Matilda Djerf's Djerf Avenue Takes Over New York City
The Swedish influencer is one of today's hottest fashion It girls.
If you’ve been on any Instagram style inspiration page for the last year, you’ve probably seen Matilda Djerf. The Swedish influencer and mastermind behind the Clean Girl-approved brand Djerf Avenue has nestled her way into the hearts and closets of today’s burgeoning fashion enthusiasts. Case and point: hours before the opening of her first Djerf Avenue pop-up in New York City on a mind Thursday morning, a line of fans (known as Angels) wraps around the block for a chance to not only shop the brand but also meet Djerf herself.
Days later, Djerf went beyond a simple meet-and-greet and hosted a dinner party and fashion show by and for her Angels at the Guggenheim Museum on the Upper East Side. Instructed to wear their best “party attire,” young women from across the country who were lucky enough to win the lottery arrived, all politely gushing amongst themselves about their love for Djerf and Djerf Avenue.
The fanfare that Djerf has inspired and the dedication of her following is similar to that of a celebrity. But Djerf isn’t the typical “celebrity.” For one, she doesn’t attend fashion weeks. “I don’t feel I need to be there,” she explains. In fact, unlike her contemporaries, we haven't seen her on any red carpets or at film festivals yet (though, there's still time!). But maybe it's this elusiveness that has kept her so connected to her fans. At the dinner, there were no overzealous fans, no crying; no ill-timed selfie requests. Instead, it was a group of like-minded individuals excited for a night of celebrating fashion with one of their biggest role models.
To understand more about Djerf and the community she’s built, L’OFFICIEL spoke to her at the Djerf Avenue pop-up shop to get a sense of who this woman quietly taking over the fashion world is.
L'OFFICIEL: This is Djerf Avenue's first pop-up in NYC. When did you decide that it was time to bring your brand stateside?
Matilda Djerf: Honestly, I think it was when we did our last pop-up in the U.S. which was our first pop-up which was in Los Angeles last summer. I think after that pop-up we were like, “Our American customers are so amazing. They’re so lovely. We’re so obsessed with them And we really want to do another pop-up this year in the U.S. And we started thinking about Hmm, where would we do it?, New York felt like such an obvious choice. We have so many customers here. There’s so much foot traffic which is so fun because in LA, you take the car, you park it, and then you go to the pop-up, whereas here it feels a bit easier and more accessible which was really nice. So New York was just a given. I don’t really know why, but our customers are here so we wanted to meet them here.
L'O: In the last few years, you've gained such a dedicated following. When you were first starting out, did you ever imagine this is where you'd end up?
MD: Honestly, never. And I know that sounds like a cliché to say, but I’m from a small town. I don't have an entrepreneurial family. I haven’t grown up in that atmosphere. Being from a small town, every single dream felt really really huge and unattainable. So, for me, this is just wild. I never expected it, but I get to work with something that I’m so passionate about and something that I love so much that I feel so grateful.
L'O: What do you think it is about your content and Djerf Avenue that has resonated so deeply with people?
MD: I would like to think that it’s authenticity and the genuine aspect of it that draws people to it. At least for me, that’s what I really love about building Djerf Avenue: that we have this really amazing and transparent communication with our customers. And I know they feel like they’re part of a family and for us, they really are our extended family and I think that’s something people crave. If I look at myself growing up and the brands that I liked, I didn’t know who created the items. I didn’t know who designed them. So I think feeling like you’re part of the team is just something people really enjoy.
