Copenhagen in the summer sun is hard to beat. “It doesn’t feel like work,” said one editor attending the fashion week there. Indeed there were lots of celebrations, brand dinners, Saks Potts’s 10th anniversary “wedding” party, Netflix and Vogue Scandinavia’s Emily in Paris in Copenhagen glamorous shindig. And Caro Editions surprised everyone by changing her presentation into the week’s most charming show. Of course, there was plenty of action on the runways and at the presentations that were new to the calendar this year. Bonnetje recreated an airport maze with retractable belt stanchions, this spoke to the endless rush of modern life.
The majority of clothes shown at Copenhagen Fashion Week are meant for an active life; yes, for bicycling, but also for school pick-up and for kicking up your heels in. The lifestyle connection is very strong, but the idea that Danish (and to some extent Scandinavian) fashion is minimal by default is to ignore the local fashion history, and deny the changes happening all around. (Di)visions’s plush-toy coat is as Danish as Skall Studio’s perfect trench coat. Nicklas Skovgaard’s pouf shapes have inspired many ballooning silhouettes; that’s a nice kind of inflation. The student shows were full of colorful, expressive designs as well.
In the face of socio-political and economic uncertainties, many brands played it pretty safe. The no-pants look was everywhere, but we’ve been there, done that trend. People do seem to justify buying jeans, and there was a wide variety of options, rather than a predominant fit. Almost all of the trends that were present in resort were also served up in Denmark, but with that special local charm that has made “I left my heart in Copenhagen” a popular T-shirt slogan.
