Bäckadräkten is Sweden's first unisex folk costume, designed in 2022 by musician Fredy Clue and textile designer Ida Björs. The design merges elements that are traditionally considered either male or female, like the vest that is also a bodice and the culottes that present as a skirt. Bäcka means 'stream', referring to the primary theme of flowing water present throughout the outfit. It otherwise borrows heavily from older folk costumes representing regions throughout Sweden. Clue said Bäckadräkten is intended to invite wider participation in Swedish folk traditions by providing an outfit that is not restricted to any specific gender or geographic area.
Creator Fredy Clue wearing Bäckadräkten and holding a nyckelharpa
Swedish folk costumes from a 1908 encyclopedia
Fredy Clue and Ida Björs [sv] designing Bäckadräkten in 2022
Creator Fredy Clue wearing and lecturing about Bäckadräkten in 2022
Fredy Samuel Lundh, known professionally as Fredy Clue, is a Swedish folk musician and artist from Gothenburg. Educated at the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Gothenburg, Clue later began performing on stage. Playing the nyckelharpa as a solo act, Clue uses sound sampling and looping effects to produce layered soundscapes. Their lyrics and spoken word are often inspired by their non-binary gender identity. Their debut EP, Vill du Leka?, was released in 2023. Clue also plays in two folk quartets, Furuhill and Woodlands+Bäckafall, and volunteers for nonprofit organizations that support the folk arts in Sweden.
Clue wearing Bäckadräkten, 2022
Fredy Clue at Skeppet GBG in Gothenburg in 2022
Fredy Clue and Ida Björs [sv] designing Bäckadräkten in 2022