Fashion Fast Lane
The Danish fashion industry is booming like never before. Successful designers, international fashion fairs and two annual fashion weeks have rightfully put Copenhagen and Denmark on the fashion map of Europe. Some even speak of Copenhagen as the fifth European fashion enclave. But how does the Danish fashion industry compare to other fashion hubs, what are the challenges and what does the future have in store?
Fashion is Thriving
Within the last 10 years the Danish fashion industry has gone from being known for its cosy knitwear to having a serious industry ranking fifth and at times even fourth as the top contributor to the Danish gross national product (GNP) with an export of more than 17 billion DKK (2.3 billion EUR). Danish fashion is undoubtedly doing well, very well even, but like so many other things there is room for improvement. “Internationally we are doing fine but not fantastic. We are just one of the players,” says Anne Christine Persson from the Danish Fashion Institute. “We are good at making high-end mass market clothing – luxury you can actually afford – and that is a very good image to have,” she adds. “It’s also considered an added value and means that Danish fashion has the potential to do very well commercially abroad.”
The mid-priced luxury clothing formula has paved the way into big European markets like Germany and the U.K. where Danish brands are often sold at leading department stores. According to Mark Townsend from Kopenhagen Fur, the leading exporter of quality fur, the success is due in part to the look and feel of the clothes. He describes Danish fashion in general as functional and easy to wear. “Most of the clothes are fashionable but casual at the same time and are made to be worn every day not just for a special occasion,” says Townsend. “You get something extra, whether it’s the design, sophistication or price, and this is what separates Danish clothing brands from others.”
The Challenge
But with every success there is a challenge. Ironically, one of the major challenges of Danish fashion is the seemingly golden formula of mid-priced clothing with a twist. “Danish brands do not have H&M or TOP SHOP quality, it is much better,” Townsend explains. “On the other hand, the image is not Louis Vuitton or Armani either. It is right in between, and that makes it difficult. In that sense it’s hard to place Copenhagen or Danish fashion when you compare it to other fashion hubs such as New York, Paris, London and Milan.”
The middle-of-the-road philosophy has proven to be very successful but it has also made it evident that there’s a need for high-end brands like NOIR, Jens Laugesen or Camilla Stærk. “Denmark has a reputation of being affordable when it comes to its fashion, and that is actually starting to become a set back,” says Anne Christine Persson. “If we get better at developing and supporting the underground and avant-garde forces in Danish fashion, more luxury and non-commercial brands will surface,” Persson predicts. And more avant-garde luxury brands will profile Danish fashion even more and perhaps much more effectively internationally. Mark Townsend agrees with the idea of sponsoring young talent, “If Danish fashion wants to step up and out of the mid-priced fashion league, big companies need to start nurturing young talent. Young talent needs to be sponsored like they do in England, France and the U.S.A. They simply need the means to compete on an international scale.”
Fashionista Future
So what does a glance into the crystal ball reveal for Danish fashion? One of the unavoidable buzz words is CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility. Peter Ingwersen, CEO of luxury brand NOIR, which works according to a strict CSR philosophy, first and foremost sees the CSR trend as a sign of the times. “CSR is zeitgeist, it is a mega trend right now where the consumer has gone away from thinking me, myself and I, to me, myself…and others!,” says Peter. In addition to perceiving the CSR trend as a consumer trend that seems to be growing faster and bigger by the minute, Peter Ingwersen also sees Denmark as the forerunner of defining CSR fashion parameters that can be implemented onto just about any brand, high- or low-end. “What if Denmark became ‘the CSR fashion nation’? That would be a unique selling proposition,” he says.
Undoubtedly, the consumers would profit from a CSR business model where clothes would also mean a thought for sustainability and responsibility. But, would it also mean profit for the fashion industry? Townsend sees the potential for a vast luxury market partially based on CSR principles. “There is a huge market in stealth wealth where the really rich people, not the nouveau rich or the mere millionaires, no, the really rich, want to differentiate themselves from ‘the others’ who buy Louis Vuitton bags. A strong concept of ethical, ecological, underground, hand-crafted luxury brands with a conceptual design fits right into that. The heritage of the design element and the recycle element that are both seen in the Danish culture can capture the focus of the highly affluent. In that sense Danish design represents an added value,” Townsend says. Anne Christine Persson also joins in on the promise and potential of CSR, “we are in the middle of a process that could make Denmark the leading CSR country. The Danish fashion business is already making efforts towards more sustainable and fair trade business models.”
Another future scenario that seems to be pretty much set on its way is Denmark and more so Copenhagen, being put on the fashion map of Europe. “Copenhagen will become the next fashion enclave. We have already proven that we can deliver valid high-end fashion that is affordable, and what we need to do now is to strengthen our image,” says Anne Christine Persson. She is nothing less than convinced that Copenhagen and Denmark are destined for fashion fame, because as she says, “Danish fashion is the new black!”
November 2007