Toward the end of the interview, Bank shifts his laptop from one room of the mfpen studio to another; a space with high ceilings and walls covered in sketches that seem to hint at the next collection. When asked about the brand’s now central role within the Copenhagen Fashion Week calendar, his answer is more measured than expected. «We don’t really feel like we’ve suddenly “made it,”» he admits. «There are nine of us in the office, and we spend our days working on the collections. It’s only when we look at the numbers, like e-commerce performance, retailer interest,and collaboration requests, that we realize mfpen is growing. But in daily life, it doesn’t feel that way. We’re just focused on doing our work well.»

The question of relocation naturally follows: could mfpen one day move to Paris or another major fashion capital, as many Scandinavian brands have done? Bank is unequivocal: «Copenhagen is home. Not only for personal reasons, my daughter goes to school here, but also because the entire team is rooted in this city. Moving elsewhere would make little sense. Of course, Copenhagen doesn’t have everything, but in terms of quality of life and work, it’s an excellent place. I’ve never felt the need to move the brand to another capital.»

And it’s precisely here that the ethos of mfpen diverges most clearly from the Milanese or Parisian model. The focus is not on the cult of the creative director, but on the team itself. Throughout the conversation, Bank never once referred to himself in the singular, even though he is the founder, creative director, and owner of the brand. He always spoke in the plural, making it clear that mfpen’s success, as it approaches its ten-year mark, is the product of collective effort.

What he does claim with particular pride, however, is the uncompromising quality of the work. «Just the other day, walking through stores with one of my product developers, we realized how solid and carefully made our clothes are,» he explains. «We don’t take shortcuts. Every step, from design to collection to imagery, is done with the same level of care.»

It is this consistency, more than any attachment to fleeting aesthetics or marketing strategies, that makes mfpen a recognizable and respected brand: one that continues to grow while remaining true to itself and to its way of doing things, with a single mission that has never changed over the years.

«Quality remains the ultimate goal» Interview with mfpen’s founder, Sigurd Bank