Beata Rydbacken’s OVER THE TOP Accessory Design

A new fashion language from Beata Rydbacken

Beata Rydbacken is a Swedish emerging fashion designer known for her oversized hair clips, hyperrealistic hair accessories, and playful visual universe. Her unique style quickly went viral on Instagram. Rydbacken gained attention through exaggerated accessories. These blur the line between fashion object, styling experiment, and internet image.

The success of her oversized clips and ultra-realistic hair scarf eventually led to the creation of a custom hairpiece for Rosalía. This further expanded her growing presence within contemporary fashion culture. Through nostalgia, humor, distorted proportions, and unconventional styling, Rydbacken builds a fashion universe. In it, everyday details become surreal and highly recognizable objects.

IRK: At what point does an idea become “wearable” for you, and do you even see wearability as a constraint? 

Beata Rydbacken: I think if you want to wear something, anything really, you can. Like, you can put a bucket on your head and call it a hat!

IRK: What are the core inspirations behind your practice? How do they translate into the visual language and identity of your brand? 

Beata Rydbacken: My inspiration comes from just living life! Hanging out with my friends and family, and being online and constantly consuming media. I’m just having fun and not taking myself or my work too seriously, which I think, or hope, is visible in my designs and brand.  

IRK: Your universe and design accessories often evoke a sense of childhood, girlhood, and friendship. How do these themes influence your creative process, and are they rooted in personal memories or more collective emotions? 

Beata Rydbacken: I had a very Tumblr-compatible childhood, so these references I like to experiment with all have a very special place in my heart. This is true for so many of us 20-somethings. Nostalgia is such a powerful emotion. If you put just the perfect amount of it in a design, it can really elevate the most plain T-shirt. As a result, it can turn it into something important for a whole generation.

IRK: Many of your accessory designs play with scale, enlarging everyday objects to the point of absurdity. What draws you to this distortion, and how does shifting scale change the way a body interacts with the garment? 

Beata Rydbacken: I used to be obsessed with being tiny, like minimal, but I think that’s where this interest comes from. I just love how you can take the most subtle little detail, distort it a little bit, and it gives a classic garment a whole new look and silhouette.

IRK: You often rework familiar objects, such as hair clips, zippers, braids, or hair, into something unexpected. Are these transformations driven more by memory and childhood references, or by a desire to disrupt their original function and meaning? 

Beata Rydbacken: I see myself as a spokesperson for the small, forgotten-about details. I give them a voice, and the space and attention they deserve!

IRK: Your work is highly recognizable and circulates widely through images, especially on social media. Do you consciously design with the final image in mind, and how do you shape or control the visual identity of your brand through photography? 

Beata Rydbacken: I think a final image is actually the only thing I have in my mind when I design. The how-to-get-there part is always a journey full of surprises. I try to keep the visual identity very relaxed, and I try to stay far away from perfectionism. Because of this, it’s a very forgiving aesthetic to have, which is very nice.

IRK: There’s a strong narrative dimension in your work; you’re not just designing accessories or garments, but building a world. How do you construct that universe, and what role does storytelling play in your process? 

Beata Rydbacken: The world that is a brand is equally as important as the products of a brand. For a long time the storytelling of what my brand is has been my main focus. I applied to be a part of Stockholm Fashion Week last year, and they were like “what do you even do?” and declined because I had no real products, only a sewing machine and a vision.

IRK: What were the starting points and key themes behind the Beata Rydbacken 2025 collection? How did these ideas evolve throughout the design process into a coherent body of work while still keeping your experimental approach intact? 

Beata Rydbacken: That whole collection was made from deadstock fabrics and upcycled garments, and that was what shaped the final looks. I think it’s beautiful to let what is available shape what the garment will become. When I made that collection, the 2016 aesthetic was not yet peak trending. Because of this, I bought Victoria’s Secret yoga pants for like €1 and turned them into a jacket for a dog, etc. The presence of nostalgia in the collection was just something that happened organically in that way.

IRK: Beata Rydbacken your work is often very colorful, with bold patterns and a mix of contrasting materials. How do you approach color, print, and texture, and what role do they play in shaping the energy and identity of your design pieces and accessories? 

Beata Rydbacken: I think you expect certain things from different colors, prints and textures, and it’s fun to experiment with that. 

IRK: Looking ahead, how do you see your universe evolving? Do you imagine expanding into new formats, or pushing even further the radical ideas that define your work today?

Beata Rydbacken: I want to find a balance between everyday wearables and radical ideas. I’d love for this brand to evolve into something that can do both.

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Photography: © Beata Rydbacken