The collection is for the customer to own, not for us to tell them
what to wear Rebekka Bay, creative director, Cos
Street store’s window, but this was another idea that Bay and Wohlfahrt had been “sitting on for a long time”. They were attracted to Lau because she was one of the first in the fashion industry to openly question – and criti- cise – Cos’s launch. “Do we really need another brand like this?” she had asked on her blog. Subsequent posts showed Lau warming to the retailer, before announcing: “I’m a Cos addict.” “We wanted to work with bloggers
because there’s something nice and dynamic about collaborating with people outside the brand. And why not give bloggers a physical space [to express themselves]?” asks Bay. “The collection is for the customer to own, not for us to tell them what to wear.” As for collaborating with designers –
as sister chain H&M does – Wohlfahrt says there is nothing planned. In fact, her focus is on opening more shops for Cos, which now has 34 stores globally, having just opened a store in Brighton last month. As well as the UK, Cos has stores in Europe, in countries including Germany, France and Spain. “We’ll have opened 12 stores [in 2010] by the end of this year and we’re hoping to increase that [rate] for next year.” The UK will continue to be an impor-
Reflecting on success: Rebekka Bay (left) and Pernilla Wohlfahrt
tant growth market for Cos, and is often the focus of any special launches – the entire Cos concept was launched with a party in London’s Royal Academy rather than in Sweden. Yet, Cos’s Scan- dinavian roots are equally important, but in a more subtle way. “Danish furni- ture designers, for example, never cease to be a source of inspiration,” says Bay. “I like the idea of working with everyday objects. Designers like Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl design things to be mass produced but with craftsman- ship.” A concept Bay has clearly borrowed for Cos. l
December 3 2010 Drapers 25
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