Joseph, the once iconic brand, was falling on hard times – until Anna and Frederik Dyhr got their hands on it and relaunched the brand in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The new couples would take on joint roles with a luxury fashion brand during a global catastrophe – while remaining on good terms.

But Anna and Frederik Dyhr, co-creative directors of Joseph, are not your average couple. And not only are they still very much together, they’re partying after helping turn around the British fashion house’s fortunes. Against all expectations, the label has just posted a profit for the first time in eight years, amounting to £400,000 after a loss of £8.9 million.

The new fall/winter collection embodies this year’s “understated luxury” trend, which Vogue describes as “Sienna Miller in Anatomy of a Scandal meets the off-duty Olsen twins.” Its timeless tailored pants, teal satin skirts and cinnamon cashmere sweaters are catnip for the core clientele (Kylie Minogue, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Heidi Klum are fans), who don’t hesitate to separate £350 for a skirt or £500 for a jacket. .

So how has this design duo thrived during a pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, where many in the industry have taken a hit?

From their studio in Paris, near the house they share with their son and daughter aged 12 and 14 and their two dogs (comically, a giant Saint Bernard cross and a little Jack Russell), Anna and Frederik are of an old-fashioned modesty on the financial recovery of the company.

“We only played a small role,” says Frederik, a 46-year-old dressed in black vintage Joseph pants and T-shirt. “Being in a pressured situation forced us to be pragmatic. We looked at what we wanted to focus on and, more importantly, what we didn’t.

While the world wore sweatpants, the Dyhrs kept their cool and their price and stayed true to Joseph’s DNA. In short, they designed more of his iconic sweaters, which were ripped off. “We rethought our knits and focused on the fundamentals,” explains Anna, who embodies the essence of the brand with oversized glasses, a simple jacket and a silk satin skirt.

Post-Covid, they reread the play, switching to elegant cuts, dresses and suits to punctuate our return to the office and our outings.

The “buy less, buy better” philosophy appeals to Joseph’s customers, who choose to invest in the brand despite financial circumstances. “There is less price resistance as long as the garment is timeless,” explains Frederik. “It resonates with our customers.”

The couple are typical global citizens.

They met 25 years ago while sharing a taxi home from a concert while living in Florence. Anna is Swedish, Frederik is Danish. They recently lived in Amsterdam and spent 13 years in the UK, where their children were born. They describe London as “our second home”.

Between them, they have amassed 40 years of industry experience with Bottega Veneta, Lanvin, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and Uniqlo. They never intended to work together. But when the opportunity presented itself in October 2020, despite six months of lockdown and with children being home-schooled (which, like true Scandis, they split 50/50), they took it.

Frederik laughs at the thought of how crazy they must have been.

The power of two: co-creative directors Joseph, Anna and Frederik Dyhr

“For the first three months it was like falling in love all over again: ‘You’re amazing!’ ‘No, you’re amazing!’ Then another three months go by and suddenly you’re looking at yourself and wondering ‘ Why are you doing it like that?” and it’s negative. But after six months, the situation stabilized. We were forced to figure out what we were all good at, so we could divide and conquer and exploit our strengths. I say it sounds easy, but it didn’t happen overnight!’

They look and feel alike and have that comfortable familiarity of a couple finishing each other’s sentences. Even their birthdays are spaced a day apart: “I bake him the cake,” explains Anna, who is two years older than Frederik, “and he recycles it for me the next day.”

But they insist they are different people: “Anna is much more creative and visual. She sees everything in pictures, while I’m more boring,” says Frederik. “But we complement each other,” insists Anna. “It sort of flows organically.”

One non-negotiable is staying true to the philosophy of Joseph Ettedgui, the visionary retailer who took the brand from a small store on the King’s Road in London’s Chelsea to global recognition. In addition to defending designers such as Katharine Hamnett, Azzedine Alaïa and Kenzo, he was among the first to combine boutique and restaurant. Fashion writer Sarah Bailey fondly remembers Joe’s Café on Sloane Street as the epitome of the 1980s, with its “breathtaking cool and sophistication – everyone wears matte black”.

In homage to Ettedgui, who died in 2010 at the age of 74, and in particular to his iconic knitwear – playfully photographed by photographer Pamela Hanson for the 1987 advertising campaign – the brand is launching a capsule collection next month in limited edition. “There was an idea of ​​fun when Joseph was there and it’s a celebration of his knitting,” says Frederik.

Meanwhile, this month marks the 40th anniversary of the Joseph brand itself (originally Joseph Tricot), created as a selection of timeless luxury wardrobe essentials. Its new campaign spotlights model Amber Valletta, 13 years after she fronted the brand’s famous fall/winter campaign, shot by legendary photographer Peter Lindbergh.

At 49 years old, Valletta appears more relevant than ever. “The Joseph woman is timeless,” says Anna. “She has a strong sense of quality and a certain simplicity in the way she carries herself, with a high expectation of excellence and great attention to detail.”

Agreeing that their main client is more likely to be at the Valletta stage of life than in their 20s, Frederik says: “She’s at a point where she knows what she wants and doesn’t flip-flop one season to another. Working with Amber again was exciting because she speaks naturally about the brand – this notion of ageless style.

Apart from a glass of champagne to celebrate Joseph’s rebirth, Anna and Frederik don’t let each other go to their heads. “What we are excited about is being able to open new stores and work on new concepts,” says Frederik. “It’s just heads down for us. That doesn’t sound sexy, does it? Maybe not, but it seems successful.