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Behind companies such as PanzerGlass, JOE & THE JUICE, NTG and Kingspan is a digital infrastructure that keeps orders, suppliers and logistics running. When these systems work together seamlessly, businesses can move faster.

Connecting those systems is what Martin Bjorheim has built his career around. As CEO and founder of SublimTech, he helps companies integrate their IT systems and automate data flows, reducing the need for manual processes.

After years in the IT industry, Bjorheim saw how good technology did not always deliver its full potential. Too many layers stood between customers and the people who could help them. He decided to build a business around a more direct approach, though taking that step came with its own risks.

At the time, Bjorheim had three children. Today, he has four, and family life made financial security an important consideration. At the same time, he had built a network of customers who knew him and trusted his way of working.

That trust remains central to SublimTech. Customers have direct access to technical specialists, while employees work across several locations rather than from a traditional central office. SublimTech is a Platinum Partner of the Lobster Data Platform and the largest Lobster consultancy in the Nordic region, serving more than 40 customers across Denmark and Sweden.

We met Martin Bjorheim to discuss starting out on his own, rethinking an established industry and building a business around freedom and trust.

Martin Bjorheim, CEO & Founder, Sublimtech.

Martin Bjorheim already had the experience and industry knowledge when the idea for SublimTech began to take shape.

At Lobster Platform, he had worked closely with the technology, its customers and the partners helping businesses put the solutions into practice.

Over the years, he had also seen how the IT industry could make things more complicated than they needed to be. While technology offered solutions to many business challenges, customers could find themselves navigating layers of account managers and project managers before reaching the people who could actually help.

“I could see that the things customers were asking for were falling between the cracks. They weren’t getting the help they needed. First, you had to speak to an account manager, then a project manager, and every layer came at a cost. Eventually, you might get to someone who could actually solve the problem.”

The technology itself wasn’t necessarily the problem. It was how it was delivered.

Bjorheim saw how customers could become frustrated at having to pay simply to discuss ideas and explore possibilities before they had even begun addressing their challenges.

So he started asking himself a question.

“I thought, why couldn’t I deliver what customers were actually looking for? They wanted to speak to someone, discuss ideas and explore possibilities without worrying about receiving a hefty bill.”

That became the starting point for SublimTech.

The idea was simple. Bjorheim wanted to build a company where customers had direct access to technical expertise, and where the person who understood the problem was also the person who could solve it.

But turning a good idea into a business required more than just taking the leap.

Martin Bjorheim on stage at Summit X Copenhagen

Starting a business is one thing. Doing so while supporting a family and managing financial responsibilities is another.

The bills still had to be paid, and there was no guarantee that customers would follow him into his new venture.

“It was a difficult decision because I was financially responsible for my family. When you start your own business, there is always uncertainty. Will it work out, or will it fail?”

Still, Bjorheim had something that would prove crucial: the relationships he had built with customers over the years.

He had taken the time to understand their businesses and find solutions that genuinely helped them. He had also seen how customers in the IT industry could face unnecessary layers of management and processes that made it harder to get the right support. For Bjorheim, this confirmed that there was room for a more direct, personal approach.

“The customers I worked with knew I was honest and had their best interests at heart. I had stood up for them on several occasions over the years. That meant some were ready to work with me and partner with my new company.”

As a result, SublimTech gained a foothold relatively quickly.

For Bjorheim, it confirmed that there was room in the market for a different approach. Not necessarily a new technology, but a different way of working with customers.

Ask Martin Bjorheim what SublimTech actually does, and his answer is not about software, integrations or technical acronyms.

It is about removing the bottlenecks that emerge when business systems fail to work together properly.

Take a company looking to onboard a new supplier. The agreement is in place, and the business is ready to move forward. But connecting that supplier to the company’s systems can be held up by technical bottlenecks and internal processes.

Weeks or even months can pass before everything is up and running.

For Bjorheim, it is a clear example of how IT can stand in the way of an otherwise promising business opportunity.

“There are people in companies with really good ideas, but they come up against systems and processes that hold them back. When the market changes and a business needs to respond quickly, it can end up waiting for an IT department or an external partner before it can move forward.”

