INTERVIEW WITH NAJA MUNTHE: CPHFW 2026

COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK, JANUARY 2026

At the heart of MUNTHE is Naja Munthe – a founder and director guided by curiosity, intuition, and a deeply personal relationship with creativity. Her approach to fashion is instinctive and reflective, shaped as much by lived experience as by aesthetics.

As founder and director, Naja has built a brand rooted in thoughtfulness: an ongoing dialogue between art and craftsmanship, emotion and structure. Her work is driven not by trends, but by feeling, by how clothes are experienced, remembered, and worn.In the following questions, Naja reflects on the moments, rituals, and perspectives that shape her way of thinking, from early memories and formative cultural experiences to creativity as a state of mind, risk as a catalyst, and enthusiasm as the ultimate measure of success. Honest, reflective, and quietly humorous, her answers offer a rare glimpse into the personal philosophy behind the collections, and into the sensibility that continues to guide her work forward.

If I wasn’t a designer, I would… I probably would have ended up working with textiles or art no matter what. Ever since I realized that “designer” was actually a real job and not just something imaginary, that’s what I wanted to be. That said, as a child my dream job was driving bus line 5 – the bus I took to school every morning – because then you were guaranteed a warm seat. Solid life goal. Alternatively, librarian. I read obsessively and genuinely thought the ultimate career must be spending your days surrounded by books. Or working with horses… how could I forget that one! I lived and breathed horses, devoured horse magazines, and spent every last bit of pocket money on grooming brushes, while mentally relocating myself to a farm in the US where you’d live and work in a stable 24/7. No weekends. No regrets. In theory.

The first cultural experience that made an impact on me… when I was in fourth grade, my class went to the National Museum in Copenhagen to see the prehistoric collections. It was fascinating. But what I remember most clearly from that day is that I earned 10 kroner by sticking my shoe-clad foot into their large fountain. Entrepreneurial spirit, early on.

If I were to write a book, it would be about… myself. Which I would never voluntarily write about – but if I were forced to write a book, I wouldn’t know how to write about anything else. I’m terrible at making things up, and even worse at remembering historical facts… so, honestly, what else is there?

An attribute that I love seeing in people… honesty, generosity, and kindness. Which is pretty much the exact opposite of what I absolutely cannot stand.

A place I return to when I need perspective… seeing things from a bit higher up, with a wider perspective. I’m very aware of how lucky and privileged I am, so I try not to complain too much about minor inconveniences or let small, irrelevant things take up too much space for too long. That said – it really is a state of mind.

A daily ritual I never skip… my morning coffee. Non-negotiable. The very first thing I do every single morning is make a cup of coffee. It follows me either into a slow, lazy weekend start in bed or around the apartment as I half-run from room to room getting ready for work.cannot stand.

The objects I own that hold the most meaning for me… are in my massive bookcase, which covers an entire wall: lots of things my two children made in kindergarten and school when they were little. You can definitely debate their aesthetic value, but each piece represents a phase in their lives – and reminds me just how much I love them.

A risk I am glad I took… was starting the company. Walking into a bank to borrow the 50,000 needed to get going felt wildly overwhelming, and I had absolutely no idea whether it would succeed or fail. Turns out, I’m far more comfortable with risk than I realized – so in hindsight, it doesn’t surprise me that I jumped straight in.

When I feel most like myself, I am… exactly as I am. Always. I don’t pretend or adjust my personality depending on the situation. I accept myself, flaws included. I know I’m very loved by some and less so by others – and I genuinely think that’s both healthy and natural.come to understand the value of.

The moment in my career that changed everything… doesn’t exist. There isn’t one defining moment. There are countless moments – magical, tragic, defining – each in their own way. From getting my very first order when I had just started, to hitting a nine-figure turnover for the first time. From suspension of payments 20 years ago to extreme damage control during Covid. Every experience taught me something, and I wouldn’t trade my mistakes for anything – they’re exactly why I’m here today.

The detail I always notice first… other people’s energy. If you allow yourself to really sense it, you can read people surprisingly well. It helps you decide who to spend your time and energy on – and sometimes it also explains why people are the way they are. For me, it brings clarity. And maybe that’s why I rarely feel like I’m “wrong.”

Creativity, for me, begins with… a breath. Because it’s in everything I do and think. I honestly can’t separate my mind from creativity. Whether I’m designing clothes, making art, decorating, renovating – or simply looking at what others have created and thinking, what would I have done differently, what can I learn from this – it’s always through a creative lens.

The person who has influenced my way of thinking the most… Albert Einstein. Surprisingly. In a way, he “legalized” creativity for me – not as a hobby or side project, but as a necessity for change and progress in the world. Creativity doesn’t have to be about colors or aesthetics; it’s about the ability to see things differently in order to move forward. Creativity should be taught in schools – not as arts and crafts, but as free thinking and proper out-of-the-box thinking.

Something that always inspires me, no matter the season… conversations with other creative people. I already have an endless source of inspiration within myself, but it gets an extra boost through dialogue. That’s also one of the things I love most about my work: brainstorming, sparring, and letting ideas collide.

A sound, scent, or texture I associate with comfort… when things get too hectic and the pace has been too high for too long, all I need is to watch reels of silent snow falling in nature, or rain slowly running down a window while everything is observed from the inside. My pulse drops instantly. The same goes for quiet jazz – it can shift my state of mind from chaos to calm in seconds.

What I value more today than I did ten years ago… is the situation I’m in. I genuinely love going to work – even when it’s hard or complicated. I’m doing exactly what I want to do most, and every day my dreams are either fulfilled or at least within reach. Having that level of control over your own life – and the ability to shape it – is something I’ve truly come to understand the value of.

What success means to me right now… that I’ve managed to adjust all the buttons in my personal cockpit correctly. I see my company as a manual airplane cockpit – with an insane number of controls that all need to work together for a successful flight. People, timing, finances, and products all have to align. And ideally, everyone should feel heard, seen, and reasonably happy along the way.

One thing I hope people feel when they encounter my work… enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the only thing that makes you buy a piece of clothing. Indifference has never convinced anyone to put on a dress. Whether it’s an old piece you love purely for the color, or something brand new you can’t wait to wear for the first time – you have to feel it. That spark. That excitement.