Since its inception in 2016, CDLP has been revolutionising men’s underwear and basics, taking it from the overlooked throw-on-item to the starting point of getting ready for every stylish man. Mobilité is the brands new range of sportswear essentials. Here, its founders Christian Larson and Andreas Palm discuss the new collection and campaign—which stars actor, director and martial artist, Dolph Lundgren…
Why should men choose CDLP? What makes this range stand out from the competitors?
Andreas Palm: We approached it as if we were consumers, because we are. We couldn’t find underwear from a brand that we could commit to, so we thought why can’t we feel good about ourselves when we put on underwear and feel confident in whatever we are about to do? The essentials were always the weakest link in every outfit, so we wanted to make them better. That’s how we started.
Christian Larson: With regards to the Mobilité range specifically, the silhouette is what really sets it apart. It’s boxier, with that sturdy thickness we like from the more retro garments of the Michael Jordan era. It’s also important to mention the innovation of fabrics. We have used recycled organic cotton and blended into this unique mix that doesn’t really exist on the market.
Was your design process for Mobilité different from the other ranges of underwear, socks, swim, etc?
CL: No, it’s the same. We don’t work with collections, so we can take time to perfect things. The process always starts with a very clear purpose. What is it for? We always try to make the product the best in its category. As part of that, we look at brand responsibility, which we refer to as innovation. How can we innovate the way it’s made? How it’s made, where it’s made, and what it’s made of?
Are there any items in the collection that stand out for you and why?
CL: We love the red set, it’s such a f*g extreme colour that we don’t usually do but we just love it, it feels right for the range.
AP: The black hoodie too, every man needs a good black hoodie. I wear that the most and the half zip as you don’t see another brand doing that.
What made you cast Dolph Lundgren for the new campaign?
CL: When we started CDLP we really wanted to portray men that were living their own dream and weren’t confined into doing the traditional careers that men are often expected to do. We disregard the trendy factor, or age, and instead look at their actual character and whether they have walked their own path. Not that many Swedish guys made as big a global impact as Dolph did. As a boxer, Andreas looked up to Dolph, and I remember loving the fact that he was with Grace Jones. They were one of the first interracial couples I remember seeing.
You describe the CDLP Mobilité collection as being “built for well-being” what do you both do to ensure your personal well-being?
CL: It has been a process for both of us to choose to prioritise the well-being of both our body and minds. For me it involves cycling and meditation—a balance of physical and mental training.
AP: I think we both try and do physical activity we feel passionate rather than what we are forced to do.
I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Mental wellbeing is also something we’ve both seen the value in. Gratitude is a big thing, as is being present. CDLP is a dream come true for us and we want to appreciate it where we are now, not in five years’ time.
Did you imagine the brand would reach this level of success when you started out?
CL: The simple answer is ‘yes’.
AP: We had huge ambition—we wanted to create something great. When you start out,
you can only look so far into the future and we have passed what we imagined it could be. Not in terms of numbers or success but looking around at the talented people within our team. I was able to clearly see a five-year plan, but we have surpassed that now and are now in unknown territory.
CL: Everything, all of it.
AP: A defining factor for us is talent. I didn’t realise how hard it is to bring in talent. People working at Acne won’t leave to join a start-up. As you grow, it gets easier but we are in a continuous fight for people who are better than us. We need people who are better than us in each position to build this company the way we want.
CL: We want to make the best product out there and it’s not possible to do that if you don’t have the best people out there.
The brand uses organic, regenerated and recycled materials in this and other collections, how important is this to you?
CL: For us it’s essential. Period. We don’t do it to be “sustainable”, that’s a boring word. We try to look at it from the angle of innovation. We need to make things better for the customer, for us, but also the world. This industry hasn’t flourished on innovation, it has flourished on trend and look and consumption so, for us, innovation has always been key.
The brands history and HQ is very European.
Why is the Middle East an important market?
CL: We started this brand because we wanted to make a global impact. We didn’t want to start a brand for just Sweden or Europe. We want to share it with the world. The Middle East is always a market we have been interested in—it’s such an important part of the world driven by innovation and newness.
AP: We started in Sweden, but we were never just a Swedish brand. We have a great partnership in the Middle East, such as Harvey Nichols, and we see great traction online too.
We don’t design for a specific nationality, but for a man we believe exists all over the world.
The new range is available in Harvey Nichols. Who is the CDLP man that will go in and buy it?
CL: It’s that guy that identifies with what the brand is and what we stand for. The customer has always been the focus, he lives in Sydney, New York, Abu Dhabi, Stockholm, he is bored of the way men are seen and knows masculinity can be portrayed in so many different and dynamic ways.
AP: The guy is a global citizen that pays more attention to the choices he makes than on what he wears. From underwear into a full lifestyle range
What can we expect in the future?
CL: It was important for me and Andreas to expand from underwear. Now we have launched the programmes that we have always believed in, homeware, swim, sportswear. We are not going to expand to any other programmes for now but go deeper, with more focus on each one.
What motivates you to carry on designing and building the brand?
CL: I think it’s a naiveness to want to make a global impact with our brand. To engage people enough to try us and experience what we believe is something that can’t be found elsewhere.
CDLP’s Mobilité range is available at Harvey Nichols—Dubai