EPISODE 119 FEATURES DITTE AND NICOLAJ REFFSTRUP, CO-FOUNDERS OF GANNI

This week, we're hanging out in the Copenhagen kitchen of the brilliant "insecure overachievers" behind GANNI. Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup are the married couple behind the cult Copenhagen label. They have made it, according to Vogue, a "stratospheric success" beloved of #GanniGirls all over Instagram. Just don't call it sustainable fashion.

"A brand might do one organic T-shirt and call themselves sustainable," says Nicolaj. "We just do what we do, and try to do better every day."

They say their "mission is simple: We fill a gap in the advanced contemporary market for effortless, easy-to-wear pieces that women instinctively reach for, day in, day out." But they're also mapping their carbon footprint and trialling rental while trying to leave their kids a healthy planet. Oh, an hoping the women will take over soon.

NOTES

About GANNI. The label was founded in 2000 by Danish entrepreneur Frans Truelsen, and bought by Ditte and Nicolaj in 2009. Harper’s Bazaar UK reports that, by the end of 2018, Ganni was the number one contemporary brand in terms of sales at both Net-a-Porter and Browns. As one of the top 20 bestselling labels overall on Net-a-Porter, the site has increased its Ganni buy by over 800% since launch.

For the GANNI 202020 project, they worked with 20 international female creatives. These include the NYC-based writer Marjon Carlos, who wrote in the introductory essay in the show newspaper: “Who are we going to be this decade? Hopefully with a female perspective, something richer, more ethical, more thoughtful. After all, after centuries of our ideas being dismissed, shortchanged or unsupported, the world has been left struggling.” And artist Hayley Blomquist, who made an installation for Ganni x Nordstrom out of plastic bags, and says: “Small personal actions do add up, don’t be discouraged.” Read more in i-D.

PRISONER’S DILEMMA is a paradox in decision analysis in which two individuals acting in their own self-interests do not produce the optimal outcome. The typical prisoner's dilemma is set up in such a way that both parties choose to protect themselves at the expense of the other participant. Via Investopedia.

THREE PS or TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE (TBL) is a framework or theory that recommends that companies commit to focus on social and environmental concerns just as they do on profits. The TBL posits that instead of one bottom line, there should be three: profit, people, and the planet.

WOMEN IN POWER Ditte says female energy is more “holistic”; Nicolaj talks about it being collaborative and consensus-driven. Just look at how Jacinda Ardern is leading New Zealand - such an inspiring, safe pair of hands. This Forbes story sums it up. Read about the splendidness of Finland’s female power quintet here. At 34, Sanna Marin is the youngest PM in the world. She shares power with four other women.

WORKING TOGETHER At Ganni, Ditte focuses on design, while Nicolaj focuses on sustainability and the business side. “You should not be doing the same thing, that’s just a bad cocktail,” says Ditte. She says their secret is to balance their skills and separate jobs so they don’t overlap too much.

INSECURE OVERACHIEVERS? Read our article in The Magazine for more on this.

HONEST PRICES Call it egalitarian, call it fair. Call it very Danish! “The price point is a product of the society that we’ve grown up in. It’s very balanced society, and we have a long tradition of designing and producing design items - furniture, fashion, ceramics etc. - that are high quality and well designed but made available to a broader audience,” says Nicolaj.

SUSTAINABILITY Ganni says: “We don't identify as a sustainable brand. We recognise the inherent contradiction between the current fashion industry that thrives off newness and consumption, and the concept of sustainability. So instead, we're focused on becoming the most responsible version of ourselves. Committed to making better choices every day across the business to minimise our social and environmental impact. We see this as our moral obligation.” Read their strategy here.

MUSIC is by Montaigne, who sang this special acoustic version of “Because I love You” from her album Glorious Heights, just for us.

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Clare & the Wardrobe Crisis team x