Organic Fashion for All Ages with Popupshop

With a continued focus across industries on sustainability, it’s heartening to see brands taking the cause to heart and not just using it as a buzzword, but integrating it into their brand’s very ethos. Danish fashion brand Popupshop has done this for their adult, teenage and kids’ lines. Their additional focus on quality, timeless design and addressing the needs of a diverse age group makes them a brand to watch. Though they mostly produce basics, they’re not above an occasional trend, and their fun swimwear reflects that.

Find out what co-founder and designer Luca Leschly Romagnoli thinks about designing for kids and the perfect outfit:

When was Popupshop launched?

Popupshop was launched in Copenhagen in 2007 by Luca Leschly Romagnoli and Marie-Louise Mogensen.

What are the guiding principles of the brand?

We are aiming to produce and design products where form, simplicity and function are essential, and products that are built to last.

Where are your products most popular?

In Europe, USA, Australia and Japan.

Do you think your clothes fit within the Scandinavian aesthetic?

I think our casual and basic collection fits the Scandinavian aesthetics well. We strive to create a straightforward collection both in our designs and the way we communicate – visually and in writing.

You only use organic cotton. Has this made finding suppliers difficult?

There are many things that are complicated about only using organic fabrics! For the fabrics we prefer, using using organic is the best option for quality, durability and softness. 90% of our collection is made from organic fabrics, but we also use recycled fabrics for our swimwear. That gives us more options for synthetic alternatives.

Most of your pieces are basics or staples. How do you differentiate yourself from other brands?

By being organic and by trying to offer the collection at a price point that is democratic. Our collection should be a real option for all budgets.

You design for kids, teens and adults. How are designing for these groups different, and how are they similar? Which is the most difficult market to design for?

They are similar in the sense that many of the fabrics can be used for all of them. Our kids’ collection is a little more print-driven, while we try and keep our teen collection more basic, mature and focused on fewer prints. Our adult collections are all about simplicity and pieces that last.

Can you explain how you came up with the name Popupshop?

We wanted to make a brand wherein we controlled all stages of the product life cycle: design, production and distribution. It couldn’t be brand/logo-driven. With that perspective in mind, we started to search for a name that fit.

We thought about words like “uniform,” “customs,” etc. but a friend of ours came up with Popupshop and we thought it was perfect. We also wanted our online shop to be the base of everything. At that time, the phenomenon of pop-up shops were very new and we didn’t know anything about it. But we went with it!

In the beginning we wanted to sell direct-to-consumer only, but we got a lot of requests from wholesalers. Before we knew it, we were mostly selling to shops. In some markets around the world, we are going back to direct-to-consumer sales because it gives us the ability to control pricing and launches.

What is, to you, the perfect outfit?

Something in which you feel comfortable for many different possible occasions. For me, that would be something that is high-quality with a casual, simple look.

Anything else you’d like included in the article?

Just remember to hand down your old favourite clothing items so someone else can enjoy them and they last as long as possible.