When Pelle Lundquist co-founded A Day’s March, he had never designed a garment in his life. With a background in advertising, graphic design, film and interior, he instead had a clear vision of what the A Day’s March brand would be. “I’ve always had a huge interest in visual arts. I studied film and graphic design, and grew up in an architect family where we often talked about aesthetics and design. To me, interior and architecture is all about what kind of life should be led in a certain environment. It can be magical to watch old movies or documentaries as inspiration for collections. The scenography and clothes say so much about the time” Lundquist says. “In the same way I wanted to create a world for A Day’s March. In what contexts are the clothes worn? What is life like for a man of today?”
While fellow co-founder Marcus Gårdö figured out the business plan, Lundquist and Stefan Pagréus conceptualised a brand built on the modern, Scandinavian man whose work life and leisure time is intertwined.
“I became a father at the time of launching A Day’s March. To be a dad, make a career and being busy doing all the things expected, made us look towards a brand that would be someone’s support, a help in the daily struggles. The name, implies that you march through life with dignity, regardless of what you set yourself up to do,” he says.
The A Day’s March’ aesthetics is often viewed as Scandinavian, although with an “added colour palette”, Lundquist highlights. The philosophy is based on essential garments in simple silhouettes and shapes, without the unnecessary design elements. “It’s difficult for a designer to refrain from design details. Shouldn’t there be a red weave running through the zipper? Shouldn’t we be more fun? But we tend to be good at staying put, and dismantling such ideas,” he says. Instead Lundquist sees the beauty in raw materials, letting them speak for themselves. “I think beauty is a notion that one uses too little in contrast to what is cool. I love beautiful things. Simple silhouettes and shapes and beautiful materials that work on their own.”