A career as a fashion designer and brand builder is summarized here in book form. At the same time, the path ahead leads us to a lit golf course in Saudi Arabia where a brand that connects the new generation's communities takes shape. We follow Johan Lindeberg into the studio.

PHOTO DENNIS TOOSHKANOV

Johan Lindeberg is one of Sweden's most famous fashion designers and brand builders. The designer and entrepreneur has created strong brands and groundbreaking concepts with Diesel, J. Lindeberg and BLK DNM, among others. He is a great visionary who constantly pushes boundaries and inspires people all over the world. In his current autobiography Vad jag ser när jag blundar, he talks honestly and openly about his passions, lessons learned and his somewhat incredible rollercoaster-like journey through
the fashion world – from great successes to tough losses.

– It was very emotional to write this book, says Johan when INRIKES meets up over Zoom.
Johan is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he now lives and works on a brand new and hitherto secret fashion project. It is evening and he is in a restaurant at the Riyadh Golf Club. He is wearing a black t-shirt and sitting comfortably on a deep white sofa. Behind him, people are moving both in front of and behind a
long bar counter. Outside the window it is dark but lit by spotlights.

– I have been asked to write an autobiography a few times over the years, says Johan. But I never felt that the people who were supposed to write understood me. So I decided to write it myself. Honestly, it has been a long, difficult process. It has taken time. I started during Covid. After a while I gave up completely, but then I got started again. It feels pretty amazing that the book was finally finished. He describes the autobiography as an honest and open story about the search process in life, entrepreneurship and love.

I could have perhaps worked a little differently, a little more simply. At the same time, I understand why I did what I did. I have fought quite hard in my life, on different levels, but I have always fought with my heart. Writing was a kind of search process.

– The book is about both strong ups and downs in my life. My hope is that everyone, regardless of age or origin, will be able to feel a sense of community when they read the book, and at the same time gain inspiration
to dare to believe in your ideas and the energy you feel within yourself and to dare to express it
energy. In the book, Johan describes details of meetings and conversations between people. Nothing is
taken from diaries or notes – because he doesn't have any.

“Everything comes from my own memory,” he says with a smile. Johan goes on to say that writing the book was almost like therapy, trying to put into words all the thoughts and memories that emerged during the work.

– It's incredibly emotional. You go through all the twists and turns and see what you could have done.
in a different way. I could have worked a little differently, a little more simply. At the same time, I understand why I did what I did. I have fought quite hard in my life, on different levels, but I have always fought with my heart. Writing was a kind of search process. Actually, it may not matter which of all the projects I have worked on we are talking about; Diesel, J. Lindeberg or BLK DNM – because everything I do has
What I have in common is the energy that I have – and always have had – to inspire and bring people together.

– I have written the book in a very 'straight' style where each chapter can stand on its own. The J. Lindeberg part was very complex so I felt that the story became more linear, while chapters about BLK DNM, for example, became more narrative. When you read the book, you feel like there is an incomparable drive and fighting spirit in
Johan's way of working and living.

– It's not something that's conscious, it just happens automatically inside the body. When I get inspiration and ideas, I go into a kind of flow and then creative things just happen.
Johan's political commitment shines through in the book. His desire and aspiration is that the brands he has created should have something to say, to have a voice that stands out in the noise and has an impact.

– I have always fought against the establishment in some way. I try to think about what I want to achieve, what is the driving force, what I want to explain, convey and inspire. What kind of energy I want to spread. I am very much influenced by my upbringing in Lund and the values I received while growing up in the 60s and 70s. My father was a cultural journalist at Sydsvenskan. My father was an advocate for female priests and that made me a big feminist. I think women should take
over leadership in the world. Women are much better leaders than men, we would feel better if
have women in more leadership positions.

I am very much influenced by my upbringing in Lund and the values I received while growing up in the 60s and 70s. My father was a cultural journalist at Sydsvenskan. My father was an advocate for female priests and that made me a big feminist.

