How would you describe your style? Scandinavian contemporary mixed with multicultural artisan traditions.
Do you remember the first thing you made? Yes, hand crocheted egg warmers to be sold at my school's annual Easter bazaar in 3rd grade. They looked like little Santa hats but were bright yellow and orange!
Before I started making I… I dreamed of having a closet full of lavish ballgowns like the movie stars wore in the old classic Hollywood movies. I loved to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as they glided through their dance numbers- such glamour compared to growing up in 1970s Sweden where practicality and primary colors ruled.
If I weren’t a maker I’d be... A pediatrician
Favorite quote or words to live by: "Learning every day"
If I could run away I’d go… Probably to a small town/village off the coast somewhere. I love the ocean and to be able to explore and walk along a beautiful coastline is something I can never get enough of at any time of the year.
If you could collaborate with one person dead or alive who would it be? Dries van Noten! I started off my career as a clothing designer and I will always love the craft and collaboration it takes to put together a clothing collection the hands-on way. His sense of color, textile and print innovation and interpretation is amazing! And his clothes are very much wearable, functional and confidently feminine. I highly recommend the documentary that came out about him a few years ago.
What would be on your maker’s soundtrack? A medley of a whole bunch of various types of music and artists depending on the mood….Jimi Hendrix, The Clash, Prince, Monica Zetterlund, Bo Kaspers Orkester, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Her, Yebba, Sam Smith, Röyksopp and Quel Bordel by Christian Falk
If you could learn a new skill what would it be? Glass blowing!
What’s your favorite movie? Moonstruck- it makes me smile every time I see it! And it is the only movie where I can actually quote sentences from and do all the time, ask my husband and daughter!
What is your perfect day? Waking up without the alarm, heading into NYC with my husband and daughter and planning the day as we get there. Starting off with a good lunch with friends, visiting an exhibit, then having dinner, preferably at a favorite spot and ending the day with tickets to a last minute show or music performance.
Last book you read? The Vanishing House by Brit Bennett
Favorite scent? Currently is it Mirto Di Panarea by Aqua di Parma- it makes me want to travel to Italy and visit Capri and Sardinia again!
Favorite flower or tree? Peony- I planted a ton of peony bushes when we moved into our house, and I go nuts every year when they bloom and fill up the house with bouquets of peonies!
Favorite artist? I don't have one favorite, I have several across many different mediums. However one of my favorite artists is my friend, Roger Metto. He is a contemporary Swedish painter mainly focusing on Northern Swedish landscape images. His sense of color is absolutely incredible! I'm always drawn to colors first.
What do you see outside your bedroom window? Our backyard
What do you hear right now? The sound of my daughter laughing at a Youtube video or an episode of The Office. She's 13 so she finds (most) everything is funny these days!
Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? Prince at a nightclub in Stockholm, Sweden when he was on tour for the Sign o’ the Times album back in the day.
If money was not a factor how would you live your life? I would still work with what I do, but I would also allow time to travel for fun and explore places I haven’t visited yet. I'd love to have a vacation home in a coastal town/village where we could invite friends and family to come and spend time together. Not sure exactly where it would be, but as long as it's close to an ocean that's key.
Any hidden talents? I have a very good sense of direction and remember places and how to get to them even if I have just visited once. So I do not get lost very easily and am very good at navigating in both cities and in nature if out on a hike for example.
Where did you grow up? I grew up In Stockholm, Sweden.
Favorite time of day? Early mornings between 6am- 7:30am when the house is quiet, or if the weather is nice heading out for a walk and all you hear are the birds and the neighborhood is quiet and still.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I think to be able to fly!! How cool not to have to be squeezed into a too small of a seat at an airplane!! Spur of the moment visits to friends and family and it I would think it would be an eco friendly mode of transportation as well!
Most interesting thing in your liquor cabinet? Home cured vodka/aquavit. In Sweden it is customary to flavor your own vodka according to the season/holiday and I usually have a seasonal flavor in the "works". One of my favorites is the one I do for Midsummer and it is flavored with rhubarb, star-anise, and vanilla bean. Besides adding flavor, the rhubarb also tints the vodka a pretty pale pink color!
What are you currently watching? We are HUGE fans of RuPaul's Drag Race, so we just started to watch the new season!
Favorite thing to cook? I really like to make soups, there is something very comforting about having a big pot of soup simmering on the stove in the wintertime. And in the summertime I opt for making gazpacho using home grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. The other reason I like to make soups is that you can improvise when it come to the ingredients and still make a good wholesome meal out of it.
What are you most thankful for? My family and friends for sure! Especially with having 2020 in hindsight and continuing on into the new year- when so much of what we have taken for granted isn't possible at the moment.
To see more of Johanna’s work, click HERE or his Instagram @johannahowardhome
*Portrait by Mike Karlsson
