3 designers we're welcoming back to this Copenhagen Fashion Week

Copenhagen Fashion Week has grown its international reach exponentially over the last few years, in part thanks to cult Scandi brands like Ganni, Cecilie Bahnsen and Saks Potts. An increasing focus on supporting emerging designers – including via its NewTalent initiative – also means that a whole raft of buzzy new brands are being put in front of a global audience.

In recent seasons, though, we’ve seen some much-lauded names drop off the schedule, amidst a challenging retail landscape. After its viral autumn/winter '23 show, (Di)vision – which was founded by brother-and-sister duo Simon and Nanna Wick in 2018 and has been championed by the likes of Kendall Jenner – decided to sit out the past two seasons, in order to recalibrate. “It’s just been a difficult time for a lot of brands, including us,” Simon, the brand’s creative director, tells Vogue. “We needed some time to really figure out who we are and get back to [our] roots.”

For young designers, navigating the wholesale model is a major challenge. On the one hand, being picked up by a stockist can help increase the visibility of a brand. But it usually requires the designer to front up the costs of materials and manufacturing, which can create cash flow issues for those starting out – considering that orders aren’t usually paid until months later. “Stores not paying, or not paying on time, had the biggest impact on us,” Wick continues, adding that it’s why (Di)vision has decided to stop selling wholesale, and instead focus on its direct-to-consumer business. “We wanted to take control back."

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Retailers not paying up was one of the reasons that Amalie Røge Hove was forced to close her eponymous brand, A Roege Hove, last October. “We had some really big retailers owing us money, and even closing down afterwards,” the designer says. Now relaunching her label with new investors on board, Røge Hove is keen to both diversify the brand’s stockists, and grow its own sales channels, too. “We’re trying to do things a bit more carefully, and not put all our eggs in one [basket],” she continues.

Of course, young designers don’t typically leave fashion school with the business know-how required to keep a brand afloat – something that Swedish designer Jade Cropper discovered, following her buzzy Copenhagen Fashion Week debut in 2022. Although schemes like the NewTalent programme offer mentorship in these areas, along with monetary support, there’s often a period for young designers when they’re not newbies anymore, yet are still trying to establish their brands. “It’s very challenging,” reflects Cropper, whose sultry designs have been worn by the likes of Gigi Hadid, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. “You have to figure out the production, sourcing, marketing, sales, administration – it’s a lot.”

Given the cost of putting on a show, it’s easy to see why rising brands are choosing not to show every season – doing it only when it makes sense for the business (in London, the likes of Conner Ives and Chopova Lowena only show once a year). “Because we’ve not been selling wholesale, it didn’t really make sense for us to show,” Wick says. It’s why the brand has decided to unveil a see-now-buy-now collection this season, comprising one-off upcycled pieces. “It’s more for our community and people that follow the brand,” the designer adds.

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For Røge Hove, staging a show this season was important as her label enters its new chapter. “We decided on [doing] this show as the best way of showing the brand coming back,” she explains. Considering the designer’s signature stretchy knits look completely different on the body, as opposed to the hanger, being able to see them on a diverse range of models helps bring her designs to life. “There is something quite special about doing a show moment, seeing things in motion,” she adds.

Similarly, Cropper has decided to hold a presentation instead of a runway show this season, in a bid to highlight the multi-functionality of her designs. “Every piece in this collection is changeable – for example, a jacket becomes a bag, or a dress becomes a coat and top,” she explains. “That’s why I thought the presentation was the best way to show this.”

In many ways, this season of Copenhagen Fashion Week is about going back to basics for these designers – and not necessarily feeling pressured to follow a set path forward. “I’m super excited to be back,” Wick says.