SublimTech connects systems so data can flow between them, helping companies automate processes that would otherwise require manual work. Its solutions include the Lobster Platform, EDI and API integrations, self-service EDI onboarding, as well as B2B, customer and supplier portals.

But for Bjorheim, the goal is not simply to make the technology work. It is to give people within a business greater freedom to act.

“We make sure all the different pieces fit together. It is about enabling companies to do more themselves. We need to be flexible and listen to the business, not just the IT department.”

That is also why SublimTech does not aim to make its customers dependent on the company. For Bjorheim, this is an important principle in an industry where customers can sometimes feel locked in.

Customers should stay because the relationship works and delivers value, not because moving on is difficult.

SublimTech is not built around a large, central office. Instead, Martin Bjorheim has chosen to run the company with employees working from different locations across Denmark and Sweden.

It is a deliberate choice, but one that also brings its own challenges as a leader.

How do you make sure people feel supported, continue to develop and feel part of the same team when they do not see each other in person every day?

Bjorheim gained experience working remotely during his time at Lobster Platform. He knows that leading a distributed team requires particular attention to communication, especially when you cannot read a colleague’s body language or get a sense of the mood in an office.

“One of the hardest things as a manager is not being able to see people in person. You constantly have to gauge whether they are happy, whether they are satisfied and whether anything is troubling them.”

That is why staying in regular contact with his employees has become part of his daily routine.

Every morning, he spends time calling team members to ask how they are doing, what they are working on and whether there are any challenges he can help resolve.

It is not just about wellbeing. It is also about spotting problems before they grow, making sure employees feel challenged and helping them develop their skills.

“I need to spend 15 minutes with each employee every day. I want to know whether they are ready for their tasks and whether there is anything I need to get involved in.”

He also tries to give employees variety in their work, so they do not get stuck on the same types of projects. Sometimes that means joining a customer conversation or helping with a technical challenge. At other times, it means finding new assignments that give employees the opportunity to learn something new.

For Bjorheim, this is an essential part of being a leader. His role is not simply to make sure the work gets done, but to ensure that the people doing it want to keep doing it.

When asked about his ambitions, Martin Bjorheim is not focused on building the biggest company possible at any cost.

He wants to attract more customers, take on interesting projects and explore new technologies. But not at the expense of what made him start SublimTech in the first place.

Customers should continue to feel heard, with solutions built around their actual needs. Employees should enjoy their work, develop their skills and be part of a company where collaboration works.

“What we do today is really what I dream of. Working with happy customers, having them come back with a new project or thinking of me first when they need help.”

That does not mean he has stopped looking ahead. He sees opportunities to expand the company’s expertise and, over time, work with a broader range of technologies and systems. But growth needs to happen at a pace the organisation can support.

For now, the Lobster Platform remains the foundation of the business, while several team members also bring expertise in other technologies.

For Bjorheim, the next step is about growing without losing the approach that has brought the company this far.

“We are growing, bringing in new customers and doing exciting things together with them. That is really what I want. To get better every day and help customers get the full potential out of the technology they already have.”

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It is now firmly established that Danish-born JOE & THE JUICE has grown into a major international business. With more than 500 stores worldwide, a workforce of over 5000 and revenue approaching €540 million, the chain has long outgrown its Danish roots.

Its ambitions remain considerable. JOE & THE JUICE has set its sights on 1000 stores in the coming years, as it continues to build a global brand that can adapt to the markets it enters.

The latest example comes from the Middle East, where the company has teamed up with Karen Wazen, an internationally recognised lifestyle entrepreneur and fashion personality.

Karen Wazen

Karen Wazen is the founder of Karen Wazen Eyewear, a brand launched in 2018 with a focus on sunglasses that has since expanded into jewellery and other accessories.

She is also a partner at investment firm KE Partners, which invests in sectors including fintech, e-commerce, hospitality and real estate.

With close to eight million followers on Instagram, Wazen has built a significant presence in fashion and lifestyle, particularly across the Middle East. She has also featured on the cover of Elle Arabia.

Her collaboration with JOE & THE JUICE sees the launch of a limited-edition smoked salmon sandwich, featuring cream cheese and presented in specially designed silver packaging created for the partnership.

Launched on 16 October, the Karen Wazen Smoked Salmon Sandwich is available at selected locations across the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Qatar.

