In Copenhagen, a New Look and New Guard – WWD

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The old system has gone out the window and the guard has changed. 

This was the overarching theme during the latest iteration of Copenhagen Fashion Week, which, in a moment of serendipity, got to welcome international press and buyers just as the Danish government announced the lifting of all COVID-19 related restrictions. 

The mood was celebratory — handshakes, hugs and even late-night parties were back in full force — but change was also in the air, along with a feeling that nothing would ever be quite the same again.

It came from seeing some of the city’s biggest names, from Ganni to Rotate, choosing to skip the catwalk in favor of more democratic, digital presentations and a conviction to continue running their businesses on their own terms — and timelines — post-pandemic.

But there was still plenty to see on the runway, including an array of fledgling designers, from local label (Di)vision to Swedish up-and-comer Jade Cropper. They are coming onto the fashion scene with a global outlook from the get-go and an edgier look that’s very much aligned with the TikTok-approved Y2K aesthetic.

Their influence is clearly trickling down to the street style scene, which put the Danish capital in the international spotlight to begin with. The changing of the guard was clear across the streets and front rows this season: Candy colors, Instagram influencers and all things saccharine were replaced by a new generation of creatives with a flair for darker, austere silhouettes; ’90s sunglasses worn indoors; balaclavas, and the latest sneaker drops.

Danish fashion figures, both new and established, seem up for the change, showing unanimous support for the new talent on the calendar while having open conversations about the work that still needs to be done to make fashion less wasteful and more equitable, and grounding their aesthetics to suit the new climate. It’s this embrace of the future that’s giving Copenhagen Fashion Week lasting power, and slowly but surely establishing the city as “the fifth fashion capital” — as Swiss native and Browns buying director Ida Petersson put it.

One of the hottest tickets of the week was knitwear specialist and Cecilie Bahnsen alumnus A. Roege Hove.

For her second show, Copenhagen native Amalie Roege Hove staged an intimate runway show in the city’s famous Christiania region, showing evolved versions of her signature knits, loosely draped around the body, cut in just the right places, and stretching to fit all body types.

“I get inspiration by how the pieces fit different bodies. I find it so beautiful that the knit can adapt depending on the shape of the wearer’s body,” said the young designer, who offers her signature ribbed knits across two sizes intended to fit a range of sizes.

Her approach to knitwear felt fresh and the products had commercial legs while still offering a more directional point of view — something the city, best known for its contemporary offering, has lacked.

(Di)vision, too, with its alien-themed collection of patchwork leather trenches, split bomber jackets and fierce minidresses, added a needed spirit of experimentation to the city’s lineup. 

These brands presented their new collections on people of varying ages, genders and sizes — casting friends, team members and a more diverse set of models. It felt like second nature to these young designers rather than a tick-box exercise.

At Ganni’s “Love Forever” digital presentation there was also an array of body types dancing in the brand’s new fall range, from pop star Jada to her backup dancers and models. Ditto for Soulland, which makes a point to do its casting in-house and tap people from its own communities or Instagram before reaching out to traditional modeling agencies; and Saks Potts, which showed its new, more grounded aesthetic on mostly friends and colleagues.

“It’s such a different cast of girls. The atmosphere here feels like an airport, with people coming in from all over the world, each with their own personality. We don’t want to show a group who all feel like they have to look the same to feel they can belong,” said Catherine Saks, pointing to the brand’s more practical approach to clothing, with leather separates or hunting-inspired tweed tailoring that busy women, like herself, can live in — and in true Danish style, ride their bikes in. She added that U.S. and U.K. buyers have been responding well to the new direction, during last week’s sales campaign.

There was a focus on up-and-coming talent throughout the schedule of shows and events. The Designers’ Nest showcase highlighted a group of young talent and named three winners who will go on to receive cash prizes and mentorship. Designer Boram Yoo took home the grand prize of 50,000 Danish krona with a collection that explored the history of forced labor uniforms in Korea.

Frederik Taus, who stood out for his playful approach and vibrant colors, won the Browns Fashion Award and will be stocked at the London boutique, as well as receive the added benefits of mentorship and a full pre-payment on the order. Rintaro Lino was another winner, picked by Trussardi creative directors Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Işik of GmbH for the internship award. He will work alongside the duo on Trussardi’s relaunch.

