Amid global systemic turbulence, the director projects optimism and sheds light on ‘sharing knowledge and facilitating a fair exchange for new designers.
AS RECENT times have proven, we’ve all been caught up in the ‘Scandophile’ wave. To wit—since the stealth wealth trend has become increasingly commonplace among consumers, our wardrobes are decked out in fuss-free offerings, falling somewhere perfectly between a smart and relaxed vein.
Copenhagen’s International Fashion Fair (also known as CIFF) is one such example: designed to showcase the very best of the sustainable designers and apparel from the Nordic region and beyond, the fair has championed an ethically-driven seam ever since its inception that has, in turn, advocated and nurtured key support for brands.
“As an organisation, we always prioritise supporting those talent that are leading the way in designing in a circular manner and highlighting it in the fair to showcase new ways of doing designed for the challenges of today,” opined Sofie Dolva, CIFF’s director.
And as the pursuit for a more circular economy continues apace, her steadfast commitment to improving these green standards comes with a deep know-how of how the region’s potential to keep them on a high.
“Our aim is to share knowledge and facilitate exchange of thinking and ideas between brands helping them to grow and succeed,” she continues, explaining that “Given this we try to take a less prescriptive position than some other organisations on the sustainability criteria required to participate, but instead believe that by including and educating companies in the wider fashion space of the opportunities of more sustainable operations, we can be a part of a greater industry-wide change.”
Sofie Dolva
Below, Dolva grabs five with GLASS to unpack systemic challenges, expansion plans and future hopes.
In the face of the current systemic downturns that are quivering the retail and creative landscapes at an increasingly ferocious pace, how has CIFF managed to stay afloat and continue to expand?
I think our resilience is due to a combination of factors, but at the forefront of this is our continued focus on fostering a sense of community around what we do. During difficult times there’s a tendency for brands to draw back and become more isolated, but we believe in the opposite and that through cooperating and coming together we become a whole that’s stronger than the sum of its parts.
We stay agile and able to adapt to the different needs of businesses as the market environment changes. This is most noticeable through our move from a biannual fair to a 365-business partner, building bridges with key partners and fashion capitals including Pitti in Florence, Milan Fashion Week and the CFDA in New York. This shift in the role we’re able to fulfil in supporting brands, going from platform to strategic business partner, has been a huge positive in nurturing dynamic relationships across our brand community.
CIFF Village
How has the fair evolved over the years, and where do you see it leading to?
We plan to keep developing and investing into becoming an all-around strategic partner for businesses and see the space for us to better support brands, buyers, and media with more services. We’re currently working on what a 2.0 trade platform could look like that allows us to better connect through the year and build on our strong community. It’s always exciting to take the time to think without limits on what could be and look creatively at challenges and opportunities today and into the seasons ahead.
What’s been the toughest challenge that fair has had to face since the pandemic?
It goes without saying that stripping the show back to basics and having to manage reduced visitor numbers in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic was a huge challenge, but one we’re relieved to have overcome and through hard work and commitment have built a bigger, better, stronger, more resilient platform than ever. I think wherever there are challenges, there are opportunities, and things are always in flux – but this was exacerbated through the pandemic and post-pandemic world.
The pandemic had a hugely destabilising effect on so many industries, and in the years that have followed, we’re all trying to make sense of a world where things just don’t happen in the same traditional and uniformed ways that they used to. It’s in this difference of mindset that I think the greatest challenges, and opportunities, are faced – and we continue to approach the changing industry landscape with creativity, ingenuity, and originality.
The Nordics have played a pivotal role in sustainability over the past few years, and the fair – coupled with Copenhagen Fashion Week – has had a huge impact on a global scale. What tangible measures does CIFF implement when picking designers?
As an organisation, we always prioritise supporting those talents who are leading the way in designing in a circular manner and highlighting it at the fair to showcase new ways of designing for the challenges of today. We aim to share knowledge and facilitate exchange of thinking and ideas between brands helping them to grow and succeed.
Given this, we try to take a less prescriptive position than some other organisations on the sustainability criteria required to participate, but instead believe that by including and educating companies in the wider fashion space about the opportunities for more sustainable operations, we can be a part of a greater industry-wide change.
Change doesn’t happen overnight and takes time and resources. We’re proud to hold hands with our brands as they navigate this and support them with access to resources and knowledge to smoothly assist those who require it in transitioning to become businesses which are sustainable in terms of their human and environmental impact, but also sustainable commercially.
CIFF
What major shifts have you noticed – from a sustainability perspective – over the last few years through directing CIFF and far beyond?
One really visible change we see is the level of waste being created by the builds in the show in general. The level of waste after the fair would be significant with many brands using single-use builds. Now their approach has changed and instead of building from new and scrapping, almost everything used is either from their own showrooms or rented and able to be re-used in the future.
From our side, we always aim to think sustainably about everything that we do, from solar panels on the roof of the Bellacenter to how we’re managing food waste, and how we can build the most exciting show experience for exhibitors and guests in the most sustainable and conscious manner possible.
What are this season’s key highlights, and why?
This season you’ll see a lot more activities including concerts, more hospitality options, a tea saloon, an indoor basketball court, and a huge closing dinner and party for our 63rd edition. Why? We want people to feel inspired, mingle, and experience CIFF as more than just halls full of logos and racks.
What’s the short (and long) term goal of the fair?
Our short and long-term goal is the same, we want to help the brands expand their businesses and we want to be a go-to platform for buyers. The main difference between the short-term and long-term will be the how. We’ll need to adapt and provide in a more future-proof way.
What are you most hopeful for this coming season?
My biggest wish is that the energy will be positive and optimistic and that we’ll see buying patterns start to rebound. It’s much needed across our industry right now.
by Chidozie Obasi