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Ganni’s absence from Copenhagen Fashion Week’s schedule this season is big news. For a decade now the brand’s runway presentations have been the must-see anchor of the ever-growing and standard-setting season.
Since Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup’s August 2014 runway debut, at a tennis court, Ganni’s shows have become ever more ambitious, if more focused on spectacle than clothes. One collection was shown on a pier at sunset and featured a star turn by Danish BMX champion Malene Kejlstrup Sørensen; another was staged atop local landmark Copenhill (a heat and power waste-to-energy plant with hiking and skiing facilities); and last season the runway was lined with AI-powered talking trees, a timely innovation that was also Instagram gold. While Ganni is not the oldest fashion business in Copenhagen, or even the biggest, it rapidly went global after the Refffstrups took charge of the company in 2009 and introduced global Millennials and Gen Z types to Danish fashion.
So, again, Ganni not being on the schedule is a big deal. Lots of people are wondering if the brand is planning to show in Paris, like Cecilie Bahnsen now does. “I think the best answer is that we are definitely not going to leave shows. We are coming back to that format,” said Reffstrup on a call.
But for now, the brand is focused on giving back to the fashion week that they’ve headlined so long with an exhibition, “Future, Talent, Fabrics,” featuring commissioned work by new talents using materials developed through the Fabrics of the Future initiative the brand established in 2021. Reffstrup makes clear that this is a stand-alone project: “It’s like apples and peas, comparing the shows that we’ve done to the exhibition; and it wasn’t our intent to have it replace a show.” The team has created a collection as usual, which will be shown by appointment.
By coincidence Ganni’s decision to rethink its approach to fashion coincides with a stocktaking moment of a completely different magnitude: Margrethe II recently abdicated Denmark’s throne and was succeeded by King Frederik. It was a moment of national pride and unity and surely amplified the feeling of nostalgia that emerged, Ditte explained, after the decision had been made not to show. The new regent’s motto, “Forbundne, forpligtet, for Kongeriget Danmark” (“Connected, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark”), with its emphasis on accord and connection, is being put into action by the Reffstrups’ decision to give something back to the local fashion community.
Working with CPHFW’s New Talent program, the team selected seven emerging Danish artists and designers to support through the exhibition, which will be presented at Nikolaj Art Gallery, a repurposed church adjacent to Ganni’s headquarters. This is by design; buyers will proceed to the showroom after seeing the exhibition, where they can place orders. The brand is hosting a dinner to introduce the talents to an international audience, and the exhibition will be open to the public.
The exhibition,” notes Reffstrup, “is very close to the Ganni DNA. We’ve been doing a lot of collabs [among them with Ester Manas and Priya Ahluwalia. It’s not only us giving, it also goes the other way around; it’s super inspiring for us.” Some of the seven, such as Nicklas Skovgaard, have worked with Ganni on projects before, “maybe it’s because Copenhagen is so small, that’s the charming part about [it].”
“Future, Talent, Fabrics” not only gives a showcase to the independent creatives who will shape the future of Danish fashion, it also puts a spotlight on the innovations that helped achieve B Corp certification. “It’s like a talent incubator, but with fabrics,” notes Reffstrup. “At this current moment, we have some 30 different partners that we’re speaking to. Some are at super early stages, they don’t even have a woven fabric yet, they just have a thread that they’ve been able to produce very limited quantities of.” The popular Ganni Bou bag, for example, is made using 85% Ohoskin, an alterna-leather made from waste created by orange and cacti farming in Sicily, and 15% recycled polyester.
The group of seven Danes whose work is in focus had free reign regarding design and choice of future fabrics. In some cases they have chosen to present their “Ganni look,” or an iteration of it, on their own catwalks. Ganni has shared a first look of the exhibition with Vogue Runway and the talents have talked us through their inspiration. The gallery tour starts below.
Jens Ole Árnason
What did you dream up for the exhibition?
I created a textile sculpture out of leftover Ganni materials. It’s a kind of three-legged draped vase…. The surface is embroidered with lines of blue thread sewen in ways that create a sense of depth in the sculpture, and it is “glazed” with oil to create a stiffness and a shiny surface. The inspiration is mainly coming through experiments with the textile, but also from looking at classic art objects such as stone vases and draped stone sculptures. Working with leftover materials is for me a way to give new life and meaning to materials that would otherwise have gone to waste.
What are the defining characteristics of your work?
Soft, organic silhouettes, coloured lines with thread, and drapery.
What is the mission of your brand/practice? My work is about investigating the space between art and design. I want to challenge the way people look at textile and crafts; in that sense, given the history and traditions of textile work, my practice has a feminist aspect.
How would you like the industry to change? I would like to see the industry slowing down, producing less, but better quality. I would like to see the industry prove that diversity is not just a trend, and that fashion keeps pushing for diversity in all its shapes, colors, and gender expressions.
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Sisse Bjerre
What did you dream up for the exhibition? Inspired by organic shapes, the piece merges paper collage and papier-mâché in a white paper dress; the textile is used for details in the piece, for softening lines as well as adding a bit more volume and dynamic.
What are the defining characteristics of your work?
