27 March 2023

Meet The Designer: Denise Christensen

Few Scandi brands have exploded in recent years quite like REMAIN Birger Christensen. Here, we sat down with CEO and creative director Denise Christensen to find out how her own work ethic and aesthetic inform the brand’s direction, and how it’s moving towards a more sustainable future.

By Emma Bigger

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@denisechristensenbc

My love of fashion probably goes back to my grandfather – he loved it. He would take my sister and I to all the big department stores in Copenhagen to look at the new collections every season, so I was surrounded by vibrant colours, prints and fabrics – all of which was very inspiring. Then, at 14, I did an internship with a fashion photographer. They were shooting the supermodel of the year campaign, and the unveiling took place at a big concert hall in Copenhagen. All the top Danish models were there. I remember dressing up in my best outfit and feeling like a million dollars surrounded by all those fashionable people.

My own journey in fashion started in the textile department of a large store. After many years of hard work, I became CEO for the multiband retailer, Birger Christensen Collective, where I was responsible for buying brands such as Dior, Celine and Valentino. It was here I seized the opportunity to reincarnate the craftsmanship and heritage of the house and start a new brand that focused on leather – which became REMAIN Birger Christensen.

The REMAIN woman’s look is understated but always with a cool fashion twist. Her taste is refined and elegant and she feels empowered when she’s wearing the brand. REMAIN’s aesthetic goes beyond the typical Scandi style by elevating the typical classic and minimalist influences. We’re all about the unexpected details, but it always comes back to less is more – it’s such a cliché but it works every time.

My personal style is very simple, but always with a contemporary flair. It’s important to reinterpret my look depending on what stage I’m at in life, but I do believe in the power of having a classic, high-quality wardrobe you can rely on, with a few fun and seasonal elements thrown in. I also enjoy exploring new styling ideas rather than looking to a particular person or piece for inspiration.

The most treasured piece in my wardrobe is my grey ostrich Hermès Kelly bag, which I bought for myself after making a particular career move; it always reminds me of my hard work and dedication. The other item I will treasure forever is a beige Celine shearling coat, with the double C motif on the back. It was a total sell-out and I was lucky to get my hands on one.

You don’t need to be the best at everything. Surrounding yourself with talented people with different skills and abilities helps you grow and amplify your own success. It also helps you focus on what you’re best at and to be able to work in a collaborative way. The best piece of career advice I could give anyone is that nothing comes without hard work. Talent is crucial, but it only takes you part of the way – the rest comes down to ambition and graft.

My own work ethic comes from my parents, who had me and my sister very young. There wasn’t a lot of money to go around, so we were constantly mending clothes and patching things over to make them last longer. It’s probably why I wake up every day with the urge to try harder and do better.

I’ve always admired Stella McCartney. She was one of the first designers to shed a real light on sustainable practices in this industry and then to follow through by delivering responsible solutions that didn’t compromise on design. She’s a real revolutionary. At Remain, we aim for 100% responsibility and transparency around our sourcing and production processes. We’ve also taken the time to build a strong team of experts who can address the various issues we come up against in the fashion industry.

Education and awareness are the first steps when it comes living a more sustainable life. We can all make a conscious effort to change our habits – whether that’s recycling, using less water or limiting the amount of fast fashion we buy that has not been sourced or produced sustainably. If we all make an effort to do better, we will see significant change. For us, 2023 is all about increased sustainability and our commitment to environmental progress. We will continue to strive to preserve our planet and people through design, production and distribution.

Visit REMAINBirgerChristensen.com and follow @DeniseChristensenBC on Instagram.