From our network of prominent leaders and inspirers, we have interviewed
Neil Lewty – Creative Director – J.Lindeberg
It's been four years since you took on the role of Creative Director at J.Lindeberg.
Yes! I felt immediately attached to the brand. It’s a brand I’ve been looking at for many years. I remember the big store in SOHO, New York, and the fashionshows. From an outsider’s perspective, it always looked like an exciting brand with a lot of heritage.
As a Creative Director - How do you balance creative vision with commercial success in a global market today?
I believe the tension between the design team and the commercial team is essential for achieving the best results. If it's all design, it won’t yield the best outcomes, and the same goes for an approach that's purely business-driven. The balance lies in that creative tension and the ongoing dialogue with the Merchendise Team.
It's a delicate balance, constantly evolving. You need to listen, stay open-minded, and understand the business perspective, while using your creative thinking not just to design garments, but to solve problems and generate new ideas.
Also, remember that if the design doesn’t get translated into a product, no one will ever see it. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing people on the street with your brand’s shoppingbags!
It can be a battle to get there, but the common goal is success. To really embrace that challenge, it has to be a fun part of the job, otherwise, you’ll drive yourself crazy.
How does your working process look like?
There’s always a framework. It starts with looking over your shoulder—meaning, you have to reflect on what’s been done before. Some brands can be very reactive, especially in retail. They can get their numbers and data quickly. But if you’re working for a wholesale-driven company, you’re only as good as the last selling-in season.
It’s always a balance. You need to base your plans on what’s been done before, but you also need to ask: how can we improve on that? Is that approach outdated? If it is, you just let it go and do something new. It’s a continuous conversation and communication—but it’s always worth it.
How do you approach your role as a leader for the creative team?
I like to protect the team a bit, making sure there’s a complete designer environment. It's important to create a relaxed, creative space for them.
People are different, and many designers thrive in spaces where they can listen to music, chat, and spread out their work. In the design room, it’s about freedom. You throw garments on the floor, pull fabrics, make a mess—it’s part of the creative process.
Everywhere I work, I try to create a large room with plenty of space for creative work. Design is physical—you need space to lay things out, review garments, look at fabrics, and discuss ideas. Whether it's a big brand with more space or a smaller one with less, I work with what’s available to give us room to work physically and creatively.
How do you stay ahead of fashion trends while keeping the brand identity
You need to be constantly inspired. Ideally, I aim for at least one purely inspiration trip a year. Over the years, I’ve traveled a lot to Asia—Japan in the past, and more recently, Korea. The trends and the fashion out there, offer a completely different flavor. Now, with Instagram, trends are more accessible, but being in another continent like Asia gives you a different perspective.
What kind of insights do you gain from these trips?
It’s not just about the clothes. It’s also how they present collections in stores and how they market things. There’s so much attention to detail, and it’s always evolving. Traveling allows you to soak in new influences and stay ahead while keeping the brand's essence intact.
Do you have a favorite spot for fashion inspiration?
Seoul, definitely. It’s amazing for sportswear, especially golf—it’s huge there, almost like a national sport. And of course, the fashion and ready-to-wear scene is really strong. They’re ahead in fabric development and use a lot of products that are unique to their home market, which don’t necessarily make it to the rest of the world.
Korean brands are way ahead in many ways, especially when thinking about things end to end. It’s more than just the product—it’s the experience of the brand. They’re masters at building the entire environment around it. Retail is where people connect with the brand emotionally, and they’re just so good at that. Whether it’s a restaurant, a coffee shop, or a fashion brand, in Korea, it’s all about the experience, and that’s what sets them apart.
Do you have a favorite leadership quote?
"Start with the end in mind!" It's something I always tell my design team as well. I ask them to imagine the product on a rail. If it doesn’t look cohesive—if it’s missing texture, color, or fabric quality—it won’t work. Fashion is 90% presentation. A good product is a given, but the way you present and market it can make or break it.
