The GANNI Playbook

Book excerpt: 'GANNI offers a blueprint for how to embed sustainability from within' RACHEL CERNANSKY, SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR, VOGUE BUSINESS This book is about what happened when a business leader decided not to bury his head in the sand about climate change; when he found the conversation with his kids about floods from melting ice caps too painful, since his success was wound up in their cause. This book asks what it means to force yourself to take a different business path, where the destination is a responsible and profit-making business. GANNI, the ruthlessly honest Scandinavian fashion brand, is driven by a mission to demonstrate the principles of responsible business, where greater purpose co-exists with financial ambitions. In The GANNI Playbook, co-founder Nicolaj Reffstrup unveils the strategies that propelled GANNI to international stardom (although he'd never say that about their journey), while candidly unravelling the cultural, operational and creative components required to construct a business that embraces an uncertain future. In an engaging conversation with esteemed industry writer Brooke Roberts-Islam, Reffstrup delves into the reality of fashion's carbon emissions and the accompanying sense of guilt associated with growth, openly discussing both triumphs and failures, while honestly acknowledging the trade-offs that come with the journey. The GANNI Playbook is the ultimate hands-on guide to managing a decisive, direct and unapologetic brand.