By Jesse Scott
Even in a globalized fashion landscape, it is not often you encounter the synthesis of minimalist Scandinavian elegance with fine Indian embroidery. Linda Augustsson has a fascinating story to tell and a richly developed vision that she is bringing to life with her brand Scarlett Poppies.
Moving from Sweden to India at the age of twenty-five, she immediately fell in love with the country’s craftsmanship and culture and embarked on an international fashion journey that would see her found and manage a leading buying agency before becoming a designer and launching her own brand. Now almost six years old, that brand, Scarlett Poppies, brings together East and West while embodying an effortless elegance that can shift between the streets of New York and the beaches of Ibiza. It is also profoundly representative of Linda’s own values and deep passion for her adopted home. Prior to the launch of her Summer 2025 Island Reverie collection, Linda sat down with Rain’s Jesse Scott to talk about her start in the industry, how her brand’s aesthetic has developed over the seasons, and how she finds harmony in cultural contrasts.
Jesse Scott: Your love affair with India began over twenty years ago, well before you founded Scarlett Poppies. What initially inspired your passion for India and led you to integrate yourself in the country's rich textile industry?
Linda Augustsson: It began with my curiosity about moving away from Sweden and exploring something different and unpredictable. I moved to India when I was just twenty-five; I had landed a dream job that took me there to set up a liaison office for one of Sweden's biggest clothing companies. This move came with mixed feelings of fear of not fitting in, culture shock and imposter syndrome, not knowing whether I would be able to deliver what was expected given that I was so young and inexperienced. But the moment I arrived in Delhi, I was immediately drawn into the vibrant culture, deep textile traditions, and a sense that there was so much more to learn beyond the conventional fashion world I came from.
In early 2002, I founded Continuum Buying Agency from our living room in Delhi. I had a dream of promoting beautiful, Indian novelty products to brands around the globe while sustaining unique artisanal craftsman skills for future generations in India. From the very first day, we found our niche in the market and bridged Indian craftsmanship with global fashion expectations.
Tell me about your experience founding one of India's top design and buying agencies. Which philosophies and values were at the heart of the project? What were the major challenges you faced along the way? Finally, how has your expertise in this different sector of the industry informed your work on Scarlett Poppies?
When I started Continuum at 27, I wanted to challenge the status quo. Back then, buying agencies were mostly about pushing prices down and rushing deliveries. There was space for something different: an agency rooted in quality, design sensitivity, and long-term partnerships. Integrity, accountability, and team spirit became our cornerstones, along with always aiming to amaze and inspire our customers with the best product India could offer.
Over the years we have worked with both smaller boutique brands and some of the biggest retail chains in the world – all of them finding value in the beautiful craftmanship of India and the Scandinavian level of services.
Building Continuum was not without obstacles; navigating a vastly different work culture, dealing with unreliable infrastructure, and earning trust as a foreign woman entrepreneur in a male-dominated and at the time also extremely patriarchal society were all uphill battles. But over time, those very challenges taught me resilience, the value of staying focused and the opportunities that come from being genuinely enthusiastic about design and beautiful products. India carries an incredible energy not to be found anywhere else, and I understood early on that I thrive in its chaos and creativity.
This foundation was crucial when I founded Scarlett Poppies in October 2019. Understanding the inner engineering of textile production, the craftsmanship behind embroidery, and the real potential of Indian artistry has allowed me to design with intention and create collections that feel soulful, globally relevant, and commercially sharp. The many lessons from Continuum and all stakeholders involved has also taught me what exactly I want Scarlett Poppies to stand for, not just in terms of product aesthetics but also behind the scenes and our values.
How do you blend Scandinavian and Indian sensibilities in your designs?
It is about contrast and harmony. I follow my gut instinct for what feels right to us as a brand. Scandinavian design taught me to value restraint, function, and timelessness. India gave me the gift of novelty, detail, texture, and expressive craftsmanship; endless opportunities to create newness with just a needle and thread.
At Scarlett Poppies, the two worlds meet: cleaner silhouettes meet intricate hand embroidery, neutral palettes are lit up by artisanal accents, and every piece is rooted in quality, not trend. The result is a kind of quiet luxury that is easy to wear but layered with meaning.
Tell me about your spring collection, Jardin d’Eden.
Jardin d’Eden, which draws its soul from two extraordinary sources of inspiration. Both are discovered in places where art and spirituality coexist. The first: Kevin Dean’s awe-inspiring mosaic floral artwork, a masterpiece of precision and symbolism. The second: an antique, stone-inlaid marble table I stumbled upon in a dusty Delhi shop years ago; its craftsmanship so intricate, it felt like a hidden garden carved in stone.
From those two moments, we created a collection that celebrates renewal and quiet power. Jardin d’Eden is a modern homage to paradise where luxury meets lightness, and every garment feels like an invitation to begin again. Whether worn at a barefoot beach soirée or an intimate summer celebration, these pieces are designed to quietly leave a lasting and unmistakable collection.
Florals in this line are more than decorative; they are symbolic. They speak to transformation, resilience, and the eternal rhythm of growth. We have translated these motifs into delicate cutwork, lace appliqué, and engineered embroidery that flows like architecture made soft.
I see a real flow between these looks and your forthcoming summer collection. What does Summer 2025 mean to you and where do you foresee your effortlessly elegant looks being worn?
As we continue the season and step into high summer, we shift into the world of Island Reverie—a sun-soaked tribute to the bohemian spirit of Ibiza. This collection is rooted in authenticity, artistic expression, and tactile luxury. Inspired by the textures of Mediterranean interiors and island landscapes, Island Reverie blends natural fabrics with artisanal techniques—from macramé and embroidery to breezy silhouettes that move with ease. Here, texture becomes an experience, and every piece is crafted to capture that free-spirited sense of escape. It is a collection made for golden days, sea air, and warm nights. It is also a celebration of timeless summer beauty grounded in comfort, intention, and understated elegance.
From Ibiza to New York to the Hamptons to Lisbon, we see these effortlessly chic looks worn by women who lead with confidence and express their individuality through style. They seek pieces that feel free-spirited yet refined, lightweight, artisanal, and sophisticated without ever trying too hard. For them, fashion is not about trends but about telling a story. Each Scarlett Poppies piece becomes part of that narrative, where craftsmanship meets freedom, and elegance is worn with ease.