Per Holknekt



  RAGS TO STICHES

Per Holknekt, co-founder of Odd Molly Intnl.



                                                                                Photo: Robert Eldrim


On March 25th of 2002, Per Holknekt calls in friend Karin Jimfelt-Ghatan to help illustrate a freelance design idea for a large advertising firm. Per verbalizes his idea for a good 45 minutes, Karin sketches and at the end of the meeting flips her papers to show. The interpretation is unbelievable and brand meets design in immediate goosebumpy love. 15 minutes later the two have framed the feeling, named it Odd Molly, hugged, shook hands and even phoned the authorities to register the brand name. It was an unexpected outcome of a meeting with another purpose and the two caught this magic, volley style. Odd Molly was born. A courageous fashion designer brand set to highlight the female qualities in a deeper perspective.

7 years later Odd Molly is an international success story with almost 2000 retailers’ world wide. Supermodel Helena Christensen fronts the international brand campaigns and the corporation is a public share at the Stockholm stock exchange. Odd Molly is designer of the year and wins numerous awards on top of this.

What the story does not tell is that only 2 years prior to the birth of this business, Per Holknekt was homeless with the rehab institution as his only shelter.

Per is from farmland northern Sweden, a top kid student raised in the best of circumstances, a young wildminded go-my-own-way entrepreneur always eager to bring his ideas into reality.

Per joined the mandatory army in 1979 but got kicked out early as “a terrible soldier, but a hell of a good comrad”. Compliments as fine as they get, Per says. Instead he moved to California to skateboard professionally.
He got involved with product development with his sponsors in 1981 and this was also the birth of his involvement in fashion. The party lifestyle turned ugly and Per moved back home in 1985 after a couple of close-call overdoses, gang related danger living and anything that was not how he intended to live his life.

In 1988 Per started importing the skateboarding lifestyle that he had been part of shaping and he got more involved in the clothing side of skating. His business was booming and the strongly financed abuse started to once more take a greater share of Pers powers. In 1997 Per founded “Elle Rookie of the year” brand Svea, a brand he chose to give up late 1999 when his life fell apart over night. Going from having everything to absolutely nothing, ending up in the streets, spending his solitary winter nights in a forest in the southern outskirts of Stockholm City. Far away from the glamour, the big money, friends and family.

Come April 4th of 2010 Per celebrates his comeback 10th year sober. Life has come back quality style and conscience driven Per now co-runs his business in grand style with a development unheard of.

On his spare time Per is today a pilot, he is currently the no19 rank pinball player of the world and travels the planet for the prime sports fishing spots.