This is far from the first time JOE & THE JUICE has partnered with well-known names to strengthen its international brand.

In 2024, the company launched its Get Chic for Breakfast campaign with Paris Hilton and Alix Earle. The following year, tennis star Novak Djokovic joined JOE & THE JUICE as a health and wellness ambassador and co-owner. The company has also entered into a global partnership with British automotive brand Bentley.

The approach is slightly different with Karen Wazen. While some of its previous collaborations have been aimed at a broad international audience, this latest initiative centres on a personality with a particularly strong following in the Middle East.

The partnership reflects a broader development at JOE & THE JUICE. What began as a juice bar in Copenhagen has grown into an international lifestyle brand, but global scale does not necessarily mean taking the same approach in every market.

It is a strategy we have also explored in our coverage of Zalando, including its Access All Areas initiative. You can start reading that series here.

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On Location in Maranello, Italy 🇮🇹

In Maranello, Ferrari is about far more than cars. It is a story of heritage, craftsmanship, speed and emotion, built over decades. Now, the Italian marque is taking one of the biggest steps in its history with Ferrari Luce, its first fully electric car.

I would not describe myself as a particular car enthusiast. But even if you do not follow every new model or know the difference between every engine variant, there is something special about Ferrari. It is one of those rare brands that has grown far beyond the product itself.

In Ferrari’s historic hometown, we had the exclusive opportunity to meet the team behind a new chapter in the company’s history and get closer to Ferrari Luce, the first fully electric car set to take the Italian legend into an electric future.

Words by Jon Nedza

To understand where Ferrari is heading with Luce, it helps to understand where it came from. Motorsport, Italian design, craftsmanship and emotion are not values invented in a boardroom or created by a marketing department. They have been shaped by decades of victories, ambition and uncompromising work. But before returning to Luce, let’s go back to the beginning.

Ferrari’s history began with Enzo Ferrari, who founded the racing team Scuderia Ferrari in Modena in 1929. Maranello later became the company’s home, and it remains deeply rooted in the brand’s identity today.

On 12 March 1947, the engine of the Ferrari 125 S was started for the first time. It was the first car to carry the Ferrari name, a racing machine powered by a 12-cylinder engine that laid the foundations for a legacy that would unfold on race tracks around the world. Later that same year, the car secured its first Grand Prix victory in Rome. In 1950, Ferrari took part in the inaugural Formula One World Championship. Since then, the Prancing Horse has become one of the most recognisable symbols in motorsport.

It is precisely this combination of motorsport, Italian design, craftsmanship and emotion that makes Ferrari so fascinating. The cars are naturally at the centre of it all, but the story behind them matters just as much. Ferrari does not simply sell transportation. It sells an idea of performance, exclusivity and a distinctive way of life.

The journey began in Copenhagen, aboard a packed Ryanair flight to Bologna. As luck would have it, I found myself seated next to representatives from the leadership and board of Bologna FC. Conversation soon turned to Harald Nielsen, the Danish striker who became a celebrated figure at the Italian club in the 1960s. It was an unexpected connection between Denmark and Bologna, and a reminder that sometimes the best stories begin before you even reach your destination. There were also kind words about Copenhagen, but that is another story.

Ferrari Luce represents several historic firsts for the marque. It is Ferrari’s first fully electric car, its first five-seater and a model that places greater emphasis on space and comfort than the classic sports cars most people associate with the name.

That does not mean Ferrari has compromised on performance. Quite the opposite. Luce features four electric motors, one at each wheel, delivering a combined output of more than 1,000 horsepower. That is enough to propel the car from 0 to 100 km/h in around 2.5 seconds, with a top speed exceeding 310 km/h.

For the design, Ferrari has partnered with LoveFrom, the creative studio founded by former Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive and designer Marc Newson. The result combines clean lines with a mix of physical controls and digital interfaces. It is an approach that stands out at a time when many carmakers have moved almost every function onto large touchscreens.

With Luce, Ferrari is seeking to unite two worlds: the digital future and a more tactile experience, where materials, physical controls and attention to detail still matter.

Ferrari has yet to announce pricing for the Danish market. In Italy, the announced price is around €550,000. (Before taxes and duties.)

The first European deliveries are scheduled for late 2026. The car will be available in several colours, ensuring that personalisation remains an important part of the Ferrari experience.

