Your New Favourite Scandi Store Has Hit London

There's no denying the power of the Danish when it comes to influencing us Brits and our wardrobes. From brands like Ganni, Cecilie Bahnsen, Baum Und Pferdgarten and Stand, to influencers like Thora Valdimars, Emili Sindlev and Anna Cornelia, we're hooked on the sartorial effortlessness that the Danes exude. Now, another slice of Scandi style is hitting Britain, with Samsøe & Samsøe, established in Copenhagen in 1993, opening its first London store.

The brand started out by selling only jewellery before expanding into premium basics for men. In 2000, Peter Sextus and Per-Ulrik Andersen took over from brothers and founders Klaus and Preben Samsøe, and transformed it into the contemporary label we know today. Classic Scandi aesthetics – think playful colour schemes, easy-breezy silhouettes and pieces made for long hot summers and ice cold winters – are combined with the utilitarian spirit that puts practicality at the forefront of Danish style (they were the first to rock floral dresses with chunky trainers, remember).

Now with a 222,000 strong Instagram following and a roster of fans including Jessie Bush, Jeanette Madsen, Shini Park, Erika Boldrin and Lucy Williams (to name but a few), there's no stopping Samsøe & Samsøe. Its flagship store, located at 47 Beak Street in Soho, builds on a growing UK presence for the brand, which opened its first mono-brand wholesale showroom in Shoreditch in February 2018, and launched in Selfridges earlier this year. It will soon be available at Harvey Nichols for pre-autumn/winter 2019, too.

“London is near and dear to my heart,” creative director, Mia Kappelgaard, said of the brand's store launch. “As a very young adult, London was my first home away from my parents – and I absolutely loved the energy of the city. It was between 1997 and 1998, I was living in Finsbury Park and ended up hanging out with musicians, stylists and filmmakers. It was buzzing with creativity – and to me this is still what London is all about. I can’t wait to see our clothes in the city that truly inspires me.”

With Copenhagen Fashion Week just around the corner, we'll be stocking up on the brand's mint green blazers, cornflower blue camis and ditsy floral wrap dresses. Now, how to channel that irresistible Copenhagen-cool attitude...