New ways forward: A preview of Copenhagen Fashion Week SS25

Change is one of the defining characteristics of fashion, yet its various, simultaneous evolutions proceed at different velocities. Another round of musical chairs in the industry means that human-resources departments, for example, are currently in overdrive. Adjustments are also happening apace in Copenhagen, where Fashion Week will kick off next week. The first place that’s apparent is on the calendar; other shifts are more difficult to track as they are broader and more related to the times than the catwalk.

Among the themes that have emerged from conversations with (mostly newish, independent) Danish labels is a desire to find fresh ways to exist that break with the formulaic brand wireframe. In many cases this means eliminating or downsizing the role of wholesale in the business plan, as is the case at (Di)vision and Caro Editions. The upside is that the designers are able to spend more time doing the work they love; fashion now is community-driven, and focusing on DTC gives designers access to their people – and in real time. Both (Di)vision and Stel (the highly anticipated new brand from Astrid Andersen) will make their collections immediately available for purchase. Technically the idea is see-now, buy-now, but that term fails to capture the impetus, emotion, or philosophy behind these moves.

Like Andersen, many designers are also thinking about designing on a continuum, a word I prefer over wardrobing with its connotations of containment. Andersen is numbering her collections, with the idea that they will accumulate like an interchangeable set (stel) of objects over time, linked by aesthetics and functionality more than seasonality.

Recommended: Copenhagen Fashion Week teams up with Berlin Fashion Week to accelerate sustainability efforts

You’d be hard-pressed, however, to find a Scandinavian designer immune to weather conditions. This is because of the extreme fluctuations of light, the amount of time spent outside, and Mother Nature’s moodiness. “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes” is a popular expression in the region. It’s not that newness or trendiness isn’t important in the Nordics; rather, functionality (as a concept and practice) is a key value. Another is broader access to good design, a sort of marriage of Bauhaus and democratic ideas.

Another invisible force that has long operated in the Nordics is the ethos of Janteloven, which prioritizes conformity and fitting in. In the past this has enabled the sweeping adoption of individual trends, such as the Ganni Girl look, a brilliant marketing strategy that had legs. Yet I wonder if such a hegemony is a thing of the past. It’s generally held that Danish fashion (Henrik Vibskov, Stine Goya, Helmstedt) is more vibrant and bohemian than the polished, clean lines of Swedish design (Toteme, House of Dagmar, BITE Studios, Blank Atelier, etc.), but that is changing. I’ve noticed the scene in Copenhagen becoming more minimal and hard-edged.

Recommended: What 3 fashion insiders are packing for Copenhagen Fashion Week

It makes sense that the city that hosts the Copenhell rock and metal music festival would also produce clothes that contrast with the predominant shiny, happy vibe. Han Kjøbenhavn and Fine Chaos represent that aesthetic. There’s also been a groundswell of interest in brands that hew closer to more traditional minimalism, including Mark Kenly Domino Tan, The Garment, Herskind, and Remain. The important takeaway is that brands represent a variety of approaches: boho, emo, clean-lined, the list goes on. Like everything else, this expansion is abetted by digital communication, but it is also representative of generational and societal change. “Copenhagen’s become a more diverse city, so there’s room for more types of people, different ways of dressing,” observes Remain designer Martin Asbjørn. And fashion is the better for it. Ahead of what promises to be a full and varied week, here are some highlights.

Reading the schedule reminded me of playing Whac-a-Mole at Tivoli; for nearly every local label not showing on the schedule (including Ganni, Stine Goya, and Helmstedt), there’s one that’s returning to the fold after a break, such as A. Roege Hove (artful, no-waste knitwear), Berner Kühl (austere menswear), and (Di)vision. Astrid Andersen’s Stel is a hyped new entry.

Copenhagen Fashion Week makes such good use of the city that it has become the main protagonist in the goings-on. There seem to be endless interesting locations, and designers are taking full advantage of them. Inspired by this summer of sports and how sports unite people and nations, Baum und Pferdgarten has collaborated with the Copenhagen football club B.93 to show at Østerbro Stadium. Skall Studio will return to a garden, and Alectra Rothschild/Masculina is showing outdoors in an industrial setting. NB: Pack sunscreen as well as a raincoat and umbrella.

