The rise of Ganni – the Danish fashion label that appeals to everyone (and their mum)

Danish fashion label Ganni has infiltrated the wardrobes of everyone from gen Z university freshers to their gen X mums, dropping them off at their halls of residence later this month. Its commercial and cultural success is such that its latest collection will be shown at Paris fashion week this month.

Ganni’s debut show will take place straight after Dior and hours before Saint Laurent – not a bad slot for a brand whose prices range from £115 for a T-shirt to £195 for a dress. At Dior, the cheapest T-shirt starts at £690. And, unlike most of its Parisian counterparts, Ganni’s standard sizing runs from a UK 4 to 24.

Even if you don’t know the brand, you will probably recognise the styles that this 15-year-old label has helped popularise. Leopard print jeans and those click-clacking buckled slingback shoes are thanks to Ganni. A tea dress with hiking boots or a checked dress, too. Their graphic T-shirts featuring everything from cartoon cats to bunches of bananas have become a uniform for the fashion-forward this summer.

The brand also claims to be raising the bar when it comes to sustainability, although its founders prefer to use the word “responsibility”. In 2016 they introduced their own self-imposed carbon tax, while Ganni aims to halve its emissions by 2027. Last year the brand lost half a million dollars when it culled its popular cherry-red cowboy boots. The reason for their decision? The colour couldn’t be achieved in a non-toxic way using virgin leather alternatives.

Part of “the big four” with New York, London and Milan, Paris fashion week is considered one of the most prominent platforms for brands. It’s where buyers from all over the world rub shoulders with Hollywood stars, resulting in maximum exposure. Ganni called the move to the French capital “a natural next step”, describing Paris as the “premier fashion stage”.

Its chief executive officer, Laura du Rusquec, who joined the brand from Balenciaga in April, said: “Ganni has established itself globally, and as we enter our next chapter of growth, showcasing in Paris is a natural evolution for our brand equity and scale.”

Originally established in 2000 as a small cashmere brand by the gallerist Frans Truelsen, in 2009 Ganni was taken over by his friends, husband and wife Nicolaj and Ditte Reffstrup. Ditte was a former fashion buyer while Nicolaj worked in tech start-ups.

At the time, the so-called Scandi aesthetic with its neutral colour palette and geometric shapes was mainstream, but the duo felt it didn’t reflect how Danish women actually dressed. And so Ganni’s aesthetic was born. Its brightly coloured dresses and thigh grazing, vintage-inspired leather minis were catnip to shoppers bored with shapeless silhouettes and charcoal greys. Customers also gravitated towards its functional styling with pretty slip dresses worn over vintage band tees and delicate lace skirts teamed with chunky knitwear and trainers.

The brand quickly found celebrity fans who helped boost its social media presence. American singer Olivia Rodrigo, model Bella Hadid and British actor Daisy Edgar-Jones are all part of a loyal legion of supporters, or #gannigirls, who snap and share their latest looks on social media. The hashtag has been used over 113,000 times on Instagram alone. The first use of the tag was in 2015 by model Helena Christensen and actor Kate Bosworth. The friends turned up to lunch in the same Ganni jacket and snapped the moment for social media.

The brand now has 70 stores across Europe, North America and Asia and is stocked at more than 700 retailers globally. There are currently six stores in the UK, mostly in London. In 2022 the brand increased its revenue to €160m, up by 34% on 2021.

“Ganni has mastered the incredibly difficult art of appealing to everyone,” says Libby Page, market director at Net-a-Porter. “Everyone from your younger sister to your next-door neighbour.”

In the past six months, the luxury shopping website has seen searches for Ganni dresses increase by 748% while graphic T-shirts featuring everything from piles of cherries to rose stems emblazoned with the words “Have a Nice Day!” are up 298%. “They are accessibly priced and instantly recognisable, adding personality to any outfit,” Page says.

Time will tell if the front row at Paris fashion week will be peppered with them.