Tête-à-Tête with Ane Lynge-Jorlén & May el-Toukhy

03.15.2024

Their enduring friendship began on the first day of school, and despite being residing in different countries, their bond has remained strong, nurtured on in-person meetings and written communication. We invited Ane Lynge-Jorlén, a Nordic fashion scholar leading ALPHA, and May el-Touhky, a fiction film director exploring human relationships, to our flagship boutique in St. Strandstræde for a conversation about friendship, female leadership, and the role that fashion and personal style play a role in their professional lives.

/Please introduce yourselves.

A: Originally, I’m a fashion scholar, with a past in fashion academia in London, Paris and Lund. I have published books and research internationally, and I have taught Fashion Studies at universities. Now, I run ALPHA, a Nordic support organization for emerging fashion designers, and I curate exhibitions on contemporary fashion. I’m passionate about driving conversations on the culture of fashion, which has been treated insufficiently in the Nordics. When I returned to Denmark 10 years ago, I made it my mission to develop the field of fashion culture in the Nordics. I live with my Swedish husband, our daughter and our gorgeous and stubborn dachshund.  

M: I write and direct fiction films and series. I have a film degree from The National Filmschool of Denmark and before that a degree in theatre from The Danish National School of Performing Arts. The projects I gravitate towards often have relations between people at the center. Regardless of arena, the human condition with a touch of otherness is something that informs many of my stories. I live with my partner and daughter in Nørrebro.  

/How did your friendship begin, and how has it evolved over the years?

A:It began on the first day of upper secondary school, and it was an instant mutual infatuation! What started as visual fascination – I thought May was (and is) stunning - was soon deepened by a mutual feeling of outsidership, sharing a special social sensibility and being drawn to the extraordinary. The fascination has never eased off. We have lived in different countries, started families, lost family members, and while work sometimes makes us less frequent, we are each other’s emotional life witnesses. May gets me! 

M: We went to school together and it was love at first sight, at least for me. I remember walking behind Ane from one place to another on the very first day of school. Her fierce determined walk and alpha energy were hypnotizing. I thought to myself: this girl I must befriend! Luckily, we ended up in the same class and the rest is history. Recently I thought about how our friendship is based on an in-person-meeting structure, and in writing. We rarely speak on the phone. I think it stems from the time when Ane lived abroad as a model and later educated herself abroad. It was before cell phones became a given for everyone, and none of us could afford calling each other regularly on landlines, so we did cassette tapes, wrote letters, and met in person when we could. That’s pretty much how our relationship still is, we email and text each other and meet in person. 

/What character trait do you value the most about each other?

A: We share many traits. We’re both extrovert with rich inner lives, and we are highly communicative and enthusiastic about sharing. I love how we can follow a myriad of topics in the same conversation and mix impulsivity and deepness at the same time. May has a shining light, and she really sees people. She is extremely generous, with everything. I really value and admire her creative determination, and she how deals with life.   

M: I admire Ane´s professionalism, her ambition on behalf of her field. She is smarter than most people. Her social bravery is outstanding. She is the perfect guest at a dinner party, any dinner she will slay, in part because she is so immediate and always generous with her compassion. Her ability to shine on others though conversation is second to none. I think that she, in part, inherited that from her mother, Ulla, who is incredible too.  

/As women leaders in your respective fields, how do you support and inspire each other professionally?

A:I’m very inspired by how May navigates conflict with clarity and empathy. In a work context, May has taught me, “people don’t need to like you, as long as they get your vision”. I have repeated that mantra many times. 

M: We share almost everything as it happens…when we don’t it is mostly because we are too busy working away. Because we know each other so well personally we can also help each other sort out what belongs where, in terms of challenges and potential conflicts. What is constructive to do, and what is destructive? What is our own pattern, and what is the actual matter? 

/How do your individual creative processes complement each other?

A:I’m inspired by May’s thorough research process and eagle-eyed approach to authenticity in storytelling. She stands up for her craft, even when it’s unpleasant. At the same time, she really contributes to a warm and welcoming atmosphere where you trust the process.   

M: The dramaturgy of our creative processes is quite alike in the sense that we work ourselves black and blue, and then we premiere, then we rest for a little while, and then we start over again on a new project. Ane has more openings in a year than I have – because it takes longer to finance and pack a film or series than an exhibition or a show, but it is in many ways the same creative cycle we operate in and that’s quite helpful when we swim to the surface for air and reality check with each other. 

/Both of you are mothers to daughters. What values do you strive to instill in your daughters?

A: Empowerment, self-love and diligence.

M: Make things matter and be passionate but let go of trying to be perfect. It is a battle you can’t win, and it will rob you from being able to celebrate your endeavors when you are constantly looking for imperfections.

/What advice would you like to give a young person starting out in your respective fields?

A: Don’t give up and go abroad. My field didn’t exist in the Nordics when I started. I was part of the first wave of fashion scholars and curators of contemporary fashion in the Nordics. Talent can only get you so far; you must also put in the hours.

M: Be curious and on time. 

/How does fashion and personal style play a role in your professional lives?

A: It plays a huge part. Creativity, aesthetics, art, and self-expression are part of my work, and how I dress can’t be separated from my professional interests.   

M: I often think of my clothes as a story I am telling about my mood any given day - subconsciously. I dress so that I do not have to think about what I am wearing when I am wearing it. I seldomly show much skin and I am also very aware of the sound of my clothes. I like fabrics that aren’t noisy. I think it’s a work hazard – it´s impractical to wear noisy clothes when shooting a film or a series, because of sound recordings. I prefer to be inaudible as a thief and able to observe in the quiet. 

/Describe your go-to uniform?

A: A paired down silhouette with unusual and off-kilter details. I like slightly bonkers details and deconstruction within a minimalist framework.  

M: Trousers with a high waist, oversized blazer and/or sweater, boots with a heel when I am not shooting. No heels when shooting and a lot more canvas and outdoorsy workwear, because shooting is a cold, messy and dirty business.  

/Can you each recommend a piece of culture (movie, music, art, literature, etc.) perfect for welcoming spring?

A: I’m into El Perro del Mar’s latest album, Big Anonymous, and Marie Lund’s joint exhibition with Rosalind Nashashibi at Den Frie – and, of course, Liminal Objects. Contemporary Critical Fashion at Le Bicolore in Paris, curated by yours truly (blowing my own trumpet).  

M: Watch the movie, ANATOMY OF A FALL. A cathartic cinematic experience. What better way to greet a new season? 