BESTSELLER-elev vinder Fagprøveprisen

A BESTSELLER apprentice has won a national award at the Danish Chamber of Commerce, with his final project on more sustainable materials impressing the judges. 

Nikolaj Lund Jensen was presented with the prestigious Fagprøvepris at the Danish Stock Exchange in Copenhagen on Tuesday. His final exam project was selected as the best from approximately 600 entrants. 

Now a Buying Assistant with SELECTED, Nikolaj completed his apprenticeship in August, winning BESTSELLER’s Apprentice of the Year Award at his graduation. 

“It has been a couple of crazy months for me. Firstly, winning the prize as Apprentice of the Year and then receiving the Fagprøvepris afterwards,” Nikolaj says. 

“I have had a fantastic time during my apprenticeship in BESTSELLER – both personally and professionally. It is an education that I have enjoyed from start to end, and one that I can only recommend to others.” 

“I am proud to represent BESTSELLER and SELECTED. For me, it is a massive personal victory that the things I do have been recognised. At the same time, I also think receiving the Fagprøveprise shows that BESTSELLER can do more than just make clothes.” 

Expanding SELECTED’s sustainable reputation 

For the final project of his three-year apprenticeship, Nikolaj investigated how he could make SELECTED’s NOOS programme more sustainable. 

Following in-depth analysis and field research, Nikolaj identified a recycled polyester fabric, which was not only more sustainable than SELECTED’s previous preferred material but also cheaper. 

Nikolaj’s efforts are in line with BESTSELLER’s sustainability strategy Fashion FWD, where we have committed to sourcing 50 percent of our polyester from recycled polyester or other more sustainable alternatives by 2025. 

SELECTED’s Brand Buying Manager Poul Bendixen is Nikolaj’s manager and has been impressed by his development. 

“Nikolaj delivered an outstanding project in his exam. This has ensured us a better business for the category, as well as a great result in our pursuit of raising the bar, on bringing better and more responsibly crafted products to market,” Poul says.  

“Nikolaj has been fantastically conscientious in his daily engagement at the office, always completing his tasks at the highest possible level. He has done this by being honest about what he knows and is able to do himself, but also – very importantly – by being curious about what he doesn’t know. In such situations, he has reached out within his team or elsewhere for knowledge and to identify solutions.”