What does balance mean to you?

For me, balance means being comfortable with who you are, making your own choices, and not thinking too much about society’s norms. It’s definitely easier said than done.

When I finished high school, the fashion industry wasn’t the obvious choice. I briefly considered studying law. I had the grades for it and, at the time, wanted to specialize in trademarks and patents. That way, I could work with design. Fortunately, I quickly dropped the idea and was lucky enough to get a job as a fashion assistant at ALT for damerne. That’s where I discovered what it feels like to be passionate about a profession. I’ve felt that way ever since.

It’s definitely my parents’ unwavering love and support that have given me the peace of mind and strength to make the choices I have throughout my life and career. They’ve always said: “You should do what makes you happy,” and that “money is just paper.” Of course, you can’t always do what makes you happy, and money is just paper when you have enough of it, but the basic idea is good and has given me the self-belief I’ve needed.

Two other things I associate with balance in my working life are the balance between work and free time, and time with my family and friends.

When I’m passionate about something and believe in it, I can work really hard and for a lot of hours. I can skip meals and sleep and forget about the world outside. It’s both a strength and a weakness. It’s impossible to live like that for a long time. It’s been difficult for me to separate work and free time, since I also see my work as my hobby. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten better at prioritizing myself. I’ve realized that taking a break and thinking about anything other than work gives me strength in my working life.

I achieve that, among other things, with my family and friends. I'm a person who really values security. I'm very close to my family and friends. I've made friends through my work, as one does, but it's always been super important to me to nurture my "old" friends. The ones who know my family and have always known me. They've been there for me in difficult times. They know my background and know me in a way others can't. My old friends and family don't know much about my industry, but they try to understand it, and that's worth its weight in gold.

What does balance in the world mean to you?

Balance is a big word, and I think the concept varies depending on where you are in the world. It can seem absurd that I talk about balance between my work life and free time, while others can't afford to feed their children.

I also think that is why many people get caught up in issues of equality and diversity. It is naturally almost impossible for many of us in Denmark to understand what other peoples are going through because we don't experience it ourselves. In Denmark, women fight for equal pay, while other women need permission from a male guardian to travel, work outside the home, or get divorced.

Ultimate balance in the world is almost impossible, as it would require something I don't know what is. Balance must therefore lie in engaging with the world, as well as making sure to investigate and try to understand what others are going through.