The perfect marriage of Danish design and British eccentricity

Royal Danish Academy of Art alumni, designer Julie Brøgger spent the first years of her career working for some of London’s most renowned brands and in 2017 founder her eponymous label, Brøgger.

In our Q&A we talk to Julie about her influences, why she designs garments to be fun, functional, and to fall in love with.

Tell us about your influences and of Danish design tradition and the boldness of London.

I did my degree in fashion in Denmark and my design foundation is very much Danish. Design and architecture is highly valued there, and I was brought up with an understanding of design classics, and what makes something great. It is an ethos of beauty found in functionality, and when it comes to fashion; wearability. To me, London, where I have spent the last decade working, offers the complete opposite. London is a mad and wonderfully diverse place where eccentricity is celebrated. When I first arrived, it really challenged and moved my scandi ‘good taste’ boundaries. Brøgger is a blend of these two influences. Bold, but with wearability as a cornerstone.

You believe that just because a garment is timeless, it doesn't have to be the standard colours of black, navy or grey. Can you explain how you came to this conclusion?

I personally find my most treasured pieces are the fun and bold pieces that will always resurface. I think you have to fall in love with the pieces you invest in. I’ve never fallen in love with a navy blazer. Longevity in fashion is not just about wearing things every day, but keeping and caring for your pieces for years.

If you could encapsulate Brøgger in one person, one restaurant/hotel and one garment, who and what would they be?

One of my favourite authors, Suzanne Brøgger, (sadly, we are not related), is a feminist powerhouse, but has never been afraid to stand out with her looks, similar to my late mother; a lawyer who believed that femininity should be celebrated, even in court.

How do you use Brøgger to create social inclusiveness and positive impact?

Before positive impact comes an understanding that fashion often has a negative impact. In how it’s representing women, but it is also about how clothes make you feel. I want to empower women in any way I can with Brøgger for them to feel great when put on a piece. Much of our tailoring, for example, is cut so when you put on a few pounds or your body changes throughout the month, the cut still looks good. We spend a lot of time on that, trying the same piece on different body types. In terms of representation, it is very important to me that I’m not just showing one type of Brøgger woman, she is many things and she evolves.

As you produce only in the United Kingdom and E.U as well as sourcing all materials from these regions, Brexit must have impacted your business? Can you tell us specifically how?

Yes, Brexit is a huge challenge for UK-based fashion. The extra paperwork and duties we are put under are not ideal for seamless trade. The VAT annulment rule that being part of the EU brought meant moving goods was free and efficient. That has all gone now. It is difficult to say just now what the impact will be long-term, but there is no doubt that growing a fashion business in the UK has become harder.

Have you considered using digital technologies, digital showrooms or other innovations to either tell Brøgger’s story, or help with production?

We’ve used digital showrooms along with physical ones since the pandemic hit. We’ve had to rethink how we communicate the brand, and it has opened up new ways of working and access to other markets. But, I think everyone is longing for real-life events now and fashion is a tactile industry so we need to get back to seeing things in person.

What’s next for Brøgger?

I’m very excited to announce that we are on the Copenhagen Fashion Week show schedule this coming August. This will be the first live show for a long time. It will be different from what it was, probably outdoors. But I can’t wait!