Sustainable is the buzzword but Ditte Reffstrup’s (co-founder of the company with Nicolaj Reffstrup) Scandinavian (Denmark) fashion powerhouse GANNI prefers the term “responsible,” we cannot deviate from the fact that the fashion industry is inherently bad to the environment but pioneers like GANNI are striving to make it better. The industry is driven by innovation that produces many collections a year and needs to drive that innovation for many years to come so that it uses a lot of production, materials, travel and leaves a large carbon footprint. GANNI is sold by the world’s leading fashion sites, with many people buying GANNI’s incredible range of footwear, bags and clothes so its willingness to work on making the planet better is a very impressive move.
While some may say that Reffstrup’s openness and direct approach may be wrong and harmful to the economy, it is actually refreshing, not to mention necessary. The industry needs more transparency and a more transparent approach to business practices, this is actually a refreshing approach that should welad a good modern buying market. She has openly spoken about what she sees as the “biggest challenge” facing the fashion industry today: a lack of transparency about your process, business practises and environmental impact.
Fashion isn’t going away
After all, admitting the problem is the first step, and inaction is not an option, as fashion is not going away. It won’t go away, he has said but fashion needs to look at much more sustainable and responsible methods of production.
The fashion industry has to take responsibility and must look at more responsible behaviour. If the industry pulls together then, then the situation will be better, but if we don’t take it for what it is, and ignore the issue, then the fashion industry will be forever in a situation like this.
In fashion, sustainability has become the term of the year, but the word sustainability is no longer really used. Instead of explaining exactly what “sustainability” is, it is being passed around like a hot potato in the media and becoming fashionable.
Buzz Words
Reffstrup thinks buzz words are useless and instead demands that brands start acting the part rather than slapping a buzzword on some latest ranges. responsibly. He has said that for him and his wife Ditte, the creative masterminds behind the brand, it is a moral obligation.
She is quoted as saying “Together with our team, we have launched over 30 initiatives ranging from food safety to food safety and environmental sustainability, such as the catering company that regularly offers vegetarian lunches to its employees. We have also responsibly built new shops and coordinated events and events with local food banks and farmers.”
GANNI’s Miami
GANNI’s new Miami location, which opens today, physically embodies everything Reffstrup is talking about. His favourite project, he says, is currently the construction of discarded textile fibres and mannequins from plastic scraps from furniture production.
According to the company’s sustainability report, the goal is to reduce its CO2 footprint each and every year. Since 2016, the entire company and the entire area have mapped and compensated for a total of 1.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 2.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
“In the world we have created, there is nothing that would be a kind of monetary punishment or behavioural adjustment”, says Reffstrup. This is because politicians have not introduced any self-imposed tax, and they are the only fashion company in the world that has carbon compensation, that is controversial among people because it might look like they are paying for their indulgences.
But actually, the extra costs are borne by the company and the consumer doesn’t have to pay extra because they are responsible.
Eco Friendly Production
GANNI uses eco-friendly materials; they use organic and recycled materials, whether in the production of not only the designer clothing but in the packaging and packaging of all the products.
The brand uses biodegradable thermoplastic instead of polyurethane (PU) in all outerwear laying the foundation for it to become the brand’s standard. Recycled polyester and recycled polyamide are also introduced in certain lines, particularly swimwear. Spring / Summer 2020 saw half of all collections equipped with certified sustainable elements, and have introduced plant-based fabrics over man made fibres. Adding recycled materials, reducing the CO2 footprint and trying out new and innovative materials puts them as the premier designer house with a big thought for the consequence of their production.
The brand has also launched the GANNI Lab, where its team is trying to make an impact – neutral projects that can be implemented more widely in the future.
The brand is constantly trying to connect with its customers and even has a store in Copenhagen dedicated to selling the brand’s most popular pieces, such as the GANNI T-shirt. There is also an online shop, GanNI Rent, which allows customers to rent pieces from old and current collections. As part of the Take-Back initiative, they have set up boxes in London where customers can return parts of their collection that they can then reuse for another brand.
This all makes GANNI a super eco conscious brand that provides high end designer merchandise and that’s something we can all get into with great effort all round and very Inspired.