CPHFW is soon to turn 20; some brands that have grown up with it are celebrating milestones of their own. Skall Studio is 10, but sister founders Julie and Marie Skall aren’t feeling nostalgic. “We are very much always moving forward,” said Julie. “We feel like, okay, we can call ourselves a fashion house now because this anniversary is a milestone. And we have in some ways proved our point. We are very true to who we are and the style we love and put into the brand.” Saks Potts’s Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts, also marking their first decade, will host an all-night bash at the red-roof Swiss embassy, which boasts an ocean view. It’s located in the suburb of Hellerup, where the best friends once held part-time jobs. Munthe, meanwhile, is marking three decades in business with a display of the many facets of Naja Munthe’s creativity. Using flowers from her own garden, the designer is creating an artful installation, the making of which has been documented, along with other aspects of the brand, in a souvenir book.

Recommended: Copenhagen Fashion Week SS25: Everything to know about the line-up

Copenhagen Fashion Week is a regional event that uses its platform to support responsible design. To the credit of the Danish Fashion Institute, the sustainability requirements it has implemented have started to be adopted by other cities, even as the Danish capital itself has become a destination for global talents. Paolina Russo and Lucile Guilmard came to Denmark as winners of the Zalando Visionary Award last year. Up next is Sinéad O’Dwyer, an Irish designer focused on size and gender inclusivity. Hopping over from London, with the support of CPHFW’s One to Watch initiative, is Sól Handsdóttir, an Icelandic designer who has a multimedia presentation planned. Joao Maraschin, the first Brazilian semifinalist of the LVMH Prize, will also present his line in Denmark. Known for his prints and surface treatments, Maraschin has chosen the vast Copenhagen Skatepark as the setting for a collection he describes as “blend[ing] tailoring with intricate handmade pieces in distinctly street style silhouettes.”

Martin Asbjørn made his debut at Remain Birger Christensen last season with a sophisticated, sensually minimal collection constructed from fabrics with a luxe look. The rigor of the lineup was refreshing, as was the fact that it felt distinctively womanly. Having apprenticed with a tailor and launched a namesake men’s line, Asbjørn is someone who can make a garment from start to finish and he’s obsessed with fit. This syncs nicely with the brand proposition, which is to provide “elevated basics at the right price in a beautiful quality—something that you would keep.” Look for some ’80s body-con references in the new collection.

Recommended: How Birger Christensen Collective is supporting the next generation of fashion talent

That sustainability is not linked to one particular aesthetic will be demonstrated by Danish brands (Di)vision and Bonnetje. Both are focused on responsible design but to opposite ends. After a few seasons’ break, (Di)vision’s Simon Wick is back on the runway and leaning into a scrappy DIY look he describes as “fairy grunge.” Bonnetje’s Anna Myntekæby and Yoko Maja Hansen have returned to the calendar with sexed-up looks built using elements of a corporate men’s wardrobe. Both brands have shared sneak peeks above.

A collaborative spirit is one of the defining characteristics of Scandinavian fashion. You can see that in the number of brands that are cofounded as well as in other kinds of pairings. As Luke Leitch reported in Vogue Business, A$AP Nast will style Astrid Andersen’s Stel debut. Nicklas Skovgaard will continue working with Britt Liberg. And at Yours Truly by Peter Jensen, a project-based collection launched in 2020, the designer has brought in the incomparable illustrator, designer, and one-time Louis Vuitton collaborator Julie Verhoeven and her friend the photographer Annie Collinge. They have styled his designs in a series of videos and images of models who look a bit like Edith Sitwell, the English poet.

Recommended: Heading to CPHFW? These are the best vintage treasure troves to visit

Print is not dead. To bring attention to emerging talent, the creative agency Moon reanimated its dormant magazine Space and assigned six favorite photographers to shoot the work of one of six brands: Ester Manas, Johanna Parv, Paolina Russo, Soulland, Sunflower, and Yolanda Zobel. The result is a single magazine with six different covers. And between prepping the next drop of their magazine Issueissue, cofounders Freja Wewer and William Becker have curated an exhibition for Icelandic shoe brand Kalda, known for its pointed-toe designs.

Cult Danish brand Mfpen will celebrate its first store with a block party that is sure to be rocking. Founder Sigurd Bank has often likened the label to an indie band. Also of note is La Bagatelle, on the calendar for the first time, located on a charming street, Værnedamsvej in Frederiksberg, that’s known as Little Paris.