Circle of friends (C.O.F.) Studios is a denim brand built on the foundations of more than 40 years experience in the denim industry specifically. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, C.O.F. Studios utilises a wealth of knowledge and expertise garnered over the years across territories including Europe, Asia and the US, to deliver premium, sustainable denim and workwear products that stand the test of time. Effectively that go-to for men who need that easy-to-wear effortless style choice.
Here we speak with founder Per Fredriksson.
Can you tell us a little about C.O.F. Studios and what the brand represents?
C.O.F STUDIO is a brand based on a circle of friends inspired by my 44 years in the denim industry, I have built the concept and collection together with my favourite mills and producers that I have met during my carrier.
How would you describe the brand and who is it for?
The brand stands for everyday wear or daily classics with premium quality fabrics, mainly for a quality-conscious man. We do also have quite a lot of women buying our jeans, so it’s not specifically unique to men.
We start from a traditional, historical 5-pocket jean and transform into contemporary fits and a language for today’s consumer without losing that age-old quality feel around good denim.
It’s a denim brand first and foremost, can you tell us what makes a good pair of jeans these days?
We definitely want to be recognised as a quality denim brand.
A good pair of jeans starts with the fitting and then making a selection of premium fabrics that will stand the test of time, which then also allows for a more sustainable product. Indigo dyeing is always a challenge to minimise as much water and chemical use, while still keeping the character that consumers want.
Do different nationalities prefer different fits? If so give us an example?
We work mainly in the USA and Northern Europe and I would say the differences in fits is not so big. The real difference is perhaps with classic men’s stores who prefer jeans with comfortable fabrics. They also want a zip fly and a variation of wash options. Traditional denim stores prefer 100% cotton fabrics, with a button fly and prefer more raw or rinsed treatments.
Where do you source the denim and where are they made?
I only source or develop our denim fabrics from Candiani Denim in Italy and a few fabrics from Kuroki Denim in Japan. When I presented the Circle of Friends/C.O.F. STUDIO project to Candiani, they immediately wanted to be part of it. They had just developed their own Golden Rivet and label marketing concept to be used with a few brands who wanted to promote premium denim and a sustainable philosophy, which is what Candiani stands for.
Can you give us a bit of detail on your Candiani fabrics?
Yes we use 2 wide fabrics from Candiani Denim, one fabric is a 12 oz 98% Organic cotton (Gots certificated fabric) with 2 % Elasthan, the other fabric is a 13 oz 100% Regenerative cotton fabric.
You have a multi-brand store in Malmo Sweden and one in Stockholm where you are based, are there plans to expand and if so where?
Yes we have our multi-brand main store and online store team out of Malmö and the store we have in Stockholm is a pure C.O.F. STUDIO archive store. If the right opportunity comes along for a location in a city where we are poorly represented, I would feel positive about opening one to give strength to the brand. Saying this, our first priority is always to collaborate with independent local retailers because they always know their market best to be able to give the right product and service to consumers.
What can we expect for the up-coming winter season, but also looking ahead to SS25?
For Autumn 24, we had very good bookings of our 5-pocket core denim products (here we also offer a replenishment/refill-service in all washes) together with our various sport jackets in various fabrics such as a herringbone melange, moleskin and a double-twisted twill garment dye across a worker jacket and fatigue pant.
Any plans for collaborations in the near future?
We are definitely open to collaborations if the right opportunity comes up that aligns with our values and what C.O.F. STUDIO stands for. To help expand our Circle of Friends philosophy.
Find out more about C.O.F STUDIO here
