Day Birger et Mikkelsen

DAY Birger et Mikkelsen's headquarters, situated in a beautiful five-storey townhouse at Kongens Nytorv in the heart of Copenhagen, feels like a family home. And family is the ethos behind the brand, says Keld Mikkelsen, who founded the company in 1997. With women's, men's and interior collections, two Danish flagship stores and points of sale in more than a thousand shops in 25 countries, DAY Birger et Mikkelsen is quietly celebrating its success.

Keld Mikkelsen began working in the textile industry in his late teens, where a job in Asia as a production manager and head of design for various companies made him well acquainted with the fashion industry. His decision to create his own company at the age of 39 was a gradual one, "I wanted to celebrate a brand based on beautiful designs more than anything else," he explains. Mikkelsen's desire was to move away from a business focused on sales and towards a design driven product with a craftsmanship revival - whether embroidery or hand beading. The idea, reflected in the brand's name, was to create contemporary everyday glamour. "From the very beginning we had a strong following and lots of media attention. We were very lucky and the rapturous reception took us by surprise," says Mikkelsen. The brand's bohemian yet modern style featuring fine tailoring and fabrics and detailed embellishment soon caught on with a clientele eager for designs with a story to tell.

Keld Mikkelsen is the founder and owner of DAY Birger et Mikkelsen. He has worked in the fashion industry all his life, a decade of which was spent in Asia. From the very beginning his vision was to create a design company focused on design. During longer stays in Hong Kong and India he became particularly fascinated by the quality of tailored clothes, the true craftsmanship of Asian tailoring, the meeting of art and craft - embroidery, prints, patterns, edging and trimming, each reflecting ancient Asian traditions and a unique story. These stories were transported to Denmark where they were given new life through DAY Birger et Mikkelsen¹s designs.

During the past few years, the global ethnicity that initially characterized DAY has become urbanized, appealing to metropolitan bohemians. In making room for creativity and individuality, DAY has created a contemporary look that individuals can relate to ­ something that has always been very important to Keld Mikkelsen.

DAY Birger et Mikkelsen's unique design juxtaposes modern, individual, bohemian and international styles with inspiration from the colonial period in the Far East, vintage flea market treasures and the glamour of the twenties and thirties. Keld Mikkelsen explains: "For us, eternal truth lies in the classics. We are inspired by all sorts of classics and update and rework them to become our own, with a distinct Scandinavian style."

Marianne Brandi is the creative spirit and head of design behind the interior and lifestyle collection DAY Home.

Having worked with interior design all her professional life, Brandi joined the DAY family in 1997, where she was initially responsible for all visual communication and interior decoration of DAY¹s showrooms, trade fair stands and shops across Europe. In 2005 she took a creative leap and launched the DAY Home collection, characterized by inviting, natural and Scandinavian designs with a hint of international bohemia.

Website: www.day.dk

View more fashion labels, designers and brands...