Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 12th August 2020

Swiss lifestyle brand SEVENFRIDAY has never been one to shy away from saying what they think or feel, and admit, that like many, the last few months have been concerning to say the least. However, their richness comes from believing in their values, their people and the consistency that goes with it, enabling them to ride the wave and remain focused on the future - which is what they do best. Having been somewhat prepared for the pandemic, SEVENFRIDAY has managed to remain resolute and looks forward to new products and spaces in the coming months. Here we speak to owner Daniel Niederer.

How has life been during the pandemic for SEVENFRIDAY? 

“I am not going to lie, it is a highly frustrating situation, but we aren’t getting bored as we focus at SEVENFRIDAY on a positive future and try to use the time we have have on our hands to move forward and improve ourselves wherever possible.”

You travel a lot, all over the world, was lockdown and the breaks on travel hard for you business-wise and maybe even personally? 

“I personally like the travelling, but it is also very business relevant to us, an ideal combo. SEVENFRIDAY’s constant evolution is heavily influenced by our travelling, the meeting of different cultures and personalities around the globe. All the people in the world supporting and engaging with us, help us to shape the future of the brand. Like many, we are currently trying to compensate the lack of personal encounters with IG live sessions and Zoom meetings etc. But it is clear that the digital encounters are not sufficient enough for us to be a replacement for the real thing.” 

We have seen many businesses struggle to survive and even fold, how close were you guys to that happening. I suppose the threat is still there? 

“We are lucky that we have been rather prudent in the past with our financials. We don’t carry any dept and don’t have investors breathing down our neck. Also, we used the good years to build a financial cushion. We had seen an impact on business already starting to happen in China back in January, thus we started to prepare ourselves at that time. As a result, we may have been slightly better set when the Pandemic hit Europe really hard.”

OK, tell us about the new and exciting things to come out of SEVENFRIDAY. What has you feeling energised for the remainder of 2020 and beyond? 

“Generally, we are always excited as we always have new things in the pipeline. There are various things to come, like the new development on the technical front, like the evolution within the B2B and the B2C App. For example, we can finally use the iPhone to verify and register SEVENFRIDAY products via the SEVENFRIDAY App and many more developments can be counted on in the coming months! We believe with the NFC Chip in the products and the app, we bring a value to product and brand that is unique within and maybe even outside our industry. Naturally, we also have some amazing new product developments in the coming months, plus we expect to soon be opening our latest Space in Kuwait City. As you can see, plenty to keep the excitement going.” 

SEVENFRIDAY photoshoots always carry a very unique look and feel - what are you trying to capture when you do these shoots, such as the latest Cocorico Off Series watch in Paris?

“SEVENFRIDAY is a life attitude and we always try to capture its essence in the various shooting styles. Our pictures, as well as our designs, should follow a clear and unique language that reflects and represents the brand values. Humour, amongst other things is an instrumental part of SEVENFRIDAY.”

Why the Rolls Royce? 

“I was looking for a classic that hasn’t gone through the roof yet, price wise, due to alternative investments. A car with character and personality that also allows us to travel relatively safe for longer distances. A car that also partially reflects an element of SEVENFRIDAY’s personality, and I don’t mean the snobbish part. Let’s face it, the British cars of that period have got quite a bit of character and attitude.” 

We chatted a little before about the SEVENFRIDAY lifestyle versus being a product first brand. Can you divulge a little more about the approach and especially about the Spaces? 

“We see SEVENFRIDAY first of all as a life attitude, or more pretentiously a philosophy. The product is extremely important in all its aspects, but there should always be more to the brand. We compare the brand often to a person. We believe it is important that they both have clear values, personality and characteristics that define them. Our Spaces are environments that should allow friends to spend quality time with people they like, basically a physical platform to subtly engage with the brand's philosophy. We also decided for this reason to capture the brand's essence in its name, it can therefore never be changed!”

Regarding the Spaces, what’s new?  

“Unfortunately, the global expansion of our Spaces has been put on hold for known reasons. But we are happy that we could continue the development of our latest Space in Kuwait City to be opened soon. Our British friends from BusbyWeb: James, Rebecca and Nick are doing a tremendous job in helping us to continuously evolve the concept and designs. One big project now is to combine the benefits of the SEVENFRIDAY App with the physical space for the consumers' benefit!” 

What's getting on your nerves at the moment? 

“Many things, but I frankly try not to think and talk about it too much. I’d rather like to stay positive and create positive developments.”

You are running weekly interviews on Instagram Live with an eclectic mix of people, what is the reasoning for the live airing of these? 

“As mentioned above. I miss the travelling and the global interaction with friends and critics. This platform is interesting as it opens us up to the unknown.” 

What would you like to see happening from now until the same time next year?  

“The world going back to 'normal', maybe an improved version? People sticking together more rather than separating. More optimism and positivism too.” 

sevenfriday.com

We speak to Daniel Niederer of SEVENFRIDAY about the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Art of Positive Thinking.