How do you apply that philosophy in your work?
I start by visualizing what the collection will look like on a rail. I think about what I want to communicate with the product, what the highlights are, and how it all fits together. If you don’t begin with that focus, it’s easy to get distracted by everything else. The garment has to speak for itself in the store, so over the years I’ve learned to simplify and distill ideas to their core purpose.
When I say that Sweden has lost a bit of its status as a fashion market, do you agree? Where does Sweden stand today in the fashion world?
I think Sweden still has a distinct flavor—Scandinavian design. It’s always been about quiet luxury, and now that’s trending again. Fashion trends come and go, and I think we’re seeing a resurgence of that understated style now, especially after the recent wave of loud, colorful fashion in the post-pandemic period.
The current world economy is more conservative, and people are less inclined to wear loud clothing. Scandinavian design embodies well-being and simplicity, and as those trends align, I see Scandinavian brands coming back into the spotlight. It feels like a resurgence of what they do best.
Over the past four years, is there something that has stood out to you as a perfect collection or something that made a huge impact for the Brand?
The proudest moment for me has been designing the golf uniforms for the USA team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As a relatively small brand in the sports world, to have the opportunity to create outfits from scratch for 11 of the most successful golfers in the world—it’s amazing. I’ve got an incredibly talented design team, and while the creative direction was fairly straightforward (red, white, and blue for the USA), we worked together to create an outstanding print, accessories, and garments.
The team had four scripted looks for the four days of play. Alongside that, we created a commercial line and provided off-course garments like hoodies and sweatshirts. We even designed a special footwear shoe by adapting our Vent 500 sneaker into an AUSA golf version.
It must have been surreal to see your designs on such a grand stage?
You sort of forget how big the Olympics is until it’s on TV, and then you’re like—Wow! Seeing Scottie Scheffler, the world’s #1 golfer, wearing what we designed and then winning the gold medal—it’s a game-changing moment for the brand.
How do you prefer to spend your free time?
I love to paint. When I have some spare time, I do large-scale, abstract paintings, mostly in black and white. I have a small studio in the attic, where there’s great light from the skylights. Sometimes I sell my work and send it across the world, and other times I make pieces for friends.
Recently, I’ve taken up playing the drums. I do drum lessons on Sundays—it’s a bit of an escape. I’ve played guitar and written music before, so I’m learning more about drumming now. That keeps me busy, along with spending a lot of time with my four-year-old son.
Is there something you can’t live without? (No iPhones or family, though!)
My wedding ring, definitely, along with this other ring I wear every day. I bought it in New York, and it reminds me of my travels and that time in my life. It’s a U.S. Navy ring from when I was into my Ralph Lauren vintage phase.
What else would be on that list?
Music, for sure. It’s something you can always take with you. I grew up in the 90s in England, listening to Oasis, Blur, that whole scene, but recently, I’ve been drawn to electronic music. I love the emotional buildup in dance tracks—the way they start in one place and then hit this euphoric moment. I even worked with a composer to create a dance track for a runway show we did in Copenhagen, inspired by 2000s dance anthems.
Do you listen to music when you get home? What’s your go-to?
Yes, I do! I like to play classical music on Saturday mornings to keep things calm, especially when I’m in the kitchen cooking. On weekends, I use my record player and listen with my sonhe helps me pick out the vinyl records.
In my studio, I’ve got both a CD player and a record player, so maybe I’m a bit of a “back mover” in that sense.
Do you have any role models in your life?
I’ve had many mentors over the years. My wife is definitely one, she’s very pragmatic and has a great balance of creativity and business sense. Then, there are some of my past design bosses and VPs like Hans Stegwarster, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ingo Wilts at Hugo Boss. They’re all very different characters, with unique approaches, but I’ve picked up techniques and ideas from each of them.
You don’t always realize it at the time, but when you’re working on a project, you find yourself applying what you’ve learned from them.
