“Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects”. Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid
Almost two hundred years have passed since when The Little Mermaid appeared for the first time in the Fairy Tales Told for Children (1837). The enchanted atmosphere suggested by the author is the same. Aarhus – the city that last May greeted us in the two days of the HEADSTART FASHION – is a little gem that faces the Kattegat sea, surrounded by dense forests and crossed by the homonymous river Aarhus. Here, a packed events schedule led us to the discovery of a new way to conceive fashion and design.
A way that skillfully combines tradition and innovation, imagination and business strategy. A way that we try to circumscribe in a “fence” composed by five words: wits, contemporary-elegance, responsibility, functionality, sustainability. A way that we want to tell you about with five brands, five stories, several people.
M.P. CRAFTED GARMENTS
Wits. M.P. Crafted Garments is a Danish-based knitting company with a history of dedication in making high quality socks and accessories targeting the menswear fashion scene. The brand was founded in 2015 and is an offspring from the notorious and well known knitting factory Martins Pedersen Strømpefabrik A/S established in 1937 by the entrepreneur Martin Pedersen. The brand holds a respect for its attention to details, tailoring approach and eclectic use of yarnand thread. With an undying passion for good honest garments, it draws inspiration from its own legacy in the continuation of its founder’s craftsmanship. M.P. Crafted Garments presents its seasonal collections with new interpretations of the classic knitted sock. Made with extra soft Oeko-Tex® certified yarn, the socks are crafted with a strong heel and toe reinforcement. The brand addresses the fashion-conscious man who appreciates a quality-knitted sock as a comfortable wardrobe essential as well as a stylish accessory. It is represented in selected hi-street men fashion shops around Europe, looking out for more markets to approach.
JOURNAL
Contemporary-elegance. Journal was founded in Aarhus in 2012 and the collection was launched in fall 2013. Today it’s delivering to 12 markets. The brand is present at high-end retailers and department stores globally. Its founders are Elisabeth, Ralf, Jannik. Classic and expressive menswear with a high quality level and interesting fabric choices sums up the essence of this label. The design is characterized by a personal interest in a wide range of various art forms, architecture, literature and science. The timeless yet challenging aesthetics works as the foundation for each collection. Taking bold choices and thinking big: that’s what describes the design process and the importance of both big and small details in terms of design and quality. The experience and the desire to experiment both design and fabric generate a dynamic and classic look which will live on season after season.
Gravity is the name of the F/W16-17. The irregular striped cardigans, the downward facing movement in the length of the coats, the ‘meeting’ of two counter poles in the leather gloves from the co-lab with Randers Handsker, the irregularity in the jacquard pattern of horizon stripe knit are the elements that tell and compose this collection.
MINIMUM
Responsibility. Minimum was established in 1997 as a small retail shop in Denmark but quickly evolved into an independent clothing label, launching the first male collection in 1999. In 2007, it expanded and a female line was added to the Minimum brand. Today the label consists in a team of 70 dedicated people with a high drive and a young spirit. The headquarters is located at the industrial port in Aarhus, in an old shipyard made into an authentic and open office environment. Minimum is well established and available in stores throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada and is represented in 25 showrooms worldwide. The brand produces numerous collections at an annual basis and puts great effort into choosing the right designs and fitting for every collection. The philosophy is to make stylish and functional clothing produced from high quality materials, but always at affordable prices. Minimum’s collections are characterised by a mix of materials, shapes and colours and should be seen as a contributor to the basic wardrobe, meanwhile providing prominent items for special occasions. Besides being represented in multiple stores, Minimum has a concept store in the hometown of Aarhus. The store houses a retail concept with Minimum’s own collections as well as a number of external brands, a selection of snacks to bring on the go, a gallery, changing pop-up shops and a shop in shop. Its team believe that the business success should not be at the expense of the wellbeing of humans, animals or the environment. Furthermore, it is crucial to them that the employees are part of a great working environment and the job satisfaction is certainly a focus point.
WODEN
“We are change. We are style. We are passion”.
That’s the slogan of WODEN, literally WOrks of DENmark. Besides being a blend of WOrks of DENmark, the name is also associated with a Nordic God from the Nordic mythology, Odin.
Functionality, this is the concept we’ve chosen to summarize the brand philosophy. The two founders, Carsten Holm and Peter Hildebrandt, established it in 2013 because they had and still have a passion for creating quality sneakers with a strong appeal. They wanted to bend the rules and make an old dream come true with style: the first pure and true Scandinavian Sneaker.
As shoemakers with a strong track record of bringing shoes to the market, they knew that nature and Scandinavian design combined with a sneaker’s DNA and genuine quality at a midmarket price – would be the right platform to bring the label movement to people around the world. Today, WODEN shoes are sold in more than 500 stores thoughout Europe and Israel and the demand for their sneakers is continuously growing. Their sneakers are made of natural materials such as high quality leather and cork, with outsoles and lasts that are carefully designed to soothe the needs of urban feet.
ORGANIC BASICS
“The fashion industry is a dirty bastard. We don’t like it that way. We believe in setting higher standards when it comes to sustainable production. We are constantly challenging ourselves and our partners to go that extra mile; it may be painful and it may not pay off right away, but we are in this game for the long run. We want to make fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable”.
It is clear why, in the end, we have associated the word sustainability with the brand Organic Basics. Founded in 2013 with the intention to create the best underwear in the world, the label challenged the “normal” way of conceiving underwear.
For its founders, underwear is the most important garment. Therefore, they consider it their main duty to make sure that their products are of the best quality possible. This is why all the products are made of the highest quality organic materials which are 100% eco certified and meet the highest standards. They just use organic cotton locally grown by local supplier, which means that they have a minimal transport. They believe that organic is the future. For too many years now this generation has been the mean big brother, ignoring and polluting the earth and our bodies with harming toxics and chemicals. They want to clear a path, showing that people want organic.
