The best of Scandinavia
Acne Studios
Every minimalist’s dream – Acne Studios. The Swedish brand was founded in 1996 in Stockholm as part of the creative collective ACNE. ACNE was originally an acronym for Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises and focused on film, graphic design, production and advertising. Acne Studios became a standalone company in 2006.
Co-founder and creative director for Acne Studios Jonny Johansson describes his design as “maximalist minimalism”. Acne Studios provides a juxtaposition in design form – the items are contemporary yet classic, essential yet eccentric. The brand is minimalist but definitely not boring.
Ganni
A Danish must-have! Ganni is a ready-to-wear brand complete with clothes, shoes and accessories which was founded in 2000 by gallerist Frans Truelsen. It started out as a line of cashmere apparel, but gained cult popularity under Ditte – serving as creative director – and Nicolai Reffstrup – serving as CEO – after they took over the company in 2009.
Ditte Reffstrup has a background in clothes buying for both Danish and French brands, whereas Nicolaj Reffstrup has a degree from Copenhagen Business School and the IT University of Copenhagen – what a pair!
As previously mentioned, Ganni is a ready-to-wear brand that specializes in clothing and shoes as well as accessories – bags, hats, scarves and more. Today, Ganni focuses on being as sustainable as possible in the shape of upcycled materials and innovative materials. The brand also launched the Denmark-wide initiative Ganni Repeat in 2019, where you can rent garments for up to three weeks. The initiative came to Europe and the US in 2020 as part of a partnership with Levi’s.
Ganni is colorful, lively and for the woman not afraid to be herself.
Photo: The Vintage Bar
Holzweiler
Holzweiler is one of the newer brands on the list. The Norwegian brand was founded in 2012 by siblings Susanne and Andreas Holzweiler with Maria Skappel Holzweiler – Andreas wife – as the creative director. The first collection consisted of hand-knit scarves sold by the meter. The venture into ready-to-wear came in 2014 when the brand presented a collection of coats, jackets and knitwear. All Holzweiler collections are unisex and all focus on recycled and compensated materials. The brand always presents easy going and elegant pieces with a touch of print and feminine materials.
Today, Holzweiler is sold in 60 stores within Norway and in around 120 stores internationally – the brand really kicked off when supermodel Gigi Hadid wore a Holzweiler hoodie in 2017.
Photos: The Vintage Bar & thora_valdimars
Saks Potts
Saks Potts was launched by Barbara Potts and Cathrine Saks in 2013 as two best friends came together to design the pieces they wanted to wear themselves. Saks and Potts were only 19 and 20 years old when they decided to start their brand which started out being very fun and youthful. The brand quickly gained traction as supermodels and celebrities from all over the world started wearing the very famous coats with oversized fur cuffs and collars.
Today, Saks and Potts have gotten a bit older and the style of Saks Potts have evolved with them, staying true to the fact that they want to create pieces they want to wear themselves. The style has moved away from the very vibrant colors and youthful design and has now been moved in a more feminine direction where they add playful touches to classic pieces.
Rodebjer
Swedish Carin Rodebjer founded the brand of the same name in 2000 in New York. She comes from a life in the Swedish island of Gotland, where she was brought up in the belief that you should respect animals and the nature on which you live. This shows in her brand as Rodebjer has strong sustainable values. The brand has committed to contributing to mindful consumption habits via the brand’s collections that consist of timeless design and long lasting quality.
The design focuses on the day-to-day life of women and relaxed suits, draped kaftans and memorable print t-shirts are some of the most noteworthy pieces.