Understanding Ferrari Luce is about more than understanding the car itself. It is also about understanding the place and culture from which it comes.

The following 24 hours offered the chance to experience several of Ferrari’s models, go for drives and tour the factory, where the company brings much of its history and future together under one roof.

The site is normally closed to the public, which makes the experience all the more special. Behind the factory gates, thousands of employees work to combine Italian craftsmanship, advanced technology and uncompromising performance. At the end of 2025, Ferrari employed 5,718 people worldwide, the vast majority of them in Italy. The company’s annual report offers a glimpse into the scale of the operation.

Photography was not permitted inside the production areas, so you will have to imagine the rest. Yet gaining access to a world that remains closed to most people highlights something fundamental about Ferrari: tradition and innovation are not opposites. They are two sides of the same story.

Just beside the factory lies Fiorano, Ferrari’s private test track, established in 1972. It remains a vital part of the development process, where cars are tested and refined, and where the connection between the craftsmanship of the factory and the uncompromising demands of motorsport is still very much alive.

Will Ferrari lose its soul in the shift to electric power? It is the big question. For Ferrari, engine sound and mechanical engineering are about more than technology. They are part of the brand’s emotional DNA. Electrification therefore changes more than the powertrain. It also challenges the very idea of what a Ferrari should be.

Luce is an attempt to broaden that perception. With four doors, five seats and a greater emphasis on comfort, Ferrari is opening the door to a different kind of customer without giving up its pursuit of extreme performance. At the same time, the collaboration with LoveFrom shows that Ferrari is willing to bring in fresh perspectives from outside the automotive world as it shapes its next chapter.

It is too early to conclude whether Luce will be a success or how it will be received by Ferrari’s most traditional customers. But the ambition is clear: electric mobility should not simply be a technical solution. It should feel like a Ferrari.

After 24 hours in Maranello, one thing stands out. Ferrari is a brand that has built its position on staying true to its history while constantly pushing new boundaries.

It is a considerable challenge. And that is precisely what makes Luce interesting, even to those who do not usually follow the automotive world.

Ferrari had no influence on the content of this article.

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The last time we featured Les Deux, we opened with the words: “From a Copenhagen beginning to an international fashion brand.” Today, the Danish label adds another chapter to that story with an exclusive collection created with NFL heavyweights the Detroit Lions. The 22-piece release launches across Europe today.

The timing is deliberate. On 15 November, the Detroit Lions will face the New England Patriots at FC Bayern Munich Arena, with Detroit designated as the home team. The collection will also feature in the club’s fan activations around the Munich game, bringing the collaboration closer to its European audience.

For Les Deux, the partnership offers a new way to bring its Danish design sensibility into American football, a sport with a growing following across Europe and one of the world’s most commercially powerful sporting platforms.

Kristoffer Haapanen, Co-founder & CEO

For Les Deux co-founder and CEO Kristoffer Haapanen, the collaboration is a natural extension of the brand’s long-standing affinity with American sport.

“American sport has inspired us from day one, so working directly with the Detroit Lions feels like a natural fit. Fashion and football may be different fields, but there is a mindset we recognise: nothing is given, and every inch has to be earned. With the Lions coming to Munich, we saw the right moment to bring these two worlds together and connect Detroit’s football culture with our European perspective,” Haapanen says.

The collaboration is also part of the Detroit Lions’ ambition to strengthen their international fanbase. Emily Griffin, the club’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand, explains:

“Expanding our fanbase globally has been at the forefront of our Detroit Lions brand plan for years. Seeing this collection with Les Deux come to life for our European fans ahead of our game in Munich further strengthens our connection with fans around the world. We look forward to working with Les Deux to bring this exclusive collection to our fan activations in Munich this November.”

Salha Latif, the NFL’s Vice President of Global Consumer Products, adds:

“Fashion is one of the most powerful ways we reach new fans in Europe, and partnering with brands that already shape the culture here is central to that growth. Les Deux brings real authenticity to the Detroit Lions story, and launching LD/DL ahead of the Lions’ game in Munich gives European fans a new way to connect with the team, on and off the field.”

Named LD/DL, the collection comprises 16 apparel styles by Les Deux, alongside six cap designs developed with American sportswear label ’47.

