“I like the term,” Stefán Svan tells me when I use the awkward description ‘cancer socks’ for his Mottumars (moustache March) special socks for the Icelandic Cancer Society. These socks are something locals celebrate. And for Stefan, who runs a design studio Stefánsbúð at Laugavegur 7, they are a long time coming.
“We applied last year when they advertised for people with ideas, and we submitted our ideas and they were chosen. So that started almost a year process that it takes.” Stefan details that this is a team effort, and he proudly names his co-designers Anton Kaldal and Linda Loeskowand.
In a society where shoes are removed when entering a house, especially in the winter, I note that supporting cancer awareness with socks seems especially effective.
Stefan has thoughts: “The socks are a way to dress up, especially for people who are wearing specific like clothing, suits or such, for work, for example. And of course, a lot of people also just wear a lot of black or grey, so they use socks, and tends to dress up or to express a bit of joy. I think that’s why this year we made three different versions of the original sock. We made one main sock that was the blue and pinkish one. Then we made three different versions in different colours to elevate, you know, the personal style of each individual.”
For Stefán, this cause is very personal. “My mother fought cancer for over 27 years. So that is my connection with the disease. “ He goes on, “I think everyone has some connection to it.”
Mottumars continues through March, with socks available on their website and at retailers throughout the country. Additional English language cancer society information is available here.
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