IT’S ALL GANNI

The downside to creating a beloved worldwide brand is that people always want to know how you’ve done it. “I get asked this question at least once a week”, Ditte tells us when we ask her what the secret to the allure of the GANNI Girl is. “They march to the beat of their own drum. They’re playful, fiercely independent and uncomplicated. GANNI is about style as self-expression. Being a GANNI Girl is a mindset, a lifestyle rather than a sense of style. She wears the dress - it doesn’t wear her.”

But oh, how wonderful it is to wear a GANNI dress. The label has redefined what Scandi-cool means to a whole new audience, bringing flair, colour and print back into fashion in their own unique way. This was Ditte’s vision when she started working with the label, but that came with its own challenges. “I think the challenge when we started out was to get people to move away from the status quo of stereotypical Scandinavian fashion. Back then, it was either ultra-minimal or too soft. I loved the challenge of changing that style perception. I wanted to create a brand that represented the way my friends and I dressed and have always gone with my instincts so it always felt natural.”

Flicking through a GANNI collection in-store is like peering into the wardrobe of the coolest girl you know; all covetable dresses, buttery leather jackets and, of course, their hottest commodity right now, jeans. “Our Denim collection is my favourite right now, for sure. I’m loving our Printed Denim dress featuring imagery of Copenhagen by my good friend and collaborator Ana Kras. If I had to pick one must-have item this season though, it’s got to be cowboy boots.”

Ditte is inspired by so much of what she sees and experiences in the city, and it’s evident – not just in the prints on the clothing – but by the entire collection’s unapologetic, Nordic vibe. “Definitely the girls of Copenhagen inspire me. They have something effortless and true about them, which I always look to when designing. Their sense of style matches their way of living. You see women with great style all over the world in Paris, New York and Seoul. But Copenhagen girls have something that transcends style. They have a pride and an independence reflected by the way they are brought up in one of the world’s best society, where gender equality is natural and where the gap between rich and poor is narrow. Where you know that the society is there to take care of you, it gives you a freedom and balance you can’t find anywhere else,” she gushes.

Whatever she's tapping into, it's certainly resonates with the Irish customer. We ask her why she thinks that is? Do we Irish have more in common with Copenhagen style-setters than we think? “Well, we just try not to be anything but ourselves, and that resonates here for sure.” Whatever the GANNI girl's got, we want it.

Channel Scandi-cool today with GANNI online or instore…