The design draws on familiar elements of the Danish brand’s wardrobe, from workwear and varsity jackets to classic silhouettes with a distinctly sporting influence.

Launching exclusively in Europe, LD/DL will be available through Les Deux and Detroit Lions’ own channels, as well as selected retailers including Oberpollinger, Galeries Lafayette and BSTN.

Around the Munich game, the collection will also be available at the official Detroit Lions Fan Shop at Marc O’Polo, Theatinerstraße 11, and the Detroit Lions Fan Fest Shop at Odeonsplatz 1.

We’ll be bringing you more from the collaboration on dontt.dk in November.

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Less than a year ago, dontt.dk was the first media outlet to tell the story of Gustav Søgård and his newly founded AI venture, Opally.

Since then, the business has moved quickly. Opally now works with more than 50 hotels, has secured its first investment and added another notable name to its growing client list. Guldsmeden Hotels has partnered with the Danish start-up, rolling out its technology across the hotel group.

We caught up with 24-year-old Søgård to discuss a remarkable year, the new partnership and what comes next for Opally.

Gustav Søgård, Founder, Opally

When we last met Gustav Søgård at Sonny’s in Copenhagen, Opally was still in its early stages. The idea had grown out of a simple observation at his mother’s hotel: responding to a steady stream of guest emails was taking up valuable time. Could AI handle the routine enquiries, freeing staff to focus on their guests?

Since then, Søgård has left his previous job to focus on Opally full-time. What began as an email tool has evolved into a broader guest communication platform, spanning live chat, messaging and other channels. The company has grown from around 12 hotels in the onboarding pipeline to approximately 50 active hotel clients, and is now working towards 100.

The journey, however, has not been without its challenges.

“I think all those rejections, all those signals telling you to stop working on it, are part of the process. During the first few months, there were days when I genuinely wondered whether I should just stop,” says Søgård.

For him, progress has meant staying the course, listening to customers and continuously refining the product. As Opally moves into larger hotel groups, the demands are changing, too. Reporting, data security and information management are becoming increasingly important, requiring a more sophisticated product built to meet the needs of larger organisations.

Guldsmeden Hotels is Opally’s latest client. The partnership began through Gustavs brother, who is responsible for marketing and growth at the company. An introduction through a mutual contact gave Søgård the opportunity to present Opally to the hotel group’s team.

The need was clear. Reception staff were handling large volumes of emails manually, and Guldsmeden wanted to explore how AI could help. The group tested several solutions before choosing Opally.

The collaboration began with a chatbot at Bryggen Guldsmeden in Copenhagen. The initial trial focused on whether the technology could reliably answer practical guest enquiries about rooms, parking and the details of a stay. After several weeks of testing, the partnership expanded to include email assistance, before the full solution was rolled out across additional properties.

Today, Opally is deployed across all eight of Guldsmeden Hotels’ properties in Denmark, Norway and Germany, as well as on the group’s website.

For Søgård, however, the technology is not about replacing the personal hospitality for which Guldsmeden is known. Quite the opposite.

“I see the real value of human interaction coming through when guests arrive at the hotel. If receptionists spend less time typing away at their computers, they can focus on being hosts, ready to welcome guests and make them feel at home.”

Although Opally has expanded its product considerably, the ambition goes well beyond clearing hotel inboxes. Hotels remain the company’s primary focus, with Søgård also exploring how the technology can help drive more direct bookings and create a more seamless guest experience across every point of contact.

Opally is already working with a small number of restaurants, but the long-term priority remains hotels. The aim is to bring guest communication together in one platform and give independent hotels and hotel groups better tools to compete in a market increasingly dominated by major booking platforms.

“If you take a step back and look at the tools we’ve built since we started, it really comes down to giving hotels superpowers, so they can compete with Booking.com and Expedia, which are gaining so much influence in the market,” says Søgård.

Timing, he believes, is crucial. With AI advancing at an extraordinary pace, the coming months will be an important period for Opally as it continues to develop its product and make the most of the technology’s growing capabilities.

At dontt.dk, we look forward to following the next chapter of the journey.

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It was only recently that we reported on Rituals’ plans for one of Europe’s largest retail overhauls.

Now the global wellbeing giant is taking another major step. But this time, the focus lies beyond its more than 1,500 stores around the world.

