Back in 2019, Copenhagen-based fashion house Ganni opened its first U.S. flagship stores in New York City and Los Angeles. While road-tripping between the two cities, the team made stops in Dallas and Austin, where they fell in love with Texas, says Louise du Toit, president of Ganni North America and chief of global retail. Three years later, the brand opened three retail shops across the Lone Star State, including one at NorthPark Center last fall.
The Scandinavian brand was founded in 2000 by a Copenhagen art gallerist. After husband-and-wife duo Nicolaj* and Ditte Reffstrup took over in 2009, it exploded in popularity, becoming a cult classic. Ganni sells a variety of trendy accessories, like bucket hats, bags, and candles, and womenswear, including dresses, matching sets, vests, and more. Its bright and colorful apparel is known for its functionality, flattering shapes, and twists on classic silhouettes.
Although Ganni has been carried in department stores like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom and held a 10-month pop-up at Highland Park Village’s Market in 2021, the NorthPark store, on level one in the Nordstrom court, is a new flagship for the brand.
“Ganni itself is very joyful,” du Toit says. “We love patterns, we love fun, and I think that’s why it’s really meshed well with the Texas customer. Because she is very confident, bright, and colorful. [She’s] not afraid to try new things.”
The layout of the 1,050-square-foot Dallas store reflects that attitude, du Toit says. The team worked with local artists to craft the pastel color-blocked space. “[Ganni] prides itself on that joyful take on dressing,” she says. The store is cozy and cool, but du Toit says they kept sustainability in mind. The confetti countertops were made recycled plastics—a close inspection of these will reveal little bits of clothing labels single use plastics’ barcodes*, typically thrown out but now given a second purpose.
Since opening last October, du Toit says the store’s ushered in plenty of Ganni-fanatics, newcomers, and mother-daughter duos to shop. The location carries pieces from many of the Ganni’s various collections, like the colorful Spring 2023 line*, and collaborations, like its recent line with Levi’s. For the Dallas opening, Ganni created an exclusive product with its colorful Texas customer in mind: a black* and white cowboy boot. The boots flew off the shelves, selling out online in five seconds, du Toit says. But Ganni worked with online wholesaler Mytheresa to restock the boot internationally.
Du Toit hopes the Dallas store gives shoppers confidence to branch out of the typical clothes they gravitate to and celebrate their personal style. That, she says, is the secret to dressing. “It’s about being authentic to yourself.”
*A previous version of this story misspelled Nicolaj Rettstrup’s name, misidentified materials used in store and a color of the brand’s boots; and implied GANNI Sport was sold in-store. These have all been corrected.
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