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In the early 2000s, this Dane and her sister, Sif, launched their first collections of felt decorative objects. Now at the helm of Gry & Sif with her husband Christian, she talks to the Athenaeum about the success of their creations, now on our shelves.
How did you decide to create Gry & Sif?
Keen to change careers, I set off with ma sister, Sif, on a three-month trek across India and Nepal, in search of inspiration. I eventually found her in a small village near Kathmandu, where women were creating beautiful, colorful felt fabrics. With flip-flops on our feet and a bag on our backs, ma sister and I thought about how we could use this process. " What if we took it to Scandinavian design? " Gry & Sif was born..
What is it about this technique that interests you so much?
I'm fascinated by felt, which is both beautiful and rustic, and by all the possibilities it offers! There are no limits. You can use it to create everything from finely chiseled creations to simple, natural accessories. Not to mention the passion of the Nepalese workers with whom we work.
Fair trade is at the heart of your approach: in concrete terms, what does this mean for you and the workers you employ?
I've never forgotten those Nepalese women making felt cloth in that little village on the outskirts of Kathmandu. It was with them in mind that I structured Gry & Sif, so that their values are fully recognized in the company. This means good working conditions for the 800+ people we employ in Nepal. In particular, a less stressful site, with green spaces, access to drinking water and environmentally-friendly toilets. Consumers now want more. They want products with soul. They want the people who make them to be treated well and paid a decent wage. I'm delighted by this new awareness, especially as I've been committed to social responsibility and fair trade from the outset. In 2009, Gry & Sif was the first Danish interior design company to be certified by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), before becoming a guaranteed member seven years later.
What does Danish design mean to you?
It's a very simple, unadorned design. Like felt itself. In fact, it works very well with this natural material.
How do you create your collections?
Gry & Sif launches three collections a year: Easter, Christmas and Basics. For each of them, I gather ideas throughout the year, before spending a few days alone, away from my office, to define the lines in question. I then travel to Nepal, where I take part in the manufacturing process of the final samples. So it takes about a year to complete a collection.
How do you explain the success of Gry & Sif?
We owe this success to our teams. In Nepal, we've been working with the same people for over 20 years. In the early days, we almost lived on site, to ensure that our quality requirements and expectations in terms of products and understanding of design were met. Today, we are reaping the rewards of all these efforts. Nepal may be a developing country with limited resources, but its people are the happiest and most optimistic I know. Anything is possible there, including the greatest challenges. The proof is in our WFTO certification. In Denmark, we've also been able to put in place a whole team of qualified and competent people. The best there is, I think. The result? Christian and I can concentrate fully on developing the company's collections and sales.
What are you working on at the moment?
Future collections, particularly the Easter 2025 collection, which is currently being developed..
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