How to party in 2020. A 10-point plan

Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup, the married co-owners of Danish fashion brand Ganni, may have three children and a global business to look after – but they also have a reputation as legendary party throwers to uphold.

In pre-pandemic times, the couple never missed an opportunity to create a celebratory (read: borderline wild) atmosphere at store launches, or after their twice-yearly fashion shows, memorably serving slushies laced with vodka at their breakthrough “tennis court” presentation of spring/summer ’15. Likewise the costumed staff Christmas bashes, where last year Ditte and Nicolaj showed up as a naked man and woman. But perhaps this should be expected from a couple who met on a dancefloor at a basement party in Copenhagen in 2003. “We got married six months afterwards,” says Ditte, “and we were always the couple who threw the party, even though we lived in a very small apartment. That has continued into our business. It’s a big part of our Ganni culture.”

The best of the Reffstrups’ parties take place at home. Last year they renovated and moved to a three-storey villa that’s a 15-minute bike ride from the city. The dining room – a light-filled red-and-white tiled room that feels like a seaside café – is where the heart of the party beats. The vintage Børge Mogensen table seats 20 and is often used as a second dancefloor. One party ended up with English musician Dev Hynes DJing for 200 people. “Someone tried to throw us out of our own house because we were dancing on the table,” says Nicolaj. 

In this year’s more sober climate, the couple won’t be celebrating to quite the same degree. Copenhagen is, at the time of writing, limited to gatherings of no more than 10 people, with restaurants and bars shutting at 10pm. Nevertheless, the Reffstrups have still got plenty of ideas when it comes to hosting smaller gatherings. Here’s their how‑to guide to putting on a party – 2020 style…

How to entertain like a Reffstrup…

Choose your guests wisely

“All the people we’ve invited today are fun, young and have a really good energy,” says Nicolaj. “We ask people who might be less relevant from a business point of view but are really fun to be around. Ideally, they want to dance and not be too concerned about appearances.”

Don’t be too precious

“We’re not afraid of being the first to jump on the table or couch,” says Ditte. “We have three kids, so you’re pretty much allowed to do anything in our house. We’re not precious about someone spilling a drink. That kind of thing just creates stories about your home, and that’s important.” 

Create an atmosphere

“We do have a disco light in our basement,” says Ditte, “but I just like using flowers and candlelight for atmosphere. I usually buy whatever flowers are on the market, but on this occasion we were lucky enough to use Tage Andersen, the famous Copenhagen florist who made us some small arrangements with chrysanthemums. I like flowers to be low so that you can see your friends on the other side of the table, and I like the mix of classic flowers and no tablecloth for a more relaxed setting. The champagne glasses are by the Danish artist Nina Nørgaard.” 

Get the music on 

“We never have a DJ who plays to be cool, we want them to keep the dancefloor full,” says Nicolaj. “You put the music on right from the beginning. At a lot of our Christmas parties we’ve forgotten to eat the buffet because we were dancing.” Adds Ditte: “Being a good host is about the energy you put into a party. If you’re not afraid of being the first up on the dancefloor, it sets the tone. I’m a big fan of ’80s and ’90s pop. I feel like I stopped listening to new music in 2000…”

Provide plentiful drinks

Ditte loves Kir Royale, while Nicolaj is a fan of Ayuuk margaritas by the Copenhagen-based distillery Empirical Spirits (empirical.co). “Instead of tequila, this margarita uses Empirical’s Ayuuk, a smoke-dried chilli-pepper spirit.”

Eat like a king

“We vary the food at our parties. Sometimes we have just a basic pasta that we make ourselves. Or sometimes we turn it up a bit and ask a chef to help us out,” says Ditte. “Frederik Bille Brahe – who runs three restaurants in Copenhagen, including Apollo Bar – is a very good friend and he’s done a lot of our parties. He did this menu with his head chef, Stephanie Liu.”

Dress to dance

Ditte always wears Ganni to her parties, obviously, but she doesn’t like to have a fixed plan. “I like to decide on the day. You can plan, but when the day comes you might put on that pink dress you love and feel like you’re wearing a cake. So, for me, I just wait and see how I feel. And I never wear too high heels, because then I can’t dance.”