@djerfavenue
The influencer and founder of Djerf Avenue, Matilda Djerf. has been accused of fat-phobia, bullying and fostering a “toxic” workplace environment. So how exactly did the Swedish social media star fall from grace so swiftly? And why has the internet reacted so viciously?
Here’s your too-long-didn’t-read explainer for Matilda Djerf’s most recent brand fiasco.
Why Is Matilda Djerf So Famous?
27-year-old Matilda Djerf first started making a name for herself as a Scandi influencer back in 2016, after starting out her social media career combining her love of travel with some part-time modelling for local fashion brands. After just under a year, her follower count grew to 100,000 and Djerf began to pursue a full time influencer career.
By 2019 she’d forged such a devoted following that she was able to harness its engagement to launch a fashion brand – Djerf Avenue – with her partner Rasmus Johansson.
“Matilda Djerf has this very tailored brand and aesthetic that still feels candid and relatable,” said Chelsea Davignon, a senior strategist focused on youth trends at the forecasting agency Fashion Snoops, in a 2022 New York Times profile.
“She doesn’t flood her feed with other brands or sponsored content. Instead, she offers an effortlessly cool lifestyle that doesn’t feel too out of reach.”
It was this effortless Scandi-cool aesthetic that appealed most to Djerf’s audience, as evidenced by the literal overnight success she experienced after selling out her first collection for Djerf Avenue in under 24-hours.
“What I wanted with Djerf Avenue was to give people classic and comfortable staples that they can wear again and again or style in multiple ways over years,” she shared with The Times in 2022.
“What was even more important to me was that this was a fashion brand that was completely welcoming and inclusive of everyone,” said Djerf, in reference to her brand’s sizing range from XXS to XXXL. “That was always my real dream.”
In 2023, Matilda Djerf was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, with a note from the editor that read: “This company said it saw revenue hit about US$34.5 million last year, which is up from $1.8 million in 2020.”
Business was booming for the influencer. That was, until recently, when her influential status was thrown into question following the Aftonbladet’ investigation.
What Is The Matilda Djerf Scandal About?
A bombshell report accusing Matilda Djerf of enacting “psychological terror” upon her employees, was published by Sweden’s Aftonbladet on December 12.
Soon after, the translated contents of the article started making its way across mainstream media, where it was revealed that eleven Djerf Avenue employees, both past and present, had come forward with claims of harassment, bullying, and favouritism, claiming that Djerf had fostered a “degrading work environment”.
The article was accompanied by a video, where the employees who remained anonymous “for fear of reprisals” shared their scathing testimony with the news outlet.
What Are The Allegations Against Matilda Djerf?
In perhaps one of the most alarming allegations, workers alleged that Djerf Avenue was far from the size-inclusive, welcoming brand it claimed to be on the outside. If anything, it was the opposite.
One worker recounted an alleged comment made by Djerf in relation to photographs of a plus-sized model who she apparently called “so fat”, before claiming she didn’t want to use them to promote the brand.
Additional claims made in the article allege that Djerf had created an environment of “terror” where employees were regularly subjected to bullying and intimidation. “I have never been so afraid of a person in my entire life,” said one of the anonymous workers in the translated article.
“People feel terribly bad. I have never seen so many people so broken down. It finally became commonplace to think about how many people cried yesterday? How many will cry today? Will I cry myself today?” says another.
Another bizarre allegation claimed that Djerf had a designated toilet in the office that she made clear was only for personal use. That was, unless you were one of her “favourite” employees.
A sign that read “Please do not use!” in English had apparently slipped off, causing some confusion in the office. When Djerf found out that an “unapproved person” had used the toilet, she allegedly ordered that person to scrub the toilet before she would use it again.
Matilda Djerf Responds To Toxic Workplace Allegations
On December 18, Djerf finally responded to the allegations, releasing a statement on her personal Instagram that read:
“Over the past few days, I’ve been quiet on social media. My highest priority has been to meet with the Djerf Avenue team and speak to them. I am fully aware that my words here are not an answer or a solution, but for me it’s important to write this directly to you.
“To anyone who I’ve hurt or let down, I want to start off by saying that I’m genuinely sorry. When I started Djerf Avenue I never expected that the company would be what it is today, with so many team members and so much responsibility. I wasn’t ready. I had never led a team prior to this, I had never built a company prior to this, and under a lot of stress, high tempo and naivety I failed to be the leader and colleague I wish to be along the way. And for that I am so, so sorry. I wish my growth happened faster. I really want to underline that I’m extremely committed to getting it right and to continuing growing.”
“We are constantly working on improving and developing the internal business, everything from structures that need to be set in place to new initiatives. This is ongoing work and this year we’ve made some important changes to improve the work culture at Djerf Avenue.
“Amongst other things, we have hired a more experienced management team, we have introduced monthly anonymous surveys to collect feedback and take action, we have also set up an external organizational psychologist to assess our workplace. We are also in the process of brining in an additional external HR professional to support the organisation.”
Before finishing off her statement with: “Moving forward, I’m committed and want to focus my all on becoming the best leader and colleague I can be. I’ll keep learning and working to ensure Djerf Avenue is a safe, inclusive space for everyone. I want to end by saying thank you to all of you who’ve had honest and transparent conversations with me over the past few days.”
