A story in Fast Company this week declared that, since the pandemic has taken hold, brands have had to start appealing “to the head and the heart.”
How true this is of fashion brands. In this half of 2020, it’s not enough to be a brand whose appeal is function or image. Now there’s a tier of conscious consumers specifically looking for those labels that can offer something more meaningful.
The Danish brand Ganni has risen to that challenge for Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is taking place right now. Eschewing the traditional fashion show, Ganni has put on a three-day installation in the city called 202020 — a celebration of creativity and collaboration with different artists, alongside a pop-up shop or “Kiosk”, selling upcycled, past-season Ganni pieces. It can be viewed in real life by those in Copenhagen and online by everyone else.
In keeping with the sustainable theme, the brand has also launched Ganni Repeat – a rentable collection of pieces made from old Levi’s. “Designed to be worn by many, owned by none,” is its tagline.
I love the creative thinking behind this shift – the industry needs good examples of alternatives to the outdated catwalk show. But what I really like is that this is not merely doing something different for the sake of it. Instead, Ganni has tuned into the issues facing the fashion industry and offered a potential and relevant solution for consumers (which also happens to be deeply PR-able.) Now that’s meaningful.
