Governmental initiatives

The government’s ambition is to strengthen the growth and the development within Danish design industry as it is believed that the design industry will enhance Denmark as a country that is filled with ideas and creativity and at the end transfer into larger export and more jobs. The government’s vision is to “ Bring Denmark back in the world elite of design”⁷⁴. In order to reach that goal the government has crafted different initiative that would support the Danish design industry and that includes the Danish fashion industry as well. In this section the initiatives that are relevant for the Danish fashion industry will be discussed.

74 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

Denmark has developed to one of the leading fashion hubs regarding fashion fairs. Copenhagen Fashion Week is Northern Europe’s largest fashion fair and the Danish fashion industry is the most successful concerning total turnover compared to the rest of the Danish design industry⁷⁵. As mentioned the purpose for the initiatives laid out the government is to ensure a continued positive development and further the export. Export is an important factor for a company’s growth⁷⁶, it’s therefore considered important for the Danish fashion companies to do well internationally. The development on the export sector has been positive and proven that Danish fashion design has great potentials. The factor that needs to be considered is the small size of the companies. The small companies do not have any experience or knowledge about international trade therefore it is necessary to support the companies move towards internalisation⁷⁷.

An initiative that have been taken to further the export, is the development of BornCreative in 2005, which is part of the Foreign Ministry. The purpose of BornCreative is to promote Danish design internationally and to assist design companies to manage on the international market. A global team of consultants has been established to achieve the goal of BornCreative⁷⁸. The BornCreative team show great potential for assisting Danish fashion design in the international markets and they have already created some results last fall when they where part of a great promotion set-up in New York. It resulted in among others that several Danish fashion brands were sold in one of the world’s most exclusive department store Takashimaya. It must be pointed out the BornCreative is mainly addresses some what established companies that have the capacity to enter the international market.

The decisive initiative taken by the government that focuses solely on the fashion industry is the creation of a fashion district or zone, as the government calls it. The fashion industry has shown positive growth but it consists of mainly small size companies, about 95% are one-man business’, therefore they are vulnerable and in need of support. The government has started a process that

75 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007 and Statistics Denmark, the 10 largest exported product lines, 2007

76 EBST, “Et billede af dansk design”, 2007

77 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

78 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

will evaluate the possibilities for a fashion zone. The fashion zone purpose should be to help the designer with guidance to business development, export and further growth⁷⁹.

The fashion zone is inspired by New York fashion district where companies within the fashion industry are closely located. The result should be a visible fashion milieu and a place where the companies can collaborate and network with each other. The fashion zone should also assist the start-up companies and other fashion companies with business development, export, marketing etc. Thereby hoping that more fashion companies will show a sustainable growth and become more professionalised⁸⁰. This initiative show promise and can develop to become what is needed on the Danish fashion industry, a place or area where the companies and designers can get the help they need and where essential knowledge concerning the fashion industry is concentrated.

Networking, sharing of experiences, meeting the right people who can assist with the different dimensions of managing a fashion company, a platform for marketing and so much more could come out of a fashion zone. However, in order to reach the vision it is necessary that the fashion industry and its stakeholders make an effort to make it happen. There is need for ideas and strategies for how to realize the vision and most of all there has to determination from the stakeholders. The opportunity is there now the industry and its stakeholders need to put time end effort in making it happen. At the end it can be viewed as a win - win situation for the involved parties and the fashion industry as whole, since it has shown, such as New York or Paris, that it can lift the Danish fashion industry.

Furthermore it is stated that there’s a need for the Danish design educations to become more aligned with the needs of the business world and be more internationally oriented. A reform was made in 2003 on the design educations including fashion design. The academic structure was changed and the educations are today build as bachelor and masters degrees. This hasn’t change the fact that it is still not geared towards the business world and does not give the students much business understanding. The government is ware of that and states that there is still a need for enhancing the fashion design educations towards the business world’s needs. It should happen by focusing the education on the markets needs and how it can be applied. Also there is a need for a

79 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

80 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

higher international focus in order to improve the students’ capabilities on the international market⁸¹.

This not only should improve the design students’ ability to succeed on the business market and becoming a successful entrepreneur, it should also help to bring down the unemployment rate among design students. It is shown that the unemployment rate for design educated is almost twice the normal Danish workforce⁸².

The initiatives taken by the government, on this matter, has the aim to enhance the level of business understanding as well as internationalisation of the design educations. Regarding the fashion design education there is cooperation with Danish Design School and Design School Kolding where the aim is to enhance the educational level to match some of the highest international level. Part of the internalisation of the educations should be in form of exchange programs and traineeships internationally. Also there should be a better cooperation with the business world through communication and partnership⁸³. This can lead the students to get an insight in the business side of the industry and it exposes the student potentials to the business world. Finally there is a suggestion of an interdisciplinary cooperation between the universities and business schools and the fashion design schools. This could be done by giving the possibility to attend courses across the schools. These initiatives are long term visions that should be implemented by the cultural ministry latest by 2010⁸⁴. If these initiatives are put in motion and are embraced by the design schools as well as the design students it could mean a whole different type of design graduates. The design graduates will hopefully learn many of the skill needed to manage a company and market a brand, and at the end make the graduated much better rounded and ready for the business world.

A further initiative on the educational side is to lift the skills of the already exciting design educated. They should have the opportunity to enhance their skills on business management and communication. Danish Design Centre and others should assist on having courses that relate to

81 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

82 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

83 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

84 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

sale and marketing, strategy, business management, economy etc⁸⁵. These initiatives is targeted the designers who already may have a fashion company or other sort of design company, and have problems or difficulties handling the management of the company. This is believed, if put in progress, could be helpful for of the design companies and their growth rate. At the end it could lead to larger and more successful companies and reduce the number of one-man companies.

These goals cannot be achieved by the government alone other stakeholders must get involved and takes initiatives that can develop the Danish fashion design further⁸⁶.

It is the companies within the industry that are responsible for growing and strengthening the industry, but the government will take measures to assist the Danish design industry to develop and enhance their business, and by doing so ensuring the design industry to become more professionalised. This is going to be done in different ways such as access to investment consultancy, training in business skills, knowledge in new technology etc.⁸⁷ These are part of the governments goal and on that background the government has appointed different groups, which objectives are to monitor and evaluate the development of the initiatives started by the government. The groups will be represented by people from the design industry, the business world, research centres, and ministries⁸⁸.

It is difficult to conclude on the initiatives since they are so new, from 2007, and the results are still to be seen. It can though be concluded that the initiatives are a clear sign that the government is focused on the design industry and that includes the fashion industry, and is willing to put effort and capital in the industry. It believes in the industry and is open to ideas that can improve the conditions for the industry. Thus the industry must become more proactive and face the challenges that lie within and come up with plans and solutions.

85 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

86 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

87 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

88 Regeringen, Design Denmark, 2007

One of the stakeholders within Danish fashion industry, the Federation of Danish Textile and Clothing, has realised the needs of the SMEs within the fashion industry and has started the project KravleGaarden, which will examined in the next section.