trip recap: scarpa via does scandinavia with jemima hargreaves and lene vibe

most of the designer relationships that matter most to scarpa don’t start with a product list. they started somewhere else first—a studio visit, a friend of a friend, a long lunch that ran into dinner. our buyers travel worldwide, building connections with the designers we carry and exploring the places that inspire them. scarpa via is our way of sharing that part of the job.

this spring, susie returned to scandinavia with a small group for a week with two jewelry designers we love: jemima hargreaves in stockholm and lene vibe in copenhagen. we visited studios, shared meals, saw works in progress, and spent time in the places that shape each designer’s creative lives.

stockholm with jemima hargreaves

we landed on a gray sunday morning, but by the time we reached hotel diplomat, the clouds had burned off and the harbor across the street was full of light. we fought the jet lag with cappuccinos, rhubarb danishes, and roasted vegetable sandwiches from a bakery around the corner. we wandered östermalm for a few hours before turning in to rest up for dinner at riche.

over the next couple days, we explored stockholm. we stopped into a century-old tea shop lined with colorful tins (and left with more tea than intended), spent a sunny morning wandering the gardens of drottningholm palace, and became enamored with the delicate handblown water glasses at ett hem. by the end of lunch, we were seriously discussing a group order.

the reason for the trip, of course, was to visit jemima hargreaves’ stockholm studio. over tea and fresh-picked strawberries, jemi and her team welcomed us and shared a closer look at her newest creations. one of our favorite details was her workbench, covered in literal gold stars carved out of the links from her moa chains. while some guests picked out favorite pieces to bring home, others spent the morning asking questions about materials, process, and the inspiration behind her work.

on our last evening in stockholm, jemima and her team invited us outside the city for dinner at a striking lakeside villa. before the night was over, several members of the group were deep in conversation with jemi designing custom pieces, while others enjoyed a dip in the pool.

copenhagen with lene vibe

from stockholm, we boarded the train to copenhagen and watched the scandinavian countryside roll by.

on our first full day in the city, lene vibe met us at our hotel and gave us a tour of the neighborhood as we walked to her studio. upon arrival, we were greeted by the pearl-adorned pup matilda, who remembered us from last year.

inside the studio, we spent the morning trying on new designs and meeting some of lene's latest creations, including kevin, the diamond-clutching chameleon, who has since made his way to our cases at scarpa. several guests also worked with lene to hand-select pearls and design custom pendants of their own.

over the next few days, lene introduced us to more of the people and places that shape her work. we joined locals celebrating the ascension holiday over smørrebrød and snaps, visited her friend's boutique across the harbor, and met oscar, a giant wooden troll hidden beneath a bridge on one of her favorite beachside walks.

for dinner one night, lene led us to a harborside wine bar with its own sauna. after dinner—and a couple glasses of wine for courage—she talked us into doing something “very danish”: a swim in the baltic sea. we quickly discovered we were the only ones swimming in the frigid water; the locals seemed perfectly happy to watch from the shore. luckily, a sauna was waiting for us afterward.

on our final day in copenhagen, everyone set out to squeeze in a few last to-dos: one more visit with lene to finalize a custom design, lunch from a hot dog stand (emmi’s is the best), and a suitcase full of licorice for the team back at scarpa.

that evening, we gathered for a farewell dinner at gro spiseri, a greenhouse restaurant tucked into an urban rooftop farm. we raised a round of hugo spritzes and enjoyed one last meal together. midway through dinner, a rainbow appeared over the city.

we're grateful to jemima hargreaves, lene vibe, and everyone who joined us for making the trip so memorable. interested in joining us next time?
let us know.