Lisbeth Salander may be the most memorable Swede since Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman.
Not bad for a fictional character. Salander, a computer hacker and loner, is the heroine of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the first book in Stieg Larsson's bestselling trilogy, and now of a film starring newcomer Rooney Mara. She also inspired H&M's Dragon Tattoo Collection by Trish Summerville, a hotly anticipated line that hit select stores last week.
Call it nocturnal style, says Summerville, who designed the film's costumes and the H&M line. "Sweden in winter has, like, two hours of daylight, so, as a computer hacker, [Salander is] up all night. She's not trying to be stylish."
Her film wardrobe, in fact, features dirty and distressed skinny jeans, leather jackets and torn tees. For H&M, Summerville cleaned things up. Yet, she's right on trend. Tough-girl chic was a major fall look from lines like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Alexander McQueen.
"I didn't want to do crazy goth clothes," Summerville says. "I wanted to show how you can take a few key pieces and make them your own."
Like a denim jacket with faux leather sleeves that Summerville pictures atop a dress. Or Army pants with calf zippers -- perfect with high heels and a blazer, she says.
While Minnesota H&M stores only have a few of the T-shirts, here are some fave pieces from the line, plus tough-girl items from other brands.
"We all wish we had a little piece of Salander, whether it's her ferociousness, her drive or moral code," Summerville says. Or, at least, her denim. And maybe her leather.
