Swedish Fall is at the heart of Germany’s sports fashion. Created by four young, talented minds, this sportswear brand is rising fast and winning the hearts of the youth. After two years in the industry, the female-tailored clothing line has seen many successes, including their best-selling Ombrè tights.
But like every success story, there’s a starting point. In today’s interview, INfleur had the chance to speak to its founders, and got to understand the passion and hardwork it took to get here. Let’s find out how they “beat the ordinary” in this exclusive article.
Swedish Fall: Lifting Athletes Tell us a bit about the sportswear brand “Swedish Fall”, the team behind it and who/what inspired you?
Silja: “SWEDISH FALL is a sportswear brand for female athletes. We – Silja, Lara, Jonas and Marius – founded this brand two years ago. The idea was born during our time as active cheerleaders: My twin sister, Lara, and I had been cheerleaders at our college in Hamburg and we soon noticed that there is no modern, stylish and functional sportswear for female athletic sports like cheer-leading. Cheer-leading is one of the most dangerous sports for women and we couldn’t believe that we didn’t find any appropriate sportswear for this athletic sport”.
That’s where it all began: We invented stylish and modern sportswear with special silicon grip at the hip and ankle area to provide a better grip while stunting and tumbling. Soon after we expanded our brand to other athletic sports that are still underestimated: Dancing, tumbling, gymnastics, acrobatic and many more. We finally give these athletic sports a brand to identify with and to show the world how athletic and inspiring these sports are!
What were the goals before everything started? What has the outcome been?
Silja: “Before we found SWEDISH FALL, we worked for big concerns. But we soon realized that we’d like to be a part of something new and innovative. We were so passionate about being a part of a team of like-minded individuals that share the same drive that we decided to quit our jobs soon after the foundation of SWEDISH FALL to live as full-time entrepreneurs”.
In your view, how important is fashion to athletics and sports?
Silja: “The fashion market, especially the sportswear market, is saturated and the competition is even stronger. But we think that fashion – especially fashion that meets the demands of the athletes – remains important. We think that female athletic sports deserve a brand that particularly focuses on their wishes and demands”.
We see Swedish Fall on TV and you have over 25K followers on Instagram alone. How did you build your brand to this level?
Silja: “We built up an Instagram account with inspiring and authentic content to give our community something special and personal, something to identify with. Our clients are also our influencers and content creators. We are a big SWEDISH FALL family on Instagram”.
Influencer Marketing is a sure way to reach more customers- which a brand may not have otherwise reached- by the use of social media influencers. How has using this method worked for Swedish Fall?
Silja: “Influencer Marketing is an important part of our marketing strategy. We are looking for many inspiring but small influencers from different sports, rather than just taking a few popular names. In our community, everyone knows everyone and that’s why they love to see someone they know in our feed or story”.
“We built up an Instagram account with inspiring and authentic content to give our community something special and personal, something to identify with…We are a big SWEDISH FALL family on Instagram”.
In your opinion, what is the biggest downside of using influencer marketing to boost sales?
Silja: “We made some bad experiences with well known influencers who were not authentic enough. They couldn’t spread our vision”.
Swedish Fall: Beat the Ordinary What is/are your best-selling apparel(s) yet and what inspired the design?
“Our best-selling products are tights/bottoms in Ombrè look or pastel colors since those designs stand out from the crowd. We love all those vibrant colors that give you more confidence at practice our training sessions! Mostly, we get inspired by the current color preferences of our community combined with a touch of our designer’s creativity”.
Which celebrity athlete /influencer would you/have you love(d) to style with Swedish Fall?
“There are so many great athletes with great accounts out there and it is very hard to decide who would fit best. We are looking for many inspiring influencers from different sports rather than just taking a few popular names. We currently accept applications for our ambassador program and what we value is a great ambition to represent our brand and the drive to share our vision of supporting all female athletes”.
What has been the toughest challenge Swedish Fall has faced so far?
“The toughest challenge has been creating great products that our community loves and that are made of high quality. It isn’t that easy to find a partner who can provide you with the quality and designs you really want. In the past, we sometimes faced some problems with partners who delivered products we didn’t order or falsy items that we didn’t want to use for our online shop. But now, we are sure to have the right partners who also strive for perfection and want the very best for both sides!”
“We currently accept applications for our ambassador program and what we value is a great ambition to represent our brand and the drive to share our vision of supporting all female athletes”
What is the biggest achievement for Swedish Fall so far?
“The biggest achievement has been the great market acceptance in a lot of athletic sports sectors, such as gymnastics or cheerleading. It’ such a rewarding feeling when we see hundreds of girls everyday who are happy about our apparel and who share our vision. That shows that we are on the right track with SWEDISH FALL’s mission to strengthen all female athletic sports”.
Swedish Fall: Behind the Scenes with Germany’s fast-rising Sportswear Brand
Do you design for only females and why, if so? Will there be a collection for men soon?
Silja: “Yes. Currently, we only offer sportswear for female athletes since we’ve seen that female athletes faced a major market imperfection in terms of athletic, comfy AND stylish sportswear. We probably know, that women are a lot more demanding when it comes to choosing the right apparel for sports or everyday life. J However, we are planning a men’s collection as a limited edition this year!”
“The biggest achievement has been the great market acceptance in a lot of athletic sports sectors, such as gymnastics or cheerleading. It’ such a rewarding feeling when we see hundreds of girls everyday who are happy about our apparel and who share our vision”.
So what should we expect from Swedish Fall in the next 5-10 years?
Silja: “We want to be the brand that stands for all powerful female athletes and that sets the Olympic standards with athletic and stylish sportswear”.
“We want to be the brand that stands for all powerful female athletes and that sets the Olympic standards with athletic and stylish sportswear”.
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