Inspiration is an intangible spark that designers try to translate on mood boards and in press releases. Often it’s necessary to read between the lines; such is the case at Ganni for fall. Though the season’s guiding angels are P.J. Harvey and Bjork in the 1990s, their influence is general rather than specific. You won’t find line-for-line copies of items these artists wore, instead you’ll get a peek at what drives Ditte Reffstrup.
“The thing is that at Ganni everything starts with music and everything stops with music. For me that is forever inspiration. I have tried to seek other kinds of inspiration, but it doesn’t work for me,” the designer said in her showroom. “For me, it always comes back to music and I think it’s because when I grew up it was this window to the outside.” Today young people connect through social media or the internet. For the MTV generation, of which Reffstrup is a part, communities formed around bands, talents, and genres.
Ganni’s fall collection was presented in the form of a video/performance featuring the Danish musician Jada (Emilie Molsted Nørgaard). It was filmed at The Vega, a music venue in Copenhagen that Reffstrup knows well. You can catch a glimpse of her dancing like mad in a smiley face T-shirt in the film. The lineup might be described as a mixtape: There are striped overalls with shaped legs, gilded denim, and more traditional pieces in khaki. The season’s requisites—snakeskin and sequins—are represented. Cowboy boots are key. The pieces that form the “chorus” of this collection, are those with drawstrings or ties that allow the wearer to customize their look. Of the video, Reffstrup said, “it’s just about having fun.” The clothes, too, seem made to facilitate good times.
