Fashion

Iso.Poetism announces "difficult yet carefully thought-through decision" to close

By Rebecca Hyde-Price Aggestam

Iso.Poetism's founder and creative director Tobias Birk Nielsen at the brand's fall/winter 2022 runway show.

Lauded for his vision and innovation, but faced with a series of personal and professional challenges, Danish designer Tobias Birk Nielsen and his team at Iso.Poetism have announced plans to permanently end the brand's journey

While many of us anticipated another boundary-breaking runway show from the young Danish brand at Copenhagen Fashion Week's next circuit, and more even awards to be bestowed upon the design team in the years to come, Iso.Poetism's trajectory has come to an unexpected end. Founder and creative director Tobias Birk Nielsen and his team announced on Instagram this afternoon that the beloved brand has decided to close.

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“I can’t keep gambling with my health as my private responsibilities towards my son simply are too great at this stage,” says Birk Nielsen in the post. “And therefore took the difficult, yet carefully thought-through decision; to permanently end Iso.Poetism."

Faced with a relentless series of challenges, including the death of his wife three years ago – which he poignantly and poetically addressed in his creative output since – through to the setbacks of Covid-19 and a global recession, Birk Nielsen shared that the breakneck pace of shows, collections and campaigns had started to take a serious toll on his physical wellbeing, describing "a period of numbness in part of my fingers" and "muscle pain that now has become permanent through almost a year."

Tobias Kirk founded the company in 2016, quickly drawing industry acclaim, honours and awards, including the Zalando Sustainability Award at Copenhagen Fashion Week autumn/winter 2022 and the prestigious Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize just six month ago.

The announcement ended with a show of appreciation for the support shown to Iso.Poetism over the last seven years, and the team’s wishes that others will “sincerely take great care” and to follow positive energy "no matter the price and detours it may require.”