What Caroline van Luthje doesn’t know about Scandi fashion brands probably isn’t worth knowing. The Copenhagen-born indie owner was central to the UK’s early influx of Danish brands, introducing previously unknown labels such as Ganni to London shoppers in the early 2000s. “I’d go home with empty suitcases and then fill them to the brim at various showrooms,” she says. “Back then there were only a handful of Danish brands – and only Day Birger et Mikkelsen in the UK. Now hundreds have emerged and I’m proud of the part I played in their popularity.”
But fashion retail wasn’t even on Van Luthje’s radar when she moved to London as a film producer in 1996. It was her friend – Danish couture designer Ann Wiberg – who suggested opening a boutique together: “I’d had enough of the film industry and thought retail must be one of the nicest and easiest jobs in the world,” she says. “I’m pleased I didn’t know any better back then – I’d have never started.”
One of a kind
Their jointly-owned Ann Wiberg store opened on Notting Hill’s Westbourne Grove 26 years ago selling expensive one-off couture. But with the eponymous designer based in Paris, Van Luthje was left manning the shop: “I can’t sew, but I’d wear a measuring tape around my neck to try and look the part. It wasn’t the kind of product you sold every day, and it was tough.”
An idea, however, began to emerge fuelled by their customers’ interest in Danish design. “I realised I was still buying all my own clothes at home,” she recalls. “Unless you could afford to shop on Bond Street, there was lots of what I’d call ‘freezer bag clothes’ back then. It became clear there was a gap in the market for something better.”
The first Wild Swans opened in 2005 after Van Luthje and Wiberg parted ways. Chiswick was recommended as a location thanks to its local shops and village feel: “It’s very safe here and there’s a really strong community. People are proud of the area and customers are loyal, which is much harder to achieve in more central areas. The downside is you don’t get tourists or passing trade.”
From the outset, Wild Swans’ focus on Danish brands gave it a clear point of difference. “I wasn’t scared of having obscure brand names, and that’s been a strength over the years,” she says.
It wasn’t long before the indie was inspiring other retailers. Van Luthje remembers buyers visiting the shop, discreetly taking photos and writing down brand names. “That was prior to everything being available on the internet, so Wild Swans became a reference point for other retailers looking for new brands.”
Taking flight
Expansion came quickly for the indie, with a second shop opening in Islington just 12 months after the first. It proved so successful that it eventually moved to a larger unit on Upper Street before relocating to a 4,300 sq ft space in Islington Square.
However, it put increasing strain on the business. And in March last year, Van Luthje decided to close: “I felt like a failure,” she says. “But you pay a premium for that kind of location. Costs kept rising and the area was changing. It just became incredibly stressful.”
Concentrating on the original Chiswick shop has enabled the owner to grow Wild Swans’ e-commerce operation, which now generates around 25 per cent of revenue. “Losing Islington meant more online customers, so that helped us expand. It’s expensive and time consuming to do properly, but essential. I’m pleased to say that all the hard work is now paying off.”
Social media is also crucial, especially for driving traffic to the website and physical store. However, it hasn’t been without challenges: “Our Meta account was hacked and I spent a year trying to recover everything. It was devastating, but I eventually admitted defeat and started again from scratch, losing 29,000 followers.”
Today content creation is a group effort, with the entire team working together to rebuild its reach: “It’s probably the Dane in me, but I like to get as many different perspectives as possible. I feel that works so much better than relying on one manager.”
She adds that standing out on Instagram and TikTok is getting harder: “The noise level is so high now that you have to find your own little niche. But people want to see authenticity – especially now when there’s so much content created by AI.”
Scandi destination
Offering London’s best selection of Scandinavian fashion brands remains Wild Swans’ strongest calling card. Core labels include Samsøe Samsøe, Day Birger et Mikkelsen and knitwear specialist Sibin Linnebjerg, alongside a very small selection of non-Danish labels such as Essentiel Antwerp.
With 30 years’ experience, Van Luthje has refined her seasonal buying process. Planning takes up to a week, starting with a review of the previous season to understand what worked, what was missing and customer feedback. “People can see that you’ve spent time, love and care in what you’re offering. It’s not enough to open the door anymore and wait by till; you have to really know your customer and what they want when you’re buying.”
The aim is to build one cohesive collection from multiple suppliers, beginning with a visit to one of its core brands in Copenhagen, where Van Luthje creates the foundations of the edit. To organise each season, she uses specialist buying app Faves, which allows her to upload images, categorise products and brands, organise delivery dates and maintain budgets all in one place.
The founder also continues her never-ending search for newness, selecting emerging brands to sit alongside established names. “I’m constantly looking for what’s new and interesting, always giving small designers a chance. I feel that’s what being an independent is all about.”
Stranger things
When it comes to product sourcing, Van Luthje is firmly against playing it safe: “The worst thing you can be when buying is scared,” she says. “You have to inspire your customer. They can feel it if you’re being too commercial – you need to have all of those weird and wonderful pieces in between.”
And inspire it does. The windows are switched up weekly to draw shoppers in from the street: “You need to stop people in their tracks,” says the owner. “Some customers tell us they purposely try not to walk past because they know they’ll leave with a purchase – even when they had no intention to buy.”
Step inside the 800 sq ft Chiswick boutique and you’re met with expertly curated rails, meticulously merchandised with just one size of each piece “to look like a wardrobe rather than a shop.” Van Luthje adds: “We have to utilise our small stock room space to its limit, but presenting our edit this way is part of the Wild Swans experience.”
But being inspirational can come at a cost and the owner admits sometimes bringing in pieces that have been ahead of their time. “London is always a season or two behind Copenhagen, so that’s something I have to keep in mind. We had horseshoe trousers and jeans in four seasons ago and couldn’t sell them – now everyone wants a pair.”
Fabric innovation is part of the Danish DNA, and the indie owner is pleased sustainability in particular is becoming more important to UK customers. “We now have amazing innovations coming through, such as pleather created from olive oil production waste,” she says. “I recently brought in Dawn and Dare, which creates these amazing jackets made from old shirts.”
While she’s often first to jump on new trends, Van Luthje always avoids buying pieces in synthetic fabrics. “Quality and price always go hand in hand for me,” she explains. “Whether it costs £70 or £700, I want to be proud of every single piece we have in the shop.”
Rising to the challenge
While it has clearly helped Wild Swans stand out, focusing so strongly on Scandi brands hasn’t been without its challenges – particularly in the aftermath of Brexit. With a high percentage of products being imported from Denmark, Van Luthje says the added duties are significant. “It’s also impacted our online business as Europe was our second biggest market. We decided to focus on the US, but recent changes to taxes there have also dented sales.”
Speaking to other retailers has become a lifeline for the indie owner in recent years, especially since the pandemic. “If we don’t stand together, independent retailers don’t stand a chance,” she says. “It can be a lonely job. Even with a team, you’re the one making the big decisions. Having a network is incredibly important.”
Keeping the business profitable hasn’t always been easy. But Van Luthje is positive about steering Wild Swans into a more streamlined era, focused on a single location while driving growth online. “I’m really happy with where we are now,” she says. “I’m proud of so many things we’ve achieved, especially when customers tell us how much they love shopping at Wild Swans. My main focus now is on e-commerce and bringing back more community events. But I’m very conscious of my team’s wellbeing and not pushing them too hard. You can feel their happiness when you walk into the shop – and customers can feel it too.”