.”

“Every season we want fun too. If it does not make you laugh or make you scratch your head and say ‘Is this crazy or is this stupid’, then you know it’s the fine line between the absurd and fantastic where the best design is, I think. “

“I simply want Tiger to be at the forefront of people’s minds.”

In three words that describe Tiger of Sweden

“Beautifully made clothes.”

On the advice of young designers

“It’s hard work, harder than you think, but if you really love it and you really want it, then it will always be worth it in the end. Do not try to do something you think will work. Just have fun and make yourself laugh. “

Find out more about Tiger of Sweden and shop its collections here.