Instead, Rituals is turning its attention to an issue that reaches far beyond its products: the mental wellbeing of young people.

The brand is committing €20 million through 2028 to partnerships and initiatives aimed at strengthening youth mental wellbeing around the world.

Raymond Cloosterman, Founder & CEO

Behind the global Rituals business is founder and CEO Raymond Cloosterman, whose entrepreneurial story is every bit as compelling as the brand’s growth.

Over 25 years, Rituals has grown from a basement in Amsterdam into a global business with more than 1500 own stores, over 4000 shop-in-shops and a presence in 33 countries. We previously met Cloosterman in Amsterdam for an in-depth interview about the journey, the ambitions and the evolution of Rituals. You can read the interview here.

We also spoke about Rituals’ opportunity to give back, something that now sits at the heart of the company’s latest initiative.

Through its 10% Profit for Impact programme, Rituals allocates 10 per cent of its annual net profit to initiatives focused on the wellbeing of people and the planet.

For Cloosterman, the challenge is no longer simply understanding the problem:

“The challenge is no longer knowing what works. The challenge is making sure effective solutions reach more young people.”

According to the WHO, one in seven young people experience mental health challenges. At the same time, there are already proven initiatives designed to strengthen resilience, relationships and mental wellbeing. The challenge is getting those solutions to the millions of young people who could benefit from them.

This is where Rituals believes brands can play a role.

“Many organisations are already giving young people the tools, support and expertise they need to strengthen their resilience, relationships and mental wellbeing. The challenge today is making sure these proven interventions reach even more young people,” says Cloosterman.

He believes brands have a particular opportunity to help scale solutions that already work.

“We believe brands can play a role by using their reach and influence to support organisations with deep expertise in this area. Through 10% Profit for Impact, we hope to contribute to this collective effort.”

One concrete example is Rituals’ role in UNICEF’s Global Youth Mental Health Coalition, which brings together private-sector companies around a shared ambition to improve young people’s mental wellbeing worldwide.

Esther Polhuijs, Head of Advocacy and Programs at UNICEF Netherlands, points to the growing understanding of what works:

“We have a good understanding today of what strengthens young people’s mental health. For example, we know that social connections are an important protective factor for young people’s mental wellbeing.”

For her, the next step is about taking proven solutions to a much larger audience:

“The challenge is therefore no longer developing new solutions, but making sure proven and effective interventions reach far more young people.”

Rituals expects the programme to contribute between €300 million and €400 million to initiatives supporting the wellbeing of people and the planet over the next decade.

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Ten years ago, sisters Nadia and Neda Jun launched Danish beauty brand Duffbeauty, initially focused on false lashes. Since then, the brand has grown into a broader beauty universe spanning lashes, nails and lip products.

To mark its 10th anniversary, Duffbeauty has entered a new chapter with a comprehensive rebrand, a major campaign and a well-attended pop-up in central Copenhagen.

But the new identity is about more than a visual refresh. Femininity, self-worth and courage have become central to the brand, values that also draw on the sisters’ own story and background.

We spoke to Nadia about the past decade, the thinking behind the new direction and Duffbeauty’s ambition to become a truly international beauty brand.

Nadia & Neda Jun, Co-founders, Duffbeauty

Will you be doing more pop-ups of this kind?

“Yes, definitely. We are working on taking the pop-up concept abroad as a natural next step in our international expansion.”

You and your sister have built Duffbeauty together. What do you think you have learned about each other over the past ten years that you would never have discovered if you hadn’t started the business together?

“When you run a business together for ten years, you get to know each other on a level that few siblings ever experience. We have seen each other under pressure, made difficult decisions and fought for the same dreams. It has given us a deep respect for each other’s professional strengths and made it natural to support and complement one another whenever the other is struggling. You discover new sides of each other that you would never have seen over a family dinner, and that has created a trust that has made our bond infinitely stronger.”

You have chosen femininity, self-worth and courage as some of the key words for the “new” Duffbeauty. What do those three words mean to you, and why have they become so important to the brand at this particular point?

“The three words have, in many ways, always been at the foundation of what we do, but today I finally feel they are fully reflected in everything we stand for.

