By Malene Birger
I bought a dress from Day et Birger and have a shirt passed down from my mother from By Malene Birger that I wore to my first day at the job I currently have. What recently pulled me to this company is the similarities I believe it has with Louise Kennedy, who I spent some time working for in 2018/19. The By Malene Birger headquarters is situated in an 18th century mansion in Copenhagen’s historic Frederiksberg. If I had a choice of where to work in Copenhagen in fashion, this would be the spot!
Another young brand, By Malene Birger, presented at Copenhagen Fashion Week from 2004, with the first flagship store opening in 2006.
The brand is now sold in over 1,000 stores across 42 countries.
Samsøe & Samsøe
Samsøe Samsøe dates back to 1993, when the Samsøe brothers opened a small namesake jewellery shop in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter. The label soon expanded to include premium T-shirts and knitwear, primarily for men. In 2000, Peter Sextus and Per Ulrik Andersen took over of the brand, transforming it into an international fashion house focusing on contemporary clothes, footwear and accessories for men and women.
The brand is available in Brown Thomas for Irish shoppers, what I love about it is, at 5’7″ (164 cm) the pants and jackets are not draping down past my feet and hands, they are well suited to smaller people… even if it is a Scandinavian brand where women are averaging taller than little ol’ me.
Lollys Laundry
Not as internationally known as Ganni perhaps but Lollys Laundry caught my attention when browsing the rails in Copenhagen’s, Magasin du Nord (Unlike but bought by Debenhams in 2009 FYI). Lollys Laundry is a Copenhagen brand with beautiful patterns and colour in the form of dresses, knitwear, jackets, trousers and more. The collections are a blend of well paired colours and as they say themselves, “understated luxury that everyone can afford.”
In 2007, Kamilla Byriel launched Lollys Laundry. She is a renowed Danish designer, who has already left her mark on other Danish brands.
Ganni
Nicolaj Reffstrup is a founder of Ganni and Ditte Reffstrup, his wife, currently serves as the Danish brand’s creative director. In true Scandinavian fashion, Ganni is prioritizing sustainably, ‘behaving responsibly is also an added cost, and people sometimes forget that no matter how you twist and turn it, it’s going to cost money to convert your business in a more responsible way.’ (Vogue, 2020). No detail is overlooked, ‘you really have to check the feel of fabric in person.’
Rains
“An opportunity rather than an inconvenience,” that is how Rains, describe embracing a rainy day. Founded in Aarhus in Denmark, Rains create clothing and accessories utilizing their waterproof fabric, reinventing the classic rubber raincoat. The brand started with a poncho in 2012, and in eight years have grown to include raincoats, rain pants, backpacks, hats, gloves, winter coats, capes and more. Shop online or visit one of their concept stories in Copenhagen, Paris, New York and London. Rain’s collection is everywhere in Copenhagen, the backpacks and jackets are on everyone’s shoulders.
