Copenhagen has something magical. Every corner of the street makes you want to stop and take a photograph to capture the beauty in an interesting mix of both historical and contemporary architecture. And when looking away from the buildings, there’s still enough to see that’s pleasing to the eye – it only takes a few minutes in this city to realise that the Danes have style.
Spread over four days, the A/W 2017 edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week included 31 shows, and together with the trade fairs CIFF and Revolver they represented more than 2000 Danish and international fashion brands. All shows were divided over different locations, adding up to the concept and vision of the designers. We took the opportunity to learn how Scandinavians spot trends and create beautiful collections, and we were once again convinced of why Denmark deserves to be internationally known as design nation.
The first designer we mention will not only be highlighted because of her beautiful collection, but also because of the remarkable venue where the clothes were shown. Freya Dalsjø chose the classical Hotel D’Angleterre to contrast with her vision on the definition of beauty. Asymmetrical garments, square pointed shoulders and a difference in rose pink and earthly brown colour patterns were worn by a range of unusual models, which clearly communicated the message Freya wants to bring across – her designs are for everybody.
The first designer we mention will not only be highlighted because of her beautiful collection, but also because of the remarkable venue where the clothes were shown. Freya Dalsjø chose the classical Hotel D’Angleterre to contrast with her vision on the definition of beauty. Asymmetrical garments, square pointed shoulders and a difference in rose pink and earthly brown colour patterns were worn by a range of unusual models, which clearly communicated the message Freya wants to bring across – her designs are for everybody.
Han Kjøbenhavn’s show can better be described as a performance, and maybe one of the most memorable of this year’s fashion week. It started with four men standing on a gallow with nooses around their neck; during the finale, the models came to a stop to look at how the men were hung. The room filled with silence. About a minute later, the audience started to applaud for – what you’d almost forget – the collection that contained many wearable items. Quality fabrics in wool, tweed, cotton and denim were combined with graphics and sewn-on badges, creating strong looks that completely fit in the surrounding of what was shown.
If we would have to pick the leading designer of Northern Europe, then it would most probably be Henrik Vibskov. With many interesting collections on his name and currently being the only Scandinavian designer on the official show schedule of Paris Men’s Fashion Week, it is save to say he belongs to the top of Denmark’s fashion designers. Yet again, he delivered a great and meaningful show, with in the collection oversized shapes, loose striped suits, heavy denim, interesting embroideries and models that were all provided with a finishing touch, showing that every detail was thought through.
Munthe is another designer that chose the perfect setting to showcase her A/W 2017 collection. The show started off with six young skaters doing their thing in Copenhagen Skate Park, followed up by a model wearing the already well-known ‘O.K. so I lied’ t-shirt that exactly describes the vibe of the collection. Confident models owned the catwalk in wearable designs that were mostly in white, navy and red colours.
‘Luxury sportswear’ might be the best way to describe Astrid Andersen’s collection. And when realising that it is her first time in womenswear, it is even more admirable how the designer creates casual elegance, combining modern urban life with aspects of luxuriant eras. Materials like velvet, lace and corduroy, shown in gold, navy and aubergine colours, came together in a beautiful collection that really does seem comfortable to wear.
Compared to the other designers in this list, newcomer Lærke Andersen had a rather different way to show her Pre-Fall 2017 collection. Via a projected video on the wall, the audience was introduced to functional designs with simple shapes made out of interesting materials retrieved from work – and sportswear. Lærke seeks to erase the boundaries between femininity and masculinity and perfectly set the tone for her collection by showcasing it in an intimate venue, supported by the music of Molina.
