When founder Nicolaj Reffstrup became keenly aware of fashion’s enormous impact on the planet, he briefly contemplated closing the brand altogether. “I considered if it made sense at all staying in this industry,” he tells via Zoom from his Copenhagen home. “I ended up concluding that us shutting down Ganni wouldn’t make a dent in anything; nobody would notice.
We are a very small fish in the pond, so would rather go out there and do better from a responsibility point of a view than most other [brands] – that’s the thinking that led me to accept my role in this industry.” It’s Ganni’s journey from cult Scandi favourite to a leader in the space that’s documented in a new book entitled , co-authored by Reffstrup and sustainability journalist Brooke Roberts-Islam. “I’d always thought I’d love to share our learnings with a wider community,” says Reffstrup, who worked in tech before joining the fashion industry.
“It’s by no means the perfect playbook for how to run a responsible business, but it’s a contribution.” Interestingly, Reffstrup prefers the word “responsible” instead of “sustainable” – although he admits that the former is now similarly over-used, and could be considered a cop-out. “The word sustainability for me is something that is circular and balanced, and fashion simply isn’t, no matter how you twist and turn it,” he explains.
“But that shouldn’t keep you from taking responsibility. We’re still hoping that .
