Dualism and Modernity with Julie Brøgger

A London based Danish designer, Julie Brøgger founded her label in 2017 and marked her runway debut in 2019 at the Copenhagen Fashion

Brøgger works in dichotomies; toying between masculine and feminine cuts, as well as Danish design and British boldness. Her fresh and sustainable take on modern dressing is inspiring to say the least.

Rebellious in the prints and colours, and yet put together through the cuts and shapes. How would you best describe the Brøgger Woman?

JB: She likes to stand out from the crowd, appreciates quality and will invest in key items in her wardrobe. She plays with the notions of femininity and masculinity with her look.

Your use of colour is beautiful and definitely eye-catching – what attracts you to certain hues, and how do you choose the colour combinations?

JB: Thank you!

I like ‘pretty’ feminine colours but bounced off another colour that is either very saturated or a bit dirty. Pretty is only interesting with a bit of ‘ugly’ or something that makes you question it.

Sustainably sourced and made, your clothes are created to be timeless. How do you design your pieces to stand the test of time? What makes a piece relevant throughout seasons?

JB: First, the fit must be good, women will wear pieces over and over again that makes them feel and look good. I don’t believe that longevity equals classic, quite the opposite actually. I want the Brøgger customer to fall in love with the pieces, with the extra attention to detail. To me that means you will bring that piece back again and again. But first and foremost, I like my collections to be versatile, pieces that explore the balance between day and formal wear, durable easy materials made into big dresses for example, and blazers that are cut to work both with trousers and over a dress, allowing for inevitable fluctuations in weight but remaining a great fit and making the wearer feel good.

Your clothes are resolutely feminine through the cuts, ruffles, and colours. Your main inspirations are your mother as well as Queen Margrethe of Denmark. What does contemporary feminism mean to you, and how to do reflect it in your collections?

JB: In my view, contemporary feminism is about embracing and celebrating feminine codes, but everything is up for grabs for now, mixing masculine shapes seems natural. I think contemporary women have more confidence in expressing femininity than ever before, and recognise the power of it.

Florals were considered bad taste back in the day but have become fashionable in recent years. What do you think will come back in fashion in the coming years?

JB: I can’t think of something that couldn’t come back. That's what's so magical about fashion - it can transform our point of view, our taste. It never is just "the 70s or 90s are back". All periods in fashion link further back and will be transformed again and again through contemporary binoculars.

Inspired by the classics of Denmark, as well as the eclecticism of London, do you think that your inspiration has swayed in recent months, being in the city?

JB: My Danish inspiration isn’t linked to being in Denmark, but rather to my upbringing and education there. The Scandinavian design tradition is a strong force, that I have in many ways run away from, in order to appreciate it again – from a distance. That said, there are museums back home that I desperately want to visit again as soon as possible. I always find the Louisiana Art Museum which is 20 minutes away from my childhood home, so inspiring.

Do you feel a post lockdown creative burst? And how do you envision Brøgger in the coming season?

JB: I have used my work to get through this whole thing in a positive way. Brøgger is very much about bold and positive fashion, and the collections that have been created during and post lockdown are full of colour and fun, something I think we have been and continue to crave right now.

I’m working on the SS22 collection right now, that we will hopefully show during Copenhagen Fashion Week this coming August and I just want to have fun with it! I want to let mine and the team’s creativity run a bit wild.

Finally, what is your favourite piece / look of the season, and why?

JB: For summer, I want an easy wearing material like our crushed ripstop on the Adalee Summer dress and Agnes dress for Pre-Fall /High Summer collections. It doesn’t really crease and is super feminine.

Opulent, vivid, heightened and yet perfectly wearable. Julie Brøgger’s collections embrace the rebelliousness of clashes and make them timeless, a true feat.

Interview with Julie Brøgger

Photos provided by Raven Agency

Interview by Pooja Lucie Willmann