If Copenhagen Fashion Week has grown a reputation for being one of the most conscious showcases on the annual schedule with its reputable 18-point sustainability criteria and its egalitarian ethos, then this season the organisers made a point of acknowledging it. In her opening speech for Copenhagen Fashion Week A/W 2024, the fashion council’s CEO Cecilie Thorsmark told attendees that against a backdrop of war and political division, the fashion community should be ‘remind[ed] that democracy is not to be taken for granted. In this super scary context, to put it straight, let’s all remind ourselves that from our privileged ground in this industry, we must make the most of our voice, and the most of our platforms for something better.
‘Many of us in our industry, […] have such loyal communities who listen and take inspiration from us,’ she continued. ‘So, we need to take that opportunity and make ourselves heard and push for change. Whether we push for a better climate, peace, more diversity and inclusion, political stability, or the safeguarding of our democracy.’
Of the 29 brands on the schedule, a handful so far are carrying the same message (see: Alectra Rothschild / Masculina, Stamm and Henrik Vibskov) and were the most successful for it. Elsewhere, the absence of megabrand Ganni (which opted to support young brands including Nicklas Skovgaard, Sarah Brunnhuber, and Alectra Rothschild this season) put the spotlight on its fellow experts in contemporary wardrobing, for which this Nordic showcase remains famed. Stine Goya, Munthe and OpéraSport all got the memo, presenting collections that found a point of difference when it comes to originality and, crucially, retail positioning.
Here, in an ongoing round-up, we report on the best of Copenhagen Fashion Week A/W 2024.
The best of Copenhagen Fashion Week A/W 2024
Nicklas Skovgaard
Last season’s wunderkind (among Wallpaper’s fashion designers to watch in 2024) returned for his sophomore collection with a well-earned bounce in his step. Last season for his debut, Nicklas Skovgaard wowed the crowd with a collaborative avant-garde performance by Britt Liberg, who modelled the entire collection solo. This season, she was back to bring the drama with a group. Skovgaard has seen results and a growing fan base from and for his Victoriana-meets-1980s aesthetic. Here, he conjured Melanie Griffith in Working Girl by way of Bridgerton. Exaggerated shoulders (with pads, of course), pleated midi skirts, suede-insert leather bomber jackets and sequined funnel necks paved the way for leotards and tailcoats, the latter proving a winning combo. And, while Skovgaard once again showed his natural flair at igniting a mood and putting on a really good show, take away the styling – all backcombed hair-sprayed up-dos, white high heels, Flashdance shoulders, and leg warmers – and this was still a collection full of great clothes.
Won Hundred
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Won Hundred made a solid case for investing in truly excellent separates with its A/W 2024 collection. Having made its name as an expert in denim, founder and creative director Nikolaj Nielsen went into the archives ‘to reimagine iconic denim styles that were pivotal in our early years’, he said. This translated to the brand’s signature slim-fit jeans reworked in a looser silhouette by integrating panels from deadstock fabric and the debut of a unisex jean, the ‘Genoa’, straight cut with a subtle flare. Aside from the denim, material advancement was the story here: the leather was a hit, arriving in the kind of biker jackets one could happily live in and made from hardy Realgrade-certified leather sourced from New Zealand. Elsewhere, advances were made with its puffer jackets which have been crafted with 100 per cent recycled nylon and given a ‘Bionic-Finish Eco’ that imbues water resistance without chemical treatment. ‘We’ve taken time to understand what Won Hundred truly represents. Now, we’re ready to unleash the full potential of our work, channelling our collective experiences into [this] collection and drawing inspiration from the past two decades,’ says Nielsen.
Forza Collective
Having worked in the studios of Raf Simons, Christian Dior, Balmain, Lanvin and Theory, Forza Collective founder Kristoffer Guldager Kongshaug decided to make his own-brand debut in Copenhagen because his womenswear brand aligns with Danish values. ‘Quality, craftsmanship, longevity, responsibly sourced textiles and a love for natural products, community – through these values and by drawing on my experience from two very opposite cities in the world of fashion, Paris, and New York, I work to bring a new take on Scandinavian minimalism,’ he told Wallpaper*. For his show on Monday 29 January, the designer presented a tight offering that outlined his vision. Industrial-inspired dust coats and utilitarian dropped-waist dresses with PVC overlays contrasted with ruffled, picked denim and a series of quite dreamy corset dresses that had breastplate inserts and subtle cut-outs. The last he presented in nylon, as opposed to fabrics more frequently associated with the grandeur of eveningwear. ‘Something you usually think of as old and dusty suddenly gets a facelift and feels sporty and relevant,’ he explains. ’It suddenly feels very different and speaks to a different customer just by changing the fabric.’
Saks Potts
The it-girl favourite of the Copenhagen fashion scene, which captured a million hearts with its ‘Foxy’ coat, returned to fashion week with a collection that proved outerwear remains its USP. Here, jewel-toned puffer jackets, a panelled cow-hide coat and the ‘Foxy 2.0’ in leather and shearling were the highlights of a concise 14-look show. For the rest of its ready-to-wear, Kate Moss at Glastonbury circa 2003 was clearly on the moodboard here, with a replica look comprising a pink kaftan, low-slung belt and black suede boots. Elsewhere, the baseball T-shirts, satin slip dresses, and whipstitch leather trousers, all of which were worn with kitten heels, were classic Y2K-era styling, a look that is continuing to peak this season – if it hasn’t already done so.
Alectra Rothschild / Masculina
Making their debut at Copenhagen Fashion Week, Alectra Rothschild and her eponymous brand – Alectra Rothschild / Masculina – staged what was only the second show of the week but its energy is proving hard to beat. Bringing her friends and personal heroes together to model her collection, entitled ‘The Rebirth Carry’, Rothschild turned the catwalk into a club with the help of DJ G2G, who created the exclusive soundtrack to the show, featuring voiceovers from trans icons that played from the decks in the centre of the room. As soon as the first beat dropped, the runway came alive, as each model took a turn around the room and remained on the floor thereafter. A trained tailor, the CSM graduate’s own identity and influences shone here, from the captivating corsets that feature her ’zero-waste technique’ to fit a multitude of bodies to the undeniable impact of her former mentor Casey Cadwallader at Mugler. ‘I think what I just showcased here today is my culture, what I come from and the people I have around me are other people than what’s usually portrayed as Scandinavia. I think it’s time we showed other narratives,’ she said backstage.
Stay tuned for more from Copenhagen Fashion Week A/W 2024.
