Stockholm, Sweden – Swedish fashion house Filippa K has appointed Liisa Kessler as its next Creative
Director. She succeeds Filippa Knutsson, founder of the brand, who stepped away from the role in 2019.
Previously a designer at Saint Laurent, Liisa is stepping into the Creative Director role for the first time and
is responsible for all creative aspects of Filippa K at its Stockholm ateliers. While carrying through the
house’s heritage of timeless Scandinavian style and continuing to guide its mission of mindful consumption,
her work will also mark a noticeable shift in the creative direction.
Liisa is trained in tailoring and dressmaking and holds a degree in Fashion Design from the Berlin University
of the Arts. The majority of her career has been spent with some of the leading fashion houses in Paris,
beginning with a position at Chloé under Clare Waight Keller. She then worked for Y/Project and Lanvin, and
most recently spent five years at Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello as a senior designer for the show
collections. Her experience combined with a dual Finnish and German background provides her with an
international perspective to bring to the Swedish label.
On the appointment, Liisa commented:
“I am very excited and grateful to be given the opportunity to join Filippa K. Filippa Knutsson was one of the
pioneers establishing the now-iconic look of Scandinavian minimalism back in the early 90s. Her vision of an
uncomplicated, desirable, and sustainable wardrobe is as relevant today as it was when the brand was
founded. I’m looking forward to working with the teams on a new era for the house and carrying forward
Filippa’s legacy that celebrates simplicity, style, quality and the power of ease.”
Rikard Frost, CEO of Filippa K, noted:
“I’m delighted to announce Liisa Kessler as Creative Director of Filippa K. Liisa exemplifies a remarkable
creative talent with an intuitive understanding of craftsmanship and a keen eye for what’s next — values that
are integral to preserving our heritage while guiding the ambitious future of the house. Her unique
background of Scandinavian and international influences provides a dual perspective that makes her a
natural successor to Filippa Knutsson. I’m confident that Liisa’s vision will help launch the house into the
next exciting chapter of our journey.”
Liisa Kessler’s debut collection for Filippa K will be presented in June 2022.
ABOUT FILIPPA K
Founded by celebrated Swedish fashion designer Filippa Knutsson in 1993, Filippa K has grown internationally to become a household name synonymous with Scandinavian style. Timeless silhouettes are re-interpreted within the context of modern life, with expert craftsmanship and attention to detail resulting in ready-to-wear collections for women and men. The Stockholm-based fashion house has stores in key European cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Berlin, and is present in over 70 markets globally through e-commerce. Its continued journey of international expansion is guided by a mission of mindful consumption.
SUSTAINABILITY AT FILIPPA K
Sustainability has remained at the core of Filippa K since the house was founded in 1993, with a circularity strategy in place since 2014. Its mission is to encourage mindful consumption: the responsible creation of high quality fashion that promotes a lifestyle of owning fewer, better pieces and keeping them in use for as long as possible. Filippa K’s holistic perspective integrates sustainability initiatives in the creative process and the overall business model — supporting the scalability of its efforts in order to bring about long-lasting positive change. Circularity, traceability and measurability serve as the pillars for its action-orientated approach and collaborative industry partnerships. For more information on Filippa K’s sustainability mission, please click here.
BIOGRAPHIES:
RIKARD FROST
A Stockholm native, Rikard Frost joined Filippa K in April 2021 as CEO after his time in New York as Chief Consumer Officer at Alexander Wang where he focused on developing brand and customer experience as well as distribution in key markets such as the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea and China. Prior to that he spent a decade leading the digital transformation and expansion at Acne Studios. His ability to define digital commerce for the luxury landscape is proven through Acne Studios’s growth from a local denim brand to an internationally acclaimed fashion house, and is a key factor behind Filippa K’s elevation of expression, customer experience and reach.
LIISA KESSLER
Liisa Kessler joined Filippa K as Creative Director in January 2022 and is responsible for all creative aspects of the brand at their Stockholm headquarters. She is trained in tailoring and dressmaking and holds a degree in Fashion Design from the Berlin University of the Arts. The majority of Liisa’s career has been spent with some of the leading fashion houses in Paris, beginning at Chloé under Clare Waight Keller, followed by design positions at Y/Project and Lanvin. Before joining Filippa K, Liisa spent five years at Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello as a senior designer for the show collections.
