Room for creativity and a constant eye for ways to do things better, smarter, and differently. Those are some of the key elements that stand out when you enter ECCO’s design studio in the outskirts of Tønder, Denmark. High ceilings, creative decorations and open window sections frame the work facilities in ECCO Design Studio that houses ECCO’s design team and some of the other creative heads and hands that drive ECCO’s design profile. And although one may find Tønder to be far from a metropolis, a small fraction of the world comes together in the design studio. The designers in ECCO come from 9 nations, i.e. Spain, Italy and Canada. Together their creative minds define the shape and details of every single ECCO shoe around the world.
“We are privileged to work in an open, creative environment here in Design Studio Tønder,” says Design Director Niki Tæstensten from his office, surrounded by shoe prototypes and just a window away from the diverse landscape of the southern part of Denmark. “The creative surroundings are important to us because they allow us to open up our minds and challenge conventions,” says Niki Tæstensen, who highlights the fact that the design studio’s location in Tønder is far from random.
“ECCO was born in this area. And although our shoes are sold in 90 countries around the world, our work continues to be closely inspired by nature. We are fortunate to have a front row seat to a landscape where birds, the ebb and flow of the Wadden Sea, and the ever-evolving weather patterns influence our every day. In reality, we are obsessed with merging and harmonising nature’s movement around us and within us into our own interpretation of a natural wearing experience,” Niki Tæstensen explains when asked why it is crucial that ECCO’s design studio is located in Tønder, and not in e.g. Copenhagen or Paris.
When Niki and his team of designers shape the footwear of tomorrow, a very fundamental principle for them is to create a shoe that does more than just look good. If a shoe doesn’t come out honest and meaningful, it never goes beyond the drawing board. “To us, true passion is essential to making great shoes. We want our shoes to offer both physical and emotional comfort. And that’s what ECCO does,” finalises Niki Tæstensen.
You can catch a look into ECCO here
About ECCO
ECCO is one of the world’s leading shoe brands combining style and comfort. ECCO’s success is built on products with a great fit and top-quality leathers. ECCO owns and manages every aspect of the value chain from tanneries and shoe manufacturing to wholesale and retail activities. ECCO’s products are sold in 88 countries from over 2,000 ECCO shops and more than 14,000 sales points. ECCO is family-owned, founded in Denmark in 1963, and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. www.ecco.com