Larson and Palm are both recovering from Covid-19 and are visibly spent during our video conversation. They are, however, quite pragmatic about the way that Sweden has dealt with the disease by aiming to have everyone contract the virus to create herd immunity.
The two old friends founded CDLP in 2016 after noticing that underwear was more of an afterthought for most men. The name of the label is an acronym of a French saying, cadeau de la providence, which roughly translates as “gift from God”.
“At that time, the underwear market had been forgotten and was dominated by big brands and produced on license. It was a very stereotypical view of men,” Larson says. “All the big brands were hyper-manufactured and about marketing; it was a perspective of men and masculinity that felt dated and all this advertising did nothing. It was boring and everything looked the same.”
Larson, who acts as creative director, has a background in video direction and photography and has worked with brands such as Cartier, Pepsi and Mercedes-Benz. Palm, the company’s CEO, is a long-time entrepreneur.
The duo spent more than two years looking for the right material for their products. They eventually homed in on lyocell, a breathable cellulose fabric that is naturally antibacterial and moisture-wicking – pulling moisture away from the body through the fabric so it can evaporate – and has a low impact on the environment.
While responsible practices have been at the core of the brand from day one, Larson and Palm never wanted to define CDLP by its sustainability credentials, believing that ultimately they had a product to sell and that factors such as comfort, durability and aesthetics had to come first.
“We ensure that it’s a responsibly created product but it doesn’t have to be our raison d’être or our key selling point,” Larson says. “If customers don’t buy it there’s no point and you can’t make a difference, so you have to care about the experience and the fabric.”
From the campaign shoots, which feature no models but real friends or acquaintances “who happen to be good looking”, to the masculine and laid-back vibe of the products and brand visuals, CDLP stays away from the fabricated look typical of the underwear industry – a sector the pair believe is ripe for innovation and disruption.
As the two see it, after men began to get experimental with things like watches, socks and their grooming habits, underwear was the last category that they felt comfortable exploring.
“There was a change in the new generation that started to care about underwear as they wanted to look good and cared about what they wore underneath their clothes,” Larson says. “Women would buy underwear based on occasion and mood and would buy it emotionally; they wanted to feel a certain way and match their outfits and wouldn’t wear the same style every day. So we wanted men to feel that same connection.”
The brand, which the two initially self-funded before raising outside capital to propel growth, quickly gained traction, attracting top online retailers such as Mr Porter and Matches Fashion, department stores Selfridges in London and Lane Crawford in Asia.While direct sales from the website make up the bulk of the business, the co-founders believe that the validation of being available at one of these top stores is priceless, bringing awareness and a level of prestige that customers recognise.
Larson and Palm believe that in hard times like this people gravitate towards brands that offer long-lasting and well-made wardrobe staples that also make you look good, even within the confines of your home.
“We started with underwear but wanted to create a collection of products that started from the inside out. It was always going to be about essentials so it was natural to start with underwear and then socks, T-shirts, swimwear and so on,” Larsonsays.
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“We call it ‘homewear’: it’s the crossover between sleepwear and elevated loungewear. Loungewear has always been about how you come home to dress down but we wanted to make items that make you feel like dressing up at home, so it’s like the feeling of a suit that you can sleep in.”
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