From the moment I discovered Maria Nila Stockholm in April 2018, I've been entranced by Scandinavian beauty. My introduction to the Nordic region’s reigning aesthetic—“minimalist, clean lines, simplicity, and an effortlessly chic quality,” per celebrity hairstylist Marc Mena—by way of its Oribe equivalent also made me pay closer attention to Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Each January and August, the event’s street style doubles as my bi-annual download on the next major hair trends. Copenhagen is considered the official kickoff to fashion month internationally. It's the style capital of the Nordics, and it’s as renowned for its experimental, expressive street style as its women-first designs on the runways.
On and off the catwalk, “Scandinavians have always been ahead of the curve,” Mena tells me. And for the Spring/Summer 2025 shows this week, they doubled down on the maximalist hair accessory trend.
“Scrunchies and hair claws are pretty common in New York or Paris,” senior fashion and beauty news editor Halie LeSavage says. “But at Copenhagen Fashion Week, they’re an unofficial requirement for entry to the shows. I lost count of how many I saw this season before the first day even ended—and they definitely followed a ‘bigger is better’ styling mantra.”
Whether insiders were sitting front-row at Gestuz’s glamour-rock runway or flouncing by a cozy Cecilie Bahnsen breakfast, their loose waves were accented by jumbo rosettes and super-sized bows. Ponytails at Saks Pott’s tenth birthday party were adorned with ribbons or metal cuffs (or both at once). Scrunchies the size of my face were everyone’s plus-ones, from the Mark Kenly Domino Tan minimalists to the Caro Editions cool girls. And all week long, It girls fastened the infamous jewel-encrusted claw clips hailing from Copenhagen’s Pico store into their hair.
These accessories pull off a pretty impressive balancing act. They're capable of polishing a rather undone hairstyle, infusing a bright pop of color or a bit of personality into an otherwise streamlined look. At the same time, they’re a pretty, lazy girl hair hack: It only takes seconds to pin a rosette into a bun, after all.
The maximalist hair accessory trend might have originated abroad, but it has worldwide potential. Read on for inspiration straight from the streets of Copenhagen Fashion Week and to shop some of the best over-the-top hair accessories available stateside.
Copenhagen Fashion Week Hair Accessory Inspiration
Super Scrunchies
The scrunchies at Copenhagen Fashion Week bear no resemblance to those of the early aughts. These are five times the size.
Front row guests tied scrunchies in every color of the rainbow into their up-dos this season. Crochet, satin, and micropleated versions also appeared in droves across the shows—and when insiders wanted to let their hair down, they wore their scrunchies like fluffy bangle bracelets. To follow their leads, loop a scrunchie on top of a low ponytail and loose waves to lean into a girly aesthetic. Or, let it serve as a nice juxtaposition against a slicked-back bun.
Bubble Bows
Why wear one hairstyle when you could wear two? Copenhagen Fashion Week's maximalist hair trend was as much about the styling as the size of the accessory. This mixed-and-matched pigtail moment was one of many that played up intentional asymmetry for the good of the 'gram. Other guests fastened barrettes down a single side of their part or interspersed their cascading waves with mini braids at random intervals.
Cool-Girl Claw Clips
It might sound like an exaggeration to declare claw clip styling options are endless. But at Copenhagen Fashion Week, they were styled in every configuration under the Danish sun: half-up, half-down, chignons, twists, buns—I could go on. The sidewalks displayed no shortage of colors, shapes, or designs, either. So many editors wore iridescent resin filled with confetti-colored glitter and rainbow-hued butterfly wing clips, they looked like a neutral by the end of the week. Of course, some guests also stayed true to their Scandi minimalist roots with clear, black, and bronze clips. Back home in the States, you can't go wrong either way.
Mixed Mediums
Mena recommends ponytails as a way to "create a chic and playful look when you’re under a time crunch"—like, say, dashing between shows during Copenhagen Fashion Week. All four days of programming were a parade of ponytails: some slicked back and perched at the crown of a guest's head, some tied low with soft curtain bangs, all with either a bow, headband, or cuff as an extra element. If you want to take a page out of the Scandi playbook, mix metals with velvet ribbons or silky scrunchies.
Tied Up Tresses
Ribbons certainly reached their peak popularity in 2023, but they have more staying power than the girlhood aesthetic trend would have you believe. Rather than the silky pinks of the past, street style in Copenhagen introduced neutral crochets and plaid-patterned bows.
The variations in color and texture cropping up on the sidewalks hinted at a ribbon evolution on the runway, according to senior editor Halie LeSavage. Bows branched out from their coquette associations when they were tied to slicked-back pigtails (at Munthe) and styled with athletic draped jersey dresses (at ÓperaSport).
Floral Fascinators
One huge takeaway from Copenhagen Fashion Week: Stop and wear the roses. Dainty rosettes added sweet sophistication to looped braids, straight ponytails, and half-up, half-down hairstyles. Designers including Caro Editions and Saks Potts used to produce runway-approved takes; a few seasons later, rosette claws and clips are available at stores all over the city—and the world.
