Gudrun Sujoden resigns after review

It was in April that Express Publishing a comprehensive review of the clothing brand Gudrun Sjödén. In the review, the management duo made up of Gudrun Sjödén and Anna Adelsson were accused of abusive behavior by staff.

Among other things, about two dozen employees testified about how Gudrun Soden was said to have commented on the staff’s appearance on several occasions and expressed himself racially.

According to the testimonies, Sjödén was said to have turned to a middle manager and said, “Because you are black, I can’t read your face, you should try to get a clearer facial expression.”

– That’s right, I said so. Gudrun Sjödén says when you ask Expressen about the incident, I think it’s hard to read dark people, it’s not the same as reading the average Swede.

Reviewed by the Swedish Work Environment Agency

After the audit, the Swedish Work Environment Agency carried out an inspection of the company where it was found that there was “a mistrust of employees towards management and owners”.

As a measure, the Swedish Work Environment Authority required that managers be trained on how to prevent abusive discrimination, including by bringing in outside help to deal with problems.

Founder and Executive Vice President Gudrun Sodén herself did not participate in the inspection, but according to the Swedish Work Environment Agency, Sjödén was expected to play a different role within the company in the future.

Retired after 50 years – moves to New York

On Instagram, Gudrun Sjödén wrote that she is now leaving the company after 50 years and moving to New York to become a freelancer. According to the publication, the reason behind the announcement was Expressen’s review, which it called a “media attack”.

“Now I turn the page – as it is called – and go forward from a different horizon,” Gudrun Sjödén wrote on her Instagram.

The clothing brand Gudrun Sjödén is second only to H&M, one of Sweden’s largest fashion exporters, with an annual turnover of SEK 870 million. Today, clothes are sold in more than 70 countries and they have their own stores in seven different countries, including the USA, Great Britain, Germany and the Nordic countries.