Interview with award winning Slow Fashion designer NIKOLAJ STORM COPENHAGEN from Denmark

Tell us a little about why you started your brand?

Answer: Since I was a little kid, I have always been very creative and drawn towards clothes and design, so I pursued that dream from 7^th grade in school, got into my dream education at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and took my master’s degree in Fashion. Right after graduation I won the CIFF Enlightenment Award during Copenhagen Fashion Week and was able to get a space at the fashion fair for 2 seasons. After that, I did spend some time thinking about what I wanted to do with fashion – the world was much different since childhood and was there even a space for me as a designer in a world where overproduction rules and beaches are flooded with clothes. I clearly remember going into a multi brand store in Copenhagen during this period, to do some shopping. You enter on the women’s floor where the clothes is bold, colorful, filled with glittering materials, different shapes and it tickles my imagination. But when you reach the men’s floor it is all black, white, grey and navy – and there it hit me, that I want to create bold and colorful fashion, that inspires you to be brave and wear your personality on the outside, and since I was educated in sustainable fashion – I knew I could do it and still take care of the planet.

Who makes your products and where?

Answer: I got different set-ups for productions. Most of the pieces are made from deadstock fabrics, secondhand clothing and other materials which I upcycle in the studio in Copenhagen. Then we so smaller capsules together with a green production facility also located in Copenhagen and the clothes are sewn in Jutland, so it is all made in Denmark – which makes me extremely proud. Then we do also get some of the materials and styles made with a small family-owned production facility in Bulgaria who are skilled and share the mindset of putting the planet first.

The factories that you use, how do you control their sustainability commitments?

Answer: As most of the products are made in either the studio or the production facility in Denmark it is easy to visit and control their commitments to sustainability. Rodinia Generation (the production facility in Denmark) is a state-of-the-art innovation on micro factories with a minimum footprint on the environment. The production facility in Bulgaria we monitor from a far and have a great relationship with and get updated certificates and pictures as the time goes by. So, I try my best to make sure that everything is up to date.

Which type of materials are you using in your production process?

Answer: I have always had a special connection with materials as they always drive the creative process. When doing capsules, I work with a mood and find deadstock materials, vintage materials or recycled/organic materials that lives up to our standard and can be used for production. That also means we have work with a lot of innovative materials as cork, different versions of vegan leather made from recycled polyester, silicone or viscose which all have a lower impact on the environment compared to vegan leather made from PU or PVC (plastics – fossil fuels). The micro factory in Denmark operates with their own materials that must live up to their strict standards, and here we focus a lot on the printing and the techniques they offer. When I upcycle myself, the process is intuitive and the materials are unconventional, I am always on the lookout in thrift stores, online marketplaces, get donations from friends and family, get donations from companies like banners, excess fabrics or other materials – and then we mix and match them together in a storytelling for the collection.

Which ones are your bestseller pieces?

Answer: Would for sure say that is our more iconic pieces as our Chaco pants with snap buttons down the front, which have been in the collections since day one. And then in general I sell the more extravagant and glittery pieces better than simple/basic styles – as our customers have grown to love Nikolaj Storm as a destination for something more unique and eye-catching, styles that they can’t find anywhere else.

Which certifications do you have and/or strive to have in relation to your company and the production facilities?

Answer: I am not always the most fund of certificates, as people often forget that certificates are extremely expensive and for smaller companies and independent designers it is not always reachable. I focus a lot on the certificates from the production facilities that they live up to but environmental and social responsibilities, which has different certificates. Then also on materials if they are recycled or organic, they should have the certificates to follow. I do strive for, as the company grows, that I can obtain a B Corp certification which I think is a great holistic approach to fashion and companies, and I hope to see more of that in the future.

How do you tackle your environmental impact? What do you do to offset water or CO2 impact?

Answer: Due to the size of the company right now, we do not have the capacity to measure our Co2 or water use, but I still focus a lot of my energy to make sure that when we are able to, we have already set up the company the best way possible. All studios and production facilities run on renewable energy, we don’t use virgin materials and do not treat our materials with extra washing or finishing – that is also why some styles are crisp and will get softer with time. The micro factory in Copenhagen has a state-of-the-art technology that uses close to zero amount of water in the printing process, and they also track their environmental impact.

And since we do not track our impact, we do try to give back to the planet already by donating to environmental groups each year.

Do you work with any NGO’s or special projects to give back to communities?

Answer: For me, it has always been important to give back to both my community and my home (the planet), we have already made donations towards NGO’s such as Black Lives Matter, LGBT+, Ukrainian Refuges and to Palestine to mention a few – something that I am actually extremely proud of, as the brand it quite small and only existed for 4 years and I have already been able to give back to communities and the planet – and we strive to do more in the future!

When it comes to packaging communication, how do you work with a sustainable approach and inclusion?

Answer: I am always on the lookout on how to improve every aspect of the brand, and of course we do that with packaging as well. I think this is also one of the easiest ways to begin with sustainability as you can shift to recycled packaging, create bags that people can use again and again, reuse your boxes to shipments back and forth (I have never bought a card box for shipment, we have always recycled) and we also have stripped away excess materials such as polybags, hangtags and more – as they often just goes right in the bin of the customer. Instead, we use recycled paper for packaging and have postcards on recycled paper to tell the story of the brand and give the customer information of our UPSTORMED program that brings life to the product when you are no longer using it.

What are the main values of your brand?

Answer: #MAKETHEPLANETBREATHEAGAIN #STORMUPYOURLIFE

I create bold clothing for everyone for you to feel confident and courageous in yourself while doing minimum harm to the planet.

What are you as founder/s most proud of?

Answer: Actually, looking back, I am proud of everything. Running a business by yourself and being able in such a short time to both win award on your work with sustainability, to give back to communities and make people smile and on the same time making great clothing that I really love doing and I am passionate about, that the customers love and cherish for a long time – is to me the most beautiful. I have met so many amazing people and have had great conversations and been able to share my vision, is exactly what I dreamed of as a kid, so looking back I am proud of myself! If I can do it, so should every other brand, store, creative person be able to do the same – let’s make the planet breathe again!

What is your vision for your company?

Answer: To showcase that fashion can still be fun and colorful and on the same time take care of the planet and give courage to you!