Bold and poetic, effortless cool-girl springs to mind with any Baum und Pferdgarten collection. Consisting of playful contrasts, beautiful fabrics and memorable prints, their vision is to deliver uncompromising aesthetics whilst remaining ethically responsible and inclusive to all.
Hailing from the city of Scandi style – Copenhagen – Baum und Pferdgarten has remained one of the leading Danish fashion houses since way back in 1999, and delivered stunning design-led collections ever since.From creating a safe space for self-expression to acting as an engine for celebrating emerging talent [with their coveted Back to Back Artist Collaboration initiative] - we love everything that the brand stands for, and we couldn't be happier to welcome them to the Coggles family.We sat down with founding Creative Directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave to chat about all things Baum und Pferdgarten...#1 Hi Rikke and Helle! Can you tell us how the pair of you met?
Rikke: We met when we were both studying at the design academy here in Copenhagen. From day one, we admired each other's work hugely – and it came quite natural to start working on projects together.
Before we knew it, we had developed some kind of symbiosis where we both felt much stronger together and that has never changed!#2 Can you give our readers a brief history of Baum und Pferdgarten?
Rikke: We founded Baum und Pferdgarten in 1999 right after graduating from the design school. Back then, the Danish fashion industry was much less diverse and creative and we couldn’t see ourselves working for any of the companies that existed - so we simply had to create the brand ourselves!
For the first years, we were relatively small. Looking back we can see that we made so many professional mistakes - but we were always fighting for the best possible collection with products that balanced design and craftsmanship.This is still our driving force – but over the years, the company has grown with us and we now have competent people helping us turning our passion into a business.Our community is open to everybody regardless of their age, body type, gender, race, religion – or where they live on the planet!
#3 What does ethical responsibility mean to you both?
Helle: For many years, we’ve had a huge focus on the production side of things and the entire supply chain. But the last year has made us even more aware of the huge responsibility we have in terms of representation!
We are part of an industry that articulates ideals and aspirations. Of course, we need to take that very serious when we portray our version of an 'ideal'.We’ve always considered ourselves inclusive – but the last 12 months has pushed us to try to be even more focused on welcoming everybody into our community.#4 How does your individuality complement each other?
Rikke: Over the years, we are becoming more and more like each other… a bit like a married couple!
We’ve both evolved so much over the years, our tastes complement each other in a subtle manner. #5 What's something you love to see?
Helle: I often get touched by seeing our colleagues interact and engage with each other. I feel blessed that we have created an organisation that keeps growing and welcoming new talented people!
It is so moving to see them connect and share their passion. We always talk about our community as the #BaumFamily – and obviously, that all starts with our team and the people we see every day. They are really the core of the #BaumFamily!#6 What song can put you in a good mood?
Helle: We are both loving Danish singer Jada, especially her song “On Me” - it always brings a happy vibe!
#7 We loved your Back to Back initiative - can you tell us a little bit about it?
Helle: We had released a collection inspired by two American artists; Jane Wilson & Jane Freilicher. They had been working alongside each other for years and shared a creative partnership with many similarities to our own.
We launched the collection in the middle of lockdown, which made us aware of how many emerging artists were struggling with gallery closures and also people being less likely to invest money in art. We wanted to see if we could use our platforms for raising awareness around their talent and potentially help them sell some of their pieces. We invited 7 artists to make art inspired by Jane & Jane and then we launched an online art gallery to exhibit these! It was important to us that any sales from the gallery were dealt with by the artists directly.
(Read more about the artist collaboration here).#8 What’s a good tip for staying calm and collected?
Helle: We both enjoy walking to the office. Rikke walks from her home along the harbour whereas I walk through the biggest park in Central Copenhagen. It gives a moment of mental healing before the day kicks off.
#9 We loved the initiative for your first "Lockdown Show" where you showcased looks worn by a cast of 21 profiles from around the globe - how did you choose the profiles?
Rikke: It was really a celebration of the #BaumFamily. All 21 profiles chosen for the collection are people we know in various capacities and admire hugely for their work and aesthetics.
Some of them have been styling our shows or campaigns, one has previously done a face filter for our Instagram, one has been hosting events with us in New York – and some of them we’ve only met for dinners and parties. All of them have been supporting Baum und Pferdgarten in their own way - and we wanted “The Lockdown Show” to be a joyful reminder of all the things we share in a time of isolation.#10 What’s your favourite place to grab dinner?
Rikke: A cosy down-to-earth restaurant with good food and wine where the focus can be on the people we are with. 
FashionThe scandi designers to know
With Ganni, ROTATE and Saks Potts flying the Danish flag at Coggles we’re giving you a rundown of the Scandi designers we’re currently swooning over this Copenhagen Fashion Week.
