When it comes to effortless style, Europe’s nonchalant Nordic residents have a stronghold on the market. Danish group Minimum is a young fashion brand that embodies this ethos—as you might guess—with its minimalistic roots. Originally a small retail space in Aarhus that opened shop in 1997, the company today has evolved into its own full-fledged independent clothing line, producing an impressive 10 collections for women and four for men annually.
“In preparation for each collection, I try to focus on how fashion makes me feel,” the label’s menswear designer Henrik Lehn explains. “I tend to choose trends that evoke a certain feeling in me—emotions that I hope to transfer to the collections and pass on to our customers.” Taking cues from all of the environments he finds himself in, Lehn divulges that he takes many “inspiration trips” around the world. Pulling from his travels and other cultural influences, his graphics for the men’s collection this season are “heavily exotic, ranging from a flamingo print to other tribal patterns”. Lehn mixes in a broad selection of casual styles and athletic cuts; “fitting is an extremely important aspect that we pay attention to.”
Taking into account more than just evocative trends and seasonal options, Minimum has their eye on the details as well. After all, when it comes to menswear, that’s what it’s all about. “All I can say,” Lehn begins, “is that every detail is important to me … it is the smaller details that really make the piece stand out. It could be the stitching, the button on a collar, or even the precise design on our labels.”
Minimum is represented in 25 showrooms as well as numerous retail partners throughout Europe, Australia, Asia, and Canada. (In Vancouver, the brand is available at Eugene Choo, J2, Plenty, and Still Life.) “I was rather surprised to see how closely related Nordic and Canadian style is,” Lehn observes. “The main difference I can see is that Canadians may have more street-style influence. But I think that we are very similar.”