Copenhagen Fashion Week also celebrated a new partnership with the Swedish Fashion Council, an incubator for young talent. Jade Cropper, who is part of the program, made her debut this season and caught the eye of international attendees for her grungy take on glamour, all about dangerously high slits, vintage-style denim and fierce leather looks. Her Y2K aesthetic might have been familiar, but she offered a fresh perspective by presenting it on women of all ages.

“It’s a new era for us and we want to keep this dialogue going between Denmark and Sweden,” said Copenhagen Fashion Week chief executive officer Cecilie Thorsmark, at a dinner held at the Swedish Embassy to celebrate the partnership between the two countries’ fashion industries and local talent like Cropper.  

The new blood might have been the talk of the town, but that’s not to say that the city’s mainstays are out of the picture. Even if many of the major names sat the season out or focused on digital presentations, they have been working to evolve their designs for the post-pandemic era and plotting major global expansion plans behind the scenes.

Danish fashion darling Cecilie Bahnsen, for one, is preparing for her big Paris catwalk debut but made her presence felt in the city with the launch of the photography book she has been working on with Japan-based Takashi Homma and a dinner held with Danish jeweler Sophie Bille Brahe, where guests wore her romantic puff-sleeve dresses with Bille Brahe’s signature pearls and ate oysters and lobster pasta under candlelight. 

Remain was also forging ahead with its sales campaign and said it’s on track to double its revenues, carving a clear niche with its competitive price points and high-quality leather separates that come in a mix of neutrals and more trendy, bright colors. Sister label Rotate — which started with a small dress capsule a mere three years ago — is now entering new markets like Russia and India, extending its offer to swim and bridalwear, and plotting a global partnership with Havaianas.

Samsøe Samsøe, which has tapped designer Meme Fagiuoli as its new creative director, is plotting new store openings in Paris and the U.S. for later in the year, as well as an expansion into accessories, in a bid to continue the brand’s growth trajectory. According to the company’s CEO Peter Sextus, the last two decades saw Samsøe Samsøe grow from a 1.5 million euro business to a 140 million euro turnover recorded in this financial year.

As for Stine Goya, she was back on the official schedule after a brief hiatus and showed one of her most confident collections to date — aligned with the brand’s ambitious expansion goals in the U.K. and the U.S.

Acknowledging the changed landscape without letting go of her flair for bright colors and even brighter patterns, Goya offered loose tailoring in bold primary colors; a charming new hobo bag design; as well as cool puffers and tracksuits that will likely grab the attention of the younger generation who are now setting the fashion agenda.

Baum und Pferdgarten, one of the most established names in the Danish scene, was also feeling confident and upbeat, offering one of their most directional collections to date, juxtaposing traditional puffers and technical garments in glossy reds and pinks, with more delicate sequins, transparent fabrics and funky miniskirts that had a whiff of Miu Miu but were nonetheless charming.

“We just want to offer special pieces. In reality, nobody needs more clothes, so we are thinking about longevity and the sustainability aspect more than ever,” said Baum designers Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave backstage.

Longevity and elevating the quality of garments was a running theme for many of Copenhagen’s established names, who are now expanding their design teams with more international talent and looking to complement their existing contemporary collections with more elevated, design-led pieces.

Influencer and designer Sophia Roe was all about stepping away from ephemeral social media trends and offering seasonless staples for her new label, The Garment, with a fall collection of androgynous pinstripe tailoring; elegant silk blouses, and tweed separates. “We’ve grown up with midcentury furniture and all these classic pieces that stay with us for generations. I wanted to bring the same approach to clothing,” added Roe, whose new line is being picked up by the likes of Ssense, Luisa Via Roma and The Frankie Shop.

Oslo, Norway-based Holzweiler was one of the most successful in this quest for elevation, adding hand-painted prints, heat-reactive fabrics and one-of-a-kind leather pieces, treated to have a worn, vintage effect.

“We are at a place where we can do more exclusive pieces and make a statement that we want to create these more expensive, special products rather than go too wide and go down on the quality,” said the label’s designer Maria Skappel Holzweiler, adding that the brand still wants to hold on to its open, democratic approach by offering its customers the chance to rent runway samples for a fraction of the retail price.

“We are heavily investing in our design and technical teams to elevate everything we have done in the past and showcase the future with more technical fabrics and exclusive pieces,” she added, pointing to new-season knits that were strategically torn to feel well-loved and almost pre-used. “We want to promote this idea that used items still have value and inspire our audience to find beauty in their worn-out items or try to give them new life. It’s important to think that way when designing for the future.”