Collab Like: Ganni

In the year 2000, gallerist Frans Truelsen founded the label Ganni to create the ultimate line of cashmere garments. Nearly a decade later, Power couple Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup were hired to helm the brand’s redirection, bringing the focus to ready-to-wear garments that flip the well-known, minimalist, CPH aesthetic on its head. Ganni has since been known for its classic silhouettes in bright, and colorful patterns that made it a favorite of it-girls, celebrities, and fashion enthusiasts everywhere. Ganni’s status as a coveted brand has made it the prime target for collaborations. This season, we see five distinct collaborations, and how each of these projects not only creates positive brand associations but also serve as a vehicle for extending Ganni’s brand story.

Ganni x ace & tate

Dutch eyewear company ace & tate built its brand by offering well-designed sun and optical glasses geared towards creatives looking for better eyewear solutions that stood the test of time and didn’t break the bank. For its second collaboration with Ganni, the pair found synergy in a common brand promise – that is, finding ways to improve brand practices to be better for the planet, without sacrificing the aesthetic their audience has come to know and love.

The collaboration, aptly called, BRIGHT FUTURES, blends the spirit of both brands perfectly, mixing classic frames with bold colors, and more inventive silhouettes that allude to the futuristic vibe of the collection. In keeping with their brand promise of doing better for the world, each frame is made from low-impact materials like bio and recycled acetate.

Ganni x Dr. Martens

Putting their design foot forward for their role in reimagining the Dr. Martens classic Jadon boot, Ganni extends the story of the 90s alternative and gives it the new millennium treatment with hard-wearing, alternative materials, classic Doc Martens yellow stitching, and the Ganni Butterfly logo for understated and effortless cool. Borrowing from Dr. Martens’ musical heritage, Ganni selects French musician and all-around cool girl OK Lou as the face of the campaign, to stay true to the spirit of Dr. Martens’ and the burgeoning underground while keeping it Ganni.

Ganni x 66° North

The GANNI x 66°North collaboration is a celebration of Iceland and the great outdoors, aimed at supporting active and adventurous lifestyles. The collection brings together Ganni’s trademark, and self-ascribed Scandi 2.0 style with the heritage of the Icelandic label, which has been crafting extreme weather gear since 1926. While both brands are B-Corp certified, there is an obvious difference in the brand’s immediate clientele, Ganni, catering to a more cosmopolitan city crowd compared to the outdoor enthusiasts who would count 66°North as their favorite brand. But four seasons together proves that a successful collaboration hinges upon strong storytelling of shared brand DNA.

A quote from Ganni’s Creative Director, Ditte Reffstruf reads,

"I can’t believe it’s our fourth collaboration. We share the same sense of pride in where we come from and for this collection, I wanted to go back to our roots and revisit some of those iconic pieces that really make us who we are."

Ganni x Mejuri

Late last month, Ganni and Mejuri launched a four-piece collection called Brand Besties, with a campaign featuring sets of best friends to reflect the brands’ growing friendship over the years. A smart blend of Ganni’s signature four-leaf clover and chunky charms, set in Mejuri’s understated mixed-metal aesthetic.

Ganni x Barbour

Collaboration can take many forms. In the case of Ganni's partnerships with Mejuri and Ace & Tate, both brands have an equal share in developing and bringing new products to market. In contrast, Ganni's collaborations with Barbour, Doctor Martens, and 66°North are focused on reimagining classic styles with a Scandi 2.0 touch. For their second collaboration with Barbour, Ganni has released a nine-piece capsule collection that celebrates craftsmanship, durability, and a shared commitment to responsibility. The collection is versatile and can be worn from the city to the countryside, reflecting Barbour's commitment to consuming less and offering repairs and Ganni’s commitment to finding ways to be better for the environment.

Takeaways

1. Add Dimension
   Use collaborations with like-minded brands to further your brand story and expand the universe where your brand exists, not only to grow your brand’s audience, but also to add a dimension to your brand that you can use for further development.

2. It doesn’t have to be that deep, but it should be on brand
   Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just make it your own. For collaboration ideas or ideas in general, you can take a product and a few things that you can adjust to make the product feel more like your own.

3. Think outside the box, and sometimes outside of your category
   Don’t be afraid to look for inspiration or collaborations with brands that may feel completely disjointed, thoughtful use of even one thing in common can make for impactful campaigns that land functional and thematic messaging effectively.

Fun stuff this week

Spotify’s Song Psychic

Spotify has launched a new feature called Song Psychic that uses Spotify's understanding of music and song titles to answer a range of personal questions. They google search SEO tagline so geniusly states that Song Psychis is: Your questions answered – with a song. This feature builds on the success of Spotify's year-end review called Wrapped and is aimed at providing personalized insights designed for social sharing. Cute and slightly gimmicky, Song Psychic is a smart way for a brand like Spotify to increase visibility by helping users co-create shareable content for social media during slower months as they wait for their most talkable moment of the year. Not to mention hitting the nail on the head when it comes to society’s obsession with predicting the future, this one is definitely for the universe-astrology-inclined.

SCHEMA is a Brand Marketing & Creative Agency for brands that want to create impact through creativity, community, and culture. To say hello or work with us, send us a message here. Follow our IG here, and our Tik Tok here. Have a good one!