Skall Studio has become the epitome of metropolitan minimalism with that unique hue of countryside charm. Here, sisters and founders Julie and Marie explain why time by the sea and truly listening to that inner voice keeps them grounded
Welcome to our new bi-monthly series "Take five" featuring inspiring Scandinavian tastemakers on the five life-enhancing items, habits or encounters that help guarantee a balanced, joy-filled life.
Connection knows many forms. Apart from a feeling of being banded together with a person or cause, it can also stand for the awareness that everything in life and nature relates to one another. “Invisible threads are the strongest ties,” Friedrich Nietzsche once said. In the case of Julie and Marie Skall, the founders of Skall Studio, these ties are deeply grounded in sisterhood and their shared holistic approach to living.
The enthusiasm for timeless garments, impeccable craftsmanship, and sustainability that defines Skall Studio is all linked to this philosophy. You can feel a warm presence surrounding all their collections, with clean lines, tonal palettes, and references from classic menswear melting perfectly into each other. The Danish brand forgoes fur and leather while working with local knitwear factories and using hand-woven materials from India.
After founding their brand in 2014 with late night shifts and jobs on the side, it was only in December 2019 that the two sisters hired their first employee. Today, Skall Studio has grown to a team of 30 people, a flourishing web universe, its own flagship store in the heart of Copenhagen, and 50 carefully selected dealers in Denmark alone.
Good things take time – and an unstoppable sister duo. Below, Julia and Maria Skall reflect on the five things that not only shaped their lives in a positive way but also helped make Skall Studio what it is today.
Going vegan
“Choosing a vegan lifestyle has really improved our life. Not only in terms of our well-being and health but also from an ethical point of view as it is essential to us to live a life in balance with animals and nature.
"In a world of endless possibilities, we find peace in only having a few choices. When we visit a restaurant there are often only a few dishes to choose from. To only have a few choices is our way of making life more simple and more mindful. Too many choices are not always a good thing. When your mind is clear it leaves room for new refreshing ideas.”
Real, old-fashioned craftmanship
“We have always been fascinated by craftsmanship. It makes us extremely happy when people can create magic and stories with their hands. For that reason, craftsmanship has always been part of our business. In the beginning, our Danish signature knitwear was made by local Danish knitting ladies. As demand increased, we started to work with Hjelholt Spinning Mill, one of two remaining spinning mills in Denmark, to support local production and craftsmanship in Denmark.
"Recently, we have also looked into craftsmanship in India as we have worked with natural dyes and embroidery as well as handloom linen styles made by local weavers in Bhagalpur. Craftsmanship brings joy and a little magic into our life. At the same time, we think it is essential to keep different cultures alive as we live in a globalised world.”
Having a big heart for little friends
“We both lived and worked in India before we founded Skall Studio. While Julie lived there, she got her dog Shubhi, a small dachshund. When she moved to Denmark, she brought Shubhi with her, and today she is still part of our family and often goes with Julie to the office. We have always had a big heart for animals and feel obliged to speak with the voice that animals do not have. To take care of Shubhi as well as all other living creatures brings a special joy into our life.”
Spending time by the sea
“We grew up in Northern Jutland close to the sea and have always felt a strong connection to it. When near the sea, we lower our shoulders and feel present, as if there were only the sea and us. In moments like these, we listen extra carefully to ourselves as well as the surrounding nature. When we do so, we feel that we are part of something bigger.
"Our last name is Skall, meaning seashell in Danish. Perhaps this is also why we feel so close to the sea. We can easily spend hours walking on the beaches collecting seashells – just like we did as children and as our great-grandfather and his brothers did to earn a living when they sold the seashells for chicken feed.”
Listening to that inner voice
“We have always felt that the world is so much bigger than what you can actually see. By having this extra layer to life, a spiritual approach you could say, we feel that life is much richer, as it is full of surprises if you are able to see the small messages. Growing older we have become even more aware of these small messages – you could call it a clear intuition.
"In the earlier stages of our business, we tried several times to wait for the right people to reach out to us without making a job advertisement. Actually, we had some amazing luck with this – to put a wish into the world and suddenly get an answer.”