The word Tunø is the name of a small island and now also the name-giver and inspiration for a newly founded Scandinavian fashion brand. Founded by five friends native to the Jutland peninsula, Tunø Wear is now trying to get their designs out into the world.
The brand’s soul is rooted deeply in the island life and the values it represents. Tunø Wear takes inspiration from nature and the ocean, but also the human aspects of what life on a small island is like.
Co-founder Magnus Bach talks with us about the idea, early stages of design and the pre-sale that is currently running.
Can you tell us about your idea?
The idea started years ago when our friend group started visiting this island regularly. We found it sort of magical and often came up with different ideas of how to do a project involving the island. The specific idea for designing clothing related to the island actually came from us wearing caps with the island shape and name on it. Casper, one of our other co-founder, was travelling in Asia at the time and repeatedly had people ask him about this cap that he was wearing. We started brainstorming and combined our efforts to begin designing.
So can you just clarify the concept of the logo to us?
The logo is the island itself, its shape. We find that it’s very simple yet aesthetic, the same way we want our clothes to be. We, of course, have other themes that we integrate into it. The maritime, spiritual, cosiness and friendship are all themes you’ll find present in our future designs.
Where did your inspiration come from? Are there other people in the industry or in other creative businesses that have inspired you?
Of course, there is a ton of inspiration. We all have had an interest and love for fashion for years and there are many Scandinavian brands that we have looked to for inspiration. We also have each of our experiences from working creatively before. I have been doing art directing, photographing, editing and coordination with Contrarian, others have done music, filmmaking etc. To be specific we definitely look at some of the more established Danish brands such as Wood Wood and No Nationality, but also brands from other places in the world. One specific I can mention is a South African brand called Float. They’re really cool.
We are of course on a journey finding our own way. That’s why we’re focusing a lot on values and trying out different designs at the moment.
So what does Tunø Wear stand for?
We each have our own interpretation of values, but as a group and brand, it’s the calmness, presence and mindset that Tunø gives us. We are all city people, in reality, we didn’t grow up on the island, but we cherish what it is. Islands have a vibe that you cannot replicate and at the same time, they’re struggling in many ways. Tunø is special to us because it’s so calm. There are no cars and we always bike, swim and walk anywhere. It speaks to values that we want to promote in the best way we can. And so that we hope eventually can give something back to the island.
So would you say that you are a Scandinavian brand? Or how do you view yourself?
We are based in Denmark and Tunø is physically in Denmark, which of course settles that in a factual sense. Yet we do aim to go out into the world. We know there are people everywhere cherishing these things with their own cultural approach. Our hope is that many people can take our designs and fit them into their life and context. If they share the passion for the idea, then we’re happy.
You’re five people doing the brand together. Can you tell us about your different tasks?
Basically we share the tasks between us in a way that comes naturally. We all have overlapping skill sets, so in that way, it’s natural to us.
Do you see your label growing larger?
Growing the brand is part of our plan. We want people to wear high-quality clothes that will last them for a long time and designs that will not get outdated. I think that the designs we make fit anywhere from the modern office, to the park, the café, tennis court or classroom. Our goal is not to grow too fast though. We want to keep the soul of the brand intact and make sure we can do everything the proper way and in collaboration with the island.
Tell us about the start and where we find you in the future?
Well, this is the beginning. This is the first interview we’re doing and basically we’ve only just started out. We are still working out of our apartments and home offices. Our pre-sale is open, so people can reserve tee’s from our first collection already. In the near future we’ll have pop-up stores and hopefully started working with likeminded people around the world.
Thank you for the talk, Magnus.
Make sure you check out the website of Tunø Wear you want to know more and check out the pre-sale.
