Opera singer Hreinn Líndal dressed President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir at the beginning of her presidency.
Morgunblaðið/Árni Sæberg
Opera
singer
Hreinn
Líndal
was
responsible
for
dressing
former
President
Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir
during
her
early
years
in
office.
Their
professional
relationship
blossomed
into
a
lasting
friendship,
and
Líndal
enlisted
top
fashion
houses
like
Cerruti
1881,
Valentino,
and
Hermès
to
design
her
wardrobe.
“
At
the
time
Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir
was
elected
president,
I
was
running
the
fashion
house
H.
Líndal
on
Skólavörðustígur,”
says
Líndal. “
This
was
in
the
early
1980s,
and
my
store
was
styled
after
the
high-
end
fashion
boutiques
of
Europe.
I
had
strong
ties
with
fashion
houses
in
France
and
Italy
and
was
committed
to
offering
the
finest
products.
My
collection
featured
an
extensive
range
from
Cerruti
1881,
as
well
as
pieces
from
Hermès
and
Valentino.”
Líndal
says
he
felt
compelled
to
help
the
newly
elected
president
with
her
attire,
especially
given
his
connections
with
these
prestigious
designers. “
I
reached
out
to
her,
and
she
was
very
grateful,”
he
recalls. “
I
have
fond
memories
of
those
years
and
of
Vigdís
Bjarnadóttir,
who
worked
in
the
President’s
Office
for
a
long
time.”
Their
collaboration
began
when
President
Finnbogadóttir
visited
his
store.
They
discussed
her
wardrobe
needs
and
the
official
visits
on
her
calendar. “
I
remember
taking
a
lovely
outdoor
photograph
of
her,
which
I
sent
to
the
designers
and
tailors
I
worked
with,
so
they
could
get
a
sense
of
who
she
was.”
”
In m
y m
ind,
I w
as d
ressing
a q
ueen”
For
the
president’s
first
official
visit—
an
invitation
from
Queen
Margrethe
of
Denmark—
Líndal
wanted
to
create
something
special.
With
more
than
200
international
photographers
expected
at
a
formal
dinner,
he
knew
the
moment
demanded
a
standout
piece.
“
I
traveled
to
Florence,
which
was
a
major
hub
for
fashion
at
the
time
and
home
to
Valentino’s
headquarters,”
he
says. “
There
I
met
two
elegant
older
women
who
ran
the
store.
They
considered
it
a
great
honor
for
Valentino
to
design
a
dress
for
the
world’s
first
elected
female
president.”
Mrs.
Finnbogadóttir
wore
the
dress
at
Queen
Margrethe’s
banquet,
delivering
a
beautiful
speech
and
leaving
a
strong
impression. “
She
looked
like
royalty.
I
was
immensely
proud.
In
my
mind,
I
was
dressing
a
queen,”
says
Líndal. “
She
was
extraordinarily
beautiful,
with
a
warm
and
graceful
personality.
Everything
she
did,
she
did
with
care.
She
always
carried
herself
with
poise.”
As
a
gesture
of
thanks,
she
later
gave
him
a
Royal
Copenhagen
vase.
A c
urator
of
beauty
Líndal’s
home
reflects
his
refined
taste—
filled
with
carefully
chosen
items,
the
scent
of
Bvlgari
perfume
in
the
air,
and
a
grand
piano
inviting
music
into
the
space.
He
typically
wears
garments
from
Loro
Piana,
an
Italian
luxury
fashion
house
known
for
its
fine
fabrics.
“
I’ve
always
had
an
eye
for
beautiful
clothing,”
he
says. “
And
dressing
Mrs.
Finnbogadóttir
was
never
difficult.
I
insisted
on
working
only
with
fashion
houses
that
would
design
with
her
personality
and
international
role
in
mind.
Every
garment
had
to
be
unique—
no
mass
production.
That
was
part
of
the
agreement.”
The b
lue
Valentino d
ress
of
water s
ilk
One
of
Líndal’s
favorite
pieces
was
the
iconic
blue
silk
dress
that
the
president
wore
during
her
visit
to
King
Carl
Gustaf
of
Sweden.
“
I
sketched
out
the
concept
and
took
it
to
the
Valentino
team.
They
designed
it
to
her
measurements,
based
on
the
photograph
I
always
carried.
The
dress
had
thick
velvet
sleeves,
so
I
commissioned
a
matching
cape
made
of
water
silk.
A
small
doll
was
later
created
wearing
that
dress,
which
I
still
cherish.”
He
also
recalls
another
dress
worn
by
Mrs.
Finnbogadóttir
when
she
sat
beside
Nancy
Reagan
at
the
wedding
of
Princess
Diana
and
Prince
Charles. “
It
was
a
rose-
colored
silk
dress,
and
since
she
wasn’t
fond
of
hats,
I
had
a
beautiful
headpiece
made
to
match.”
Another
favorite
piece
was
a
jacket
from
Hermès. “
She
wore
it
often—
it
suited
her
perfectly.”
A l
ifelong f
riendship
Their
collaboration
led
to
a
deep
and
lasting
friendship. “
When
I
think
of
Mrs.
Finnbogadóttir,
I
feel
warmth,
gratitude,
and
respect.
From
the
beginning,
we
shared
a
loyal
bond.
I
made
many
visits
to
Bessastaðir,
which
she
turned
into
a
true
home.
There
was
always
warmth
there.”
What
did
she
teach
him? “
Gratitude,
respect,
and
trust.
She
also
modeled
tireless
dedication
and
always
gave
her
best.”
Self-r
espect
in
dressing w
ell
Líndal
firmly
believes
that
national
leaders—
and
citizens—
should
dress
with
dignity. “
Wearing
proper
clothing
to
events
like
the
theater
or
weddings
is
a
way
of
showing
respect,
both
to
others
and
to
oneself.”
How
does
he
see
the
dress
code
today
compared
to
back
then?
“
Sometimes
I
feel
that
respect
is
fading,”
he
says. “
When
I
look
at
Alþingi,
for
example,
I
think
all
the
men
should
wear
ties.
It
shows
respect
for
their
role
and
for
the
people
they
represent.”
Now,
he
doesn’t
buy
many
new
clothes,
but
he
still
has
a
well-
kept
wardrobe. “
I
don’t
follow
trends—
I
just
stay
true
to
myself.
I’ve
learned
that
you
can’t
change
others,
only
yourself.
And
clothing
does
make
the
person.
It’s
always
worth
remembering:
buying
cheap
can
turn
out
to
be
expensive—
for
both
your
wallet
and
the
environment.”