For me, femininity, self-worth and courage run very deep. As the daughters of political refugees from Iran, we grew up with a close understanding of how fragile freedom can be. Our parents witnessed women’s rights being undermined almost overnight during their youth in Iran. We therefore grew up in a home where femininity was never seen as a weakness, but as a strength.

Where self-worth was the most important thing you could carry, and courage was a given. We grew up with stories of young, courageous women in Iran who stood up and risked everything for their freedom.

The reason these words have become so central to Duffbeauty now is that we, as a brand and as founders, have matured. Duff is not just about outer beauty, but about inner strength, a sense of freedom and the courage that beauty can also represent.”

What else was important to you in the rebrand?

“It was important for us to create a strong foundation for Duff with international expansion in mind. We wanted to create a brand universe that is not just about beauty products, but about the lifestyle and the small beauty rituals they become part of.

The visual identity has therefore also been a major part of the rebrand. We have moved from a more classic, feminine beauty look to a universe that feels cooler, more modern and more international, while still retaining the warmth and femininity that have always been part of Duff.”

Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth over the next few years?

“Our biggest focus over the next few years is international expansion. It is easy to say, but something entirely different to execute in practice, especially when you are building a brand, distribution and demand across markets.

We have already taken the first important steps, but we need to get even better at scaling Duff internationally. So, if there is a strong profile out there with experience in taking another Scandinavian brand into the world, we would love to hear from you.”

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Last year, Zalando co-founder Robert Gentz spoke about the company’s ambition to evolve beyond being a transactional platform and become a more vibrant, inspiring ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle.

The more our lives move online, the more important real-world connection becomes. And perhaps that is why Zalando, by some distance Europe’s largest fashion and lifestyle platform is increasingly looking beyond transactions, focusing instead on experiences, communities and cultural moments.

Now, the company is taking another step in that direction with the launch of Access All Areas, or simply AAA. Zalando describes it as its biggest cultural venture yet.

In short, it is a new festival bringing together fashion, music and culture in Berlin on 24–25 April 2027. As many as 40.000 visitors are expected to attend, with Zalando bringing together some of the biggest names in music, fashion, beauty and sport.

Tempodrom (pictured) will join Station Berlin as one of the main venues for
Zalando’s new cultural festival, Access All Areas, taking place on 24–25 April 2027.

AAA builds on the legacy of Bread & Butter, which became an influential fashion trade show in the early 2000s before Zalando relaunched it as an open festival for consumers. This time, however, the ambitions are even bigger.

The programme will feature live performances, immersive brand experiences, creative installations and exclusive product launches.

The festival will take place across two of Berlin’s most distinctive venues, Station Berlin and Tempodrom, bringing together leading names from music, fashion, beauty and sport.

The first major name has already been announced. British singer-songwriter RAYE will headline AAA, putting the Grammy-nominated artist at the centre of the festival’s inaugural edition. More artists, brands and experiences will be announced in the coming months.

James Rothwell, SVP of Marketing at Zalando, says:

“AAA is our love letter to Berlin, the city that has shaped Zalando and the city where our story began. It is a place where inspiration and entertainment meet culture in a way our customers can experience for themselves.”

Zalando has also assembled an impressive line-up of brand partners.

adidas, Calvin Klein and Nike will serve as the main partners, alongside ASICS, Dr. Martens, lululemon, New Balance, On, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger and Vans.

The beauty line-up includes Beauty of Joseon, Kérastase and MAC.

Access All Areas takes place in Berlin on 24–25 April 2027. Tickets will be free for Zalando Plus members, with Zalando Plus being the company’s free loyalty programme.

We have previously spoken with Zalando about this evolution, including an interview with James Rothwell on the company’s ambitions around the Copenhagen Marathon and its growing role in the culture and communities its customers are part of. You can read the full interview here.

Foto: James Rothwell, SVP of Marketing hos Zalando

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🇩🇰 Du finder den danske version af denne artikel her.

If you have walked across City Hall Square in Copenhagen in recent years, you may have noticed two gilded women high above the city, moving in and out of the tower of Richshuset.

Just two years ago, they were brought back to life.

After some 30 years of stillness, the mechanism behind the famous weather girls was restored as part of a wider renovation of Richshuset, the distinctive building opposite Copenhagen City Hall. Today, the two figures once again offer their own take on the weather: the cyclist appears when sunshine is on the way, while the woman with an umbrella and her dog signals rain.

