Taking a risk is a difficult proposition in fashion at the moment. The industry is facing a recession and many unknowns. By and large designers are choosing to play it safe and give their customers exactly what they know they want. Knitwear, denim, and loungewear were major categories at the resort collections. Unless you have the consumer base or the cash flow, creating bold, wildly impractical clothing isn’t really part of the sartorial vernacular right now.
But Ditte Reffstrup managed to balance her desire for daring fashion with wearable, sellable garments. Ganni’s spring 2021 collection is a fine example of a brand carefully toeing the line between too much and too little, between fashion with a capital F and easy, attainable style. In many ways, this is what Reffstrup has always done at Ganni, and as a result she has created an aesthetic that appeals to the sort of fashion-loving girl who takes trends and remixes them into her own singular wardrobe.
This season, Reffstrup gave the #GanniGirl some drama with a volumized, metallic-sparked version of the label’s popular smock dress. She added quirk and cool to the lineup with the introduction of new draped suit dress silhouettes. But the core DNA was visible too, especially with the quilted pilgrim collar jacket, the knotted lace dress, and the bright knits. The smocked green candy-stripe dress qualified for both the bold and everyday categories. Also worth noting is that according to the designer, 70% of the collection is made sustainably. As Reffstrup explained over the phone from Copenhagen, “We decided to take chances with some of the designs because no one really knows where everything is going in the industry.” She also pointed out that “there are so many brands out there today and maybe even too many clothes. If you want a voice, you need to be a little bit more daring.”
