Rotate and Pandora team up for catwalk collaboration

Rotate has become known for its party-perfect pieces, and last night’s collection was the best example of this. From bright pink mini dresses with peplum hems to floor-length metallic fringing, lace co-ords and satin bloomers, this was a collection made for having fun in.

“When we were starting to think about this collection, we gathered all of these images and it was almost like watching a movie where everything felt really romantic – it was about freedom, happiness, a summer mood and celebration,” Valdimarsdottir explains. “It’s a soft universe.”

Rotate now has a number of cult pieces behind them, including the puff-sleeved Noon dress, which comes back again and again in different colourways. I ask if they always know what is going to be a hit or if their customer can surprise them.

“We can be very surprised,” laughs Valdimarsdottir. “I think that is a lot about learning how to run a business though – in the beginning, when we’d made a dress, we thought we’d move on, that was done, but the customer loves the shape and she wants that dress in a different colour or a different fabric because she loves the way it fits her body. So we’ll have one dress that is our top seller for years, and it will keep surprising us – but it’s all about getting to know our customer.”

As fashion influencers who are both passionate about having their fingers on the pulse, Madsen and Valdimarsdottir are always onto the next thing – but, as the years have gone by, they have learnt that sometimes they are moving faster than their customer and they need to pull it back.

“I think we can sometimes be very ahead, compared to our customers,” says Madsen. “Often, we are leaning into a particular look or silhouette but actually what our customers want to choose is something much more commercial.”

Ultimately though, it is all about working together as a duo, something they both say they find pretty seamless.

“We basically make all the decisions together and we agree most of the time, of course not all of the time, but pretty much always,” says Valdimarsdottir. “When we don’t agree, we just try and listen to each other. If someone feels very strongly about something then we will go with that – you have to give each other the space and really go with our gut feelings.”

As still one of the most highly anticipated shows every Copenhagen Fashion Week, they are certainly doing something right.