But the story behind these two golden figures is as interesting as the weather they predict.

The weather girls were created by Danish sculptor Einar Utzon-Frank and installed when Richshuset was completed in 1936.

One is the fair-weather girl. Dressed in a summer dress, she appears on her bicycle when the forecast calls for sunshine.

The other is the rain girl, who steps out with an umbrella and her dog when rain is on the way.

Together with the large neon thermometer running down the corner of the tower, the figures were designed as a kind of weather station overlooking City Hall Square.

And this is more than a charming piece of symbolism. The figures actually move according to the weather.

In the early 1990s, however, the mechanism fell silent.

For some three decades, the weather girls remained fixed in place. For a generation of Copenhageners, they became little more than part of the architecture – perhaps without realising that they had once moved with the forecast.

One explanation for their long period of inactivity was that Richshuset no longer had the caretaker who had previously been responsible for operating the mechanism.

As part of the building’s extensive renovation, however, the original mechanism was restored.

This time, the technology was brought up to date. The weather girls are now connected to a modern digital weather station, allowing them to change automatically as the weather changes.

The idea remains much the same as it was in 1936. Only the technology has moved on.

Richshuset itself is almost as interesting as the figures at the top.

The building was designed by architect Alf Cock-Clausen and constructed between 1934 and 1936 as the headquarters of C.F. Rich & Sønner, the company behind the much-loved Danish coffee substitute Rich’s.

At the time, coffee substitutes made from ingredients such as roasted rye and chicory were big business in Denmark, and Rich’s was a household name.

It is from the company that the building takes its name.

Today, Richshuset is best known for its distinctive corner tower, the neon thermometer and, of course, the weather girls. The building is also considered one of Copenhagen’s notable examples of Art Deco architecture.

The weather girls were designed by sculptor Einar Utzon-Frank, a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and a prominent figure in Danish art during the first half of the 20th century.

He was also responsible for several other notable works in Copenhagen, including the equestrian statue of King Christian X at Sankt Annæ Plads.

The weather girls, however, are among his more playful creations.

While most statues simply stand still and invite us to look at them, the two women atop Richshuset have a practical purpose. They tell Copenhageners what the weather has in store.

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First came New York, then Copenhagen, and this week, Paris.

The Danish fashion brand has once again chosen to invest in the renovation of a public basketball court. This time, it is two adjoining courts at Terrain de Sport Glacière in Paris’s 13th arrondissement.

The investment is being made through Les Deux’ social-impact platform, Les Deux Legacy, and forms part of the brand’s Home Court project, which has previously taken Les Deux to New York and Copenhagen.

Set beneath the elevated Métro, the Glacière courts are already a natural meeting point for the local basketball community. Now, both courts will be fully resurfaced and given a new visual identity.

And importantly, they will remain free and open to everyone.

The Danish brand with the French name began building its presence in France in 2021 and opened its first flagship store in Le Marais in October 2025. (Read more here)

Home Court is both another way for Les Deux to deepen its connection with the city and an opportunity to give something back. As co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Andreas von der Heide explains, Les Deux first arrived in Paris as outsiders.

“We arrived in Paris as outsiders with a couple of suitcases and an empty calendar. First came some good friendships, then partnerships, and eventually a flagship store. People here took a chance on us, and Home Court is our way of giving some of that success back to the city.”

The new design was created in-house at Les Deux and is built around the idea of home.

A repeating pattern of houses stretches across both basketball courts in a 360-degree design. There is no single front or fixed viewpoint from which the artwork is intended to be seen.

Instead, the design works from every angle, meeting everyone who uses the courts on equal terms.

For Les Deux, the project is therefore about more than renovating a basketball court. It is an investment in an existing local meeting point.

“Sport has shaped us. It’s where you make friends, test yourself and learn how to compete. In basketball, you call your own fouls and hold yourself accountable,” says Andreas von der Heide.

He hopes the renewed courts will continue to give people a place to experience exactly that for themselves.

A limited-edition Home Court Paris T-shirt and basketball will also be released as part of the project. The pieces will be available exclusively at Les Deux’ flagship store in Le Marais and through local partner Citadium.

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