You talk a lot about intuition in the book. Do you think it's something you're born with, or do you develop intuition over time?
– So, that's a difficult question. For me, it probably started during high school. During that time, I started to gain self-confidence. And that's when I started to feel intuition, a kind of energy about how I could bring people together and inspire them. Johan now lives a large part of the time in Saudi Arabia, where he is now creating a new fashion brand together with a team of eight or nine people. His daughter Blue, who is studying psychology and works as a model in New York, is one of the creative team.
– I love working with Blue. We are very close as father and daughter. I think she has her own thing. She is completely uninfluenced by me. She has her own aesthetic. She is very strong in her own presence in a way. She is very good at navigating herself.

How does it feel to live in Saudi Arabia compared to New York, Sweden, Los Angeles, and all the other places you've lived?
– It's fantastic. I know that it's still controversial in Sweden to be in Saudi. But what's happening here is the biggest change. Transformations are happening here that affect the whole world. It's incredibly exciting to be there and experience it on site. When you come here, you feel the energy. There's a shared vision and everyone is kind of gathered to take these steps. So for me as a creator and entrepreneur, it feels very special to be able to be in this type of environment where you
can create. We have a female CEO in the company, Princess Noura. She is absolutely fantastic. She is truly a progressive Saudi power woman. There is a murmur in the bar in the room where Johan is. He looks at his watch and asks if I want to come and see his temporary studio, where he is working on the new project.

“It's just around the corner,” he says, takes my phone with him and jumps into a golf buggy.

He drives on the asphalt roads of the golf course. It is dark outside but the golf courses are lit.
with bright headlights. He explains that they play golf here at night, it's crazy because
hot during the day.
– It was 42 degrees today, and you'd rather not be outside. Johan stops the buggy temporarily to visit a golfing friend from Sri Lanka. I wave to the friend via the mobile camera and Johan says 'see you later, I'm just going to show this Swedish journalist my studio'.
He accelerates and the golf buggy glides on its way to the studio. After a few minutes we arrive. There Johan shows a large wall taped with handwritten notes written in black marker, lots of sketches of clothing, inspiring images and black and white portrait photos. Even though I don't see any direct details on the mobile screen, it's clear that it's an exciting brand that is growing
front. There are also pictures of some of the team on the wall. Johan points to a picture and says that they
features, among others, CEO Princess Noura, the company's design director, Chief of Staff and a woman from Stockholm who is a documentary filmmaker who follows the process of building the brand.

– I prefer to work with women. I like to surround myself with women power.
He giggles and adds:
– I trigger insecure men too much, so I find it easier to work with women
at different ages. Johan describes his own role in the project as Creative Mentor. He says that he has no need for validation anymore, no desire to create a legacy around his own person.

– It feels like a lot is happening right now. Women are taking their place and there is change in the air. I believe that women have a warmer heart and genuinely care more about the world. You have to change the dynamics to change. According to Johan, brands and fashion have a responsibility to have their own voice, which should inspire change towards a more equal world.

– Today, people sometimes listen to brands more than they listen to politicians. I have always thought that brands can engage. My previous brands have all had a strong voice. The entire BLK DNM project was based on inspiration from the Lunda era and the 68 movement. You have to dare to say something. Johan's vision is to build a strong global brand with influence together with his new team.
– I want to connect everything. I'm starting a new generation brand from Riyadh. I want to connect New York with Riyadh, Stockholm and Seoul. My ultimate vision is that I want to be part of and inspire connecting the new generation's communities in different parts of the world.

3 QUICK
Johan Lindeberg…
listening on: Kendrick Lamar.
...is learning: Arabic.
...watching on: golf and football relax me.

JOHAN LINDEBERG
Family Daughter Blue.
Bor Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
Occupation Fashion designer, photographer and brand builder. Career in brief: Graduated from the Gothenburg School of Economics in 1988. Worked for a while at an advertising agency. Became Swedish distributor and international marketing manager for Diesel in 1990 and head of the brand in the USA and France. Left Diesel in 1996 and started
J. Lindeberg the same year. Left the company in 2007. The same year he started a collaboration with pop star Justin Timberlake and together they created the brand William Rast. Founded the brand BLK DNM in New York in 2011. In 2016–2018 he returned to J. Lindeberg and repositioned the brand. Johan has been named Sweden's most powerful man in men's fashion and has received several internationally prestigious awards. Runs the fashion brand JAY3ELLE together with his daughter Blue, a combination of fashion and sports for the new generation of women.
Current: With the autobiography What I see when I close my eyes. Also available as an audiobook and read by
John himself.