Ganni staged its first show in 17 months roughly 278 feet above ground level. Guests made their way up, up, up to the peak of CopenHill, a new artificial ski slope atop Copenhagen’s largest green power plant. As models walked the tree-lined runway, the factory below was turning non-recyclable waste into renewable energy for around 100,000 local homes.
The setting was a gesture to Nicolaj and Ditte Reffstrup’s sustainability goals for Ganni—recycled materials and waste reduction are high on their list—as well as the spring 2022 collection’s title, “Higher Love.” Ditte explained how inspired she felt by the creativity she witnessed in Ganni customers and her fellow Danes last year. With nowhere to go and no one to see, people were truly dressing for themselves and for their own enjoyment—mixing items they’d never put together, experimenting with color, paying no mind to what anyone else might think. It was personal style at its most personal; Ditte saw it as “self love.”
As a result, the collection looked a lot more like outfits you’d see young people wearing on the street than over-styled, prescriptive “runway looks:” boxy blazers with bra tops, crafty cardigans with fishnet skirts, citrus-hued jean jackets over swimsuits. On a Zoom preview, Ditte pointed out her favorite new details: the puffy elasticized straps, waistbands, and ruching down the center of dresses, apparently inspired by the scrunchies women wear on their wrists at the office. It was a clever way to add a touch of flexibility and comfort without veering into athleisure and lent some clever interest to otherwise-simple items—the Ganni sweet spot.
As for the brand’s best-selling dresses, they came in newly sexy, curve-hugging silhouettes, suggesting the “summer of skin” is far from over. (Per the Ganni way, they were styled with chunky loafers or clogs, not heels.) Body-con dressing is its own kind of self-love, and the casting included a happily diverse range of sizes and body types. Ditte was excited to announce that later this year, more women than ever will be able to shop with Ganni: Their sizing is expanding from EU 46, or US 14, up to EU 52, or US 20.
