Standout Details From Ganni’s AW20 Show

In a Copenhagen skatepark colour-scaped by the Serbian-born, New York-based artist Ana Kraš, Ganni staged an autumn/winter 2020 show that outlined the Scandi brand’s vision for the 2020s. The key takeaway? Collaborative fashion with a strong focus on upcycling defines its new-era dressing. And big collars are going nowhere. Here’s everything you need to know about what Ganni girls will be wearing next season.

Fashion is better together

After Ditte Reffstrup’s 10th anniversary edit for spring/summer 2020 – which the creative director dubbed her “therapy collection” following a decade at the helm – Ganni is widening the brand’s sphere. For autumn, she invited a series of female collaborators from the fields of art, photography, design and music to help her set the tone for the next chapter. “We need to stand together and work on new solutions for the future,” Reffstrup, who feeds off the energy and inspiration of these global friends, told British Vogue during a preview. “This collaborative project demonstrates the intention of togetherness in the wild times we live in.”

Can’t wait until next season to tap into this holistic offering? The online Ganni Kiosk is currently selling quilts upcycled from past-season fabrics by textile designer Anna Clarisse Holck Wæhrens, hats woven from leftover yarn by knitting whizz Lulu Kaalund, and recycled cotton T-shirts with unique prints captured by filmmaker Emma Rosenzweig and photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis. New pieces, including glass designer Nina Nørgaard’s delectable colour-dappled tumblers made out of recycled plastic, will continue to drop as part of this year-long curatorial project. A portion of the profits will go to I:CO, the partner for Ganni’s in-store take-back schemes, too.

Are you thinking responsibly?

Coronavirus might be plaguing the thoughts of the fashion pack in Copenhagen, but far more pressing for Ditte and her husband, Ganni founder, Nicolaj Reffstrup is the global climate crisis. For autumn/winter 2020, every stage of their “responsible” creative process was approached with the term “reuse” in mind. The brand now has a four-strong sustainability team, one member dedicated to traceability, another mapping out the company’s sustainability journey via the Higg Index, and Nicolaj himself overseeing the innovation side of the studio. Ditte’s favourite piece in the autumnal edit is a coat woven from disused wool samples – a process that was inspired by “the old days of mending and making do, rather than casting aside old garments”. The duo is also really happy with the softness of the organic cotton sourced from a new supplier (a bonus of the brand’s stratospheric rise and increasing profit margins means Ganni has upped the quality of the factories and fabrications it works with, in addition to hiring skilled workers).

Prairie collars are getting a grungy reboot – yes, really

Ganni’s wide, frilly-collared shirts won the hearts of Little Women fashion fans everywhere, so it’s no surprise the brand is reworking the sell-out styles for next season. The twist? The cotton-poplin versions are out. In their place are leather and denim blousons sprouting the same micro ruffles, but with a lower neckline. Reffstrup, who wears a spearmint-striped iteration tucked into high-waisted jeans when we meet, originally souped up the neckline of her shirting to add extra oomph to plain knitwear. She admits she can’t quite look at a normal collar the same way now, so there’s no going back...

Bucket hats are out, berets are in

Cali-style headwear is reserved for tropical climes only, as Ganni models walked the runway with jaunty knitted hats sitting nonchalantly upon their crowns. “When you put these crochet berets on, they make you sit up a little straighter and walk a little taller,” says Reffstrup, miming the action of putting on a hat and then pouting. The other accessory of the season? Stomper boots, because, quite simply, “They give you the best walk,” she grins. “They make a girl look so self-assured, you know?”

Suit up, but make it slouchy

Reffstrup has always set out to “make women feel like they are capable of anything” in her designs, and her ever-expanding network of female creatives has influenced a new grown-up uniform. “I can’t say why, but I just have a good feeling about tailoring,” she muses. For autumn/winter 2020, there are slouchy separates in abundance, and prints have been phased out in favour of a darker, moodier palette. “Next season, who knows if there will be suits, but for now I like the sharpness. It’s that feeling of walking a little taller again.”