New York Fashion Week Edition: Aknvas’s Christian Juul Nielsen — 'In Europe, everything is about buzz. In America, the focus is the customer’

The Glossy Podcast

After training under the biggest designers in fashion, Christian Juul Nielsen has been building his own brand, Aknvas, since 2019. Now, he’s ready to take it to the next level.

Juul Nielsen’s resume includes years of design roles under Christian Lacroix, John Galliano and Raf Simmons, and at brands including Dior, Oscar de la Renta and J.Mendel. In 2023, he left his post as creative director of Herve Léger to start Aknvas. The brand has since been picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue and FWRD, among other luxury retailers, and worn by “it” girls including J. Lo and Sabrina Carpenter.

On Monday, Aknvas will host a runway show featuring its spring 2025 collection. It will serve as a launchpad for its first accessories: a handbag line made up of mini, boxy styles in different pastel shades.

“We’ve built a platform and knowledge about the brand — it’s the right time to add accessories,” Juul Nielsen said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, acknowledging the growth opportunity.

He also discussed the difference between running a fashion brand in the U.S. versus Europe, the challenges of heading up both the business and the creative side of his company, and the scenario in which he’d take on an investor.