GANNI GIRLS
FROM TOP: KYLIE
JENNER, PRIYANKA
CHOPRA JONAS,
GIGI HADID, AND
BEYONCÉ HAVE ALL
BEEN OUT AND
ABOUT IN GANNI.
Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner, and Rihanna among them) along
the way—all from the hygge-filled enclave of Copenhagen.
The Danish capital is, of course, central to Ganni’s charm:
If you had to choose one look to define the #GanniGirl
(it’s a thing), it would be a printed dress and “sneaks,”
as Ditte calls them, all the better to bike around
Vesterbro—a neighborhood populated by, arguably,
the world’s most stylish cyclists.
“The Copenhagen girl would never wear a wrap dress
with high heels,” Nicolaj, 45, says. “It would feel too
girly and romantic.” She would, however, mix up animal
prints, or pair a Victorian blouse with cowboy boots,
two styling tricks we’ve seen on the Ganni runway. Ditte,
42, likes to call it “Scandi style 2.0,” a departure from the
stark minimalism the region is so known for.
That Copenhagen girls can actually buy Ganni is key.
Nicolaj says much of the brand’s success comes down
to prices he calls “honest” (most items hover around or
below $400), paired with a directional approach. “It’s
fashion, but informal and effortless,” he says.
It’s little wonder that American women are drawn
to it—and in a twist of serendipity, the Reffstrups
have always been fascinated with the U.S. “I grew up
in a small fisherman town where there were no
magazines, but there was MTV,” Ditte says. “My
window to the U.S. was Madonna—and of course those
Calvin Klein and Levi’s campaigns. There was so much
diversity and freedom.”
This month, the Reffstrups will experience America
like never before on a cross-country road trip, starting
in New York and ending in Los Angeles (Ganni stores
are set to open on both coasts). They’ve rented a hybrid
Volvo for the adventure and are bringing their children—
Betty Lou, nine; Jens Otto, seven; and Rita Sophie,
two—along for the ride. Their first stop is Richmond,
home of their very first American stockist, Need Supply
Co., followed by an assortment of cities—including
Nashville, New Orleans, and Dallas—where they’ll visit
stores and meet customers.
New York model Paloma Elsesser began shopping the
label a few years ago and finds that it “embodies balance
and ease, like a dress with a hiking boot—it’s playful
but comfortable,” she says. “I’ve been gravitating toward
brands that make getting dressed feel fun and malleable
for all of the things I have to do in the day.” Another plus?
“They’re having conversations about sustainability and
transparency, which I love.”
Though the Reffstrups don’t shout about sustainability on
Instagram or in their marketing, they have ambitious goals.
They often use dead stock or recycled fabrics, and both their
L.A. and New York stores will feature recycled and reclaimed
building materials. Nicolaj is particularly excited about Ganni
Lab, an experiment in carbon-neutral design supported by
the United Nations, and this year the label will introduce its
own clothing-rental platform, as well as a program for
customers to return items for repurposing and recycling.
They’ve also set a target to be carbon neutral by 2050—“but
hopefully it will happen much sooner,” Nicolaj insists. Like
we said: ambitious.—e m i ly fa r r a
VLIFE
82 OCTOBER 2019 VOGUE.COM
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: @KYLIEJENNER/INSTAGRAM; @GIGIHADID/INSTAGRAM; RAVEN VARONA; GOTHAM/GETTY IMAGES.
