Djerf Avenue has landed in downtown New York City with the opening of its first brick-and-mortar store on Saturday.
Founded in 2019 by Scandinavian influencer and chief creative officer Matilda Djerf, the digital-first brand quickly gained a cult following for its wardrobe staples of blazers, tailored trousers and T-shirts and playfully printed cozy loungewear. The brand has also expanded beyond apparel into home decor, namely with printed bed lines, and beauty, with body, hair care and styling products.
“In the beginning, when we started while having no prior experience in the fashion industry or running a business, we knew right away that we wanted to be direct-to-consumer because we wanted to understand the customers’ behavior. We also wanted to be able to share information about our factories and sizing, with eight sizes online, always. Being six years in, we got to the point where we were ready for a store. I also think consumers now come from a place where everything has been so online for so long, especially with the pandemic, that I feel everyone is craving human connection,” Djerf told WWD.
Matilda Djerf
Courtesy of Djerf Avenue/Jamie Pearl
Over the years, the brand has hosted more than 50 community events and eight pop-ups across New York, London, Los Angeles, Sweden and Norway. Its 2023 pop-up in the Big Apple saw strong traction, with lines wrapping around the block, and culminated with a Djerf Avenue runway show for her community at the Guggenheim on Sept. 3. The date has now become an annual unofficial holiday for the brand.
In 2024, Djerf’s came under fire after 11 anonymous employees accused the influencer and founder of mistreatment in the workplace, including fat-shaming and bullying. Djerf took to social media with a formal apology, which included a plan to improve and develop her internal business and work culture. Since then, the brand has worked to rebuild its relationship with consumers and recently tapped Johanna Axén as its chief executive officer this summer after building out the Swedish brand’s beauty division.
Inside Djerf Avenue’s New York City Store
Courtesy of Djerf Avenue/Jamie Pearl
Now, the brand has opened its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City as a way to continue Djerf’s relationship with her community while expanding Djerf Avenue’s world. Ahead of the opening, Djerf Avenue delivered special keys to 100 community members on Sept. 3 with an invitation to be some of the first guests to enter and shop her New York store while enjoying tunes by a DJ and bakery catering via her ongoing partnership with the Lower East Side Girls Club.
“New York is such an important city for Djerf Avenue — we’ve had deep connections with our customers here from special events to pop-ups. When we discussed our first permanent store, New York was always a given,” Djerf said of the new store at 25 Bond Street.
She described the store, which she personally designed in partnership with Leap, as an extension of the brand with warm, homey Scandinavian touches, rather than minimalistic. Its interior designs include wooden fixtures, signature hand-painted prints on curtains and bench seating, a lounge area and designated areas for her apparel and beauty products.
Inside Djerf Avenue’s NYC Store
Courtesy of Djerf Avenue/Jamie Pearl
Upon opening, the store will feature Djerf Avenue’s bestsellers including the Breezy shirt, loungewear and plush robes, alongside a handful of store exclusives like key chains, a deck of cards and water bottles. Djerf said that she also continued to partner with her personal favorite external brands including Bluestone Lane, Leon’s Bagels and more for the opening’s in-store activations.
“I think that if you come into the store completely with no clue what Djerf Avenue is, I think you will get a true representation of what our brand is. But also, if you’re a returning customer, there will be items that you haven’t seen before or that you haven’t been able to shop before, which was really important for us as well,” she added.