My work is very inspired by organic shapes and textures found in nature. Working with paper as my primary medium, I enjoy exploring different ways to convey themes of folklore and fairytales, melancholy and spirituality. I’ve always collected different qualities and types of paper…I’m very inspired by the aesthetic of it; the history, the color fadings, the fragility and the wear and tear.
What is the mission of your brand/ practice? I’m interested in working with unconventional ways of making, as an alternative to cut-and-sew. It allows me to work more freely with form and material. And for now, my practice places itself between the fields of fashion and art, and I’m trying not to focus too much on which box to place myself within.
How would you like the industry to change? Most up-and-coming designers get how crucial it is to be mindful and responsible in their designs, but it can be very challenging to balance a newly-started business with a conscious practice, and I think it’s really key that the fashion industry embraces the new talents by welcoming them with support and actions to promote and encourage responsible design and sustainability.
See Sisse Bjerre’s undergraduate graduation collection.
Sarah Brunnhuber, Stem
What did you dream up for the exhibition?
I am showcasing a collection of zero-waste garments handwoven using a high-twist wool yarn co-developed with Berlin-based yarn research studio HILO. Whereas standard woven fabrics are rigid, these are flexible and can be worn across a variety of sizes. And the fringes and silhouettes are an expression of Stem’s zero-waste production technique.
What are the defining characteristics of your work?
The key aspects of my garments are the fringes as an expression of my zero-waste production technique, the strong element of handcraft throughout the process, and the unique mix of materials and textures I use.
What is the mission of your brand/ practice?
Stem comes from the word system as it’s the entire fashion system I am aiming to disrupt and systemic change that I hope to be a part of.
How would you like the industry to change? The industry needs to drastically slow down, produce less, and promote craft and local production. Large brands in particular need to take responsibility for the waste they create. And we should collaborate and share knowledge more.
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Amalie Røge Hove, A. Roege Hove
What did you dream up for the exhibition?
The look I made is an A. Roege Hove classic with an added twist—the fabric we developed. The integration of the knitted and woven is a new direction for us.
What are the defining characteristics of your work?
For a long time I thought it was sheer and tight knits, however with time I see much how we approach working with the female body as our defining characteristic.
What is the mission of your brand/ practice?
To create knitwear that seeks to push people’s expectations of the craft, and also to challenge myself and the industry in terms of always asking what we can improve innovation-, responsibility-, and of course, design-wise.
How would you like the industry to change? I would [like more of an] appreciation of craft and of people’s time and dedication. And for people to be curious about what they wear, how it is made and the journey it has been on.
Sahar Jamili
What did you dream up for the exhibition?
The piece I’ve crafted for is a symbolic birdcage filled with unsellable Ganni clothes. The birdcage, traditionally representing freedom, becomes a container for contemplation. I want the audience to pause and reflect, encouraging thought without narrating a specific story. I think it is interesting to think about how a bird is a symbol of freedom but humans put it in a cage.
What is the mission of your brand/ practice?
My mission in my artistic practice is deeply intertwined with my life, they go hand in hand. It’s a lifelong commitment to understanding the world around me and within me. Social injustices weigh heavily on my conscience, given the limited opportunities for people with my background…. I feel a responsibility to speak up. Advocating against social injustices, I hope my art can maybe serve as a voice for those often unheard.
How would you like the industry to change?
While I hope for positive changes in the industry, I remain skeptical about its willingness to break free from established norms. My art serves as a medium for dialogue, aiming to contribute to a collective awareness that may drive meaningful change.
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Alectra Rothschild / Masculina
What did you dream up for the exhibition?
I created a “leather” corset with a double chap train along with shredded “Britney” denim pants. It is very much high and low that clashes. It’s a high-femme glamorous take on the illustrator Touko Valio Laaksone’s fetishized Tom of Finland homoerotic gay character. My practice has always referenced fetish and erotica.
What are the defining characteristics of your work?
That everything can exist together in all its contradictions.
What is the mission of your brand/ practice?
I would say that what Masculina offers is an alternative to the very normative brands that otherwise exist. My mission is to carve out a space where trans people like myself are centered and the norm. And of course to tell stories that can resonate with people at large.
How would you like the industry to change?
That a lot of the money in the industry could be re-distributed and the supply chains instead of all the rich hoarding it.
See more from Alectra Rothschild / Masculina.
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Nicklas Skovgaard
What did you dream up for the exhibition?
I created an ankle-length coat. The collar and middle piece are made from beige Orlatex, a bio based leather substitute; the middle part has been smocked to make it elastic and fit the waist of the wearer. The sleeves and bottom are made from black curly BioFluff, a bio based fur substitute. I named the coat for Ganni, Lecia, from Danish ’80’s pop-duo Laban, who is one of the muses for my upcoming collection.
What are the defining characteristics of your work?
Volume, silhouette and contradictory fabrications.
What is the mission of your brand/practice?
I hope to remind people what is so fascinating, interesting, inspiring and fun about the world of fashion…some of the things that made me love fashion as a child and want to work as a designer. Seeing clothes and the all of the universe around it makes your mind wander through referential points, personal memories, and perspectives.
How would you like the industry to change?
To allow for more time. As an emerging brand with a very small team it can be very challenging to follow the speed of the industry. I think it would be so interesting to see the direction the industry—and design—would take if we allowed things to slow down a bit.
See more from Nicklas Skovgaard.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
