Highlights from Copenhagen Fashion Week
To those outside the immediate vicinity of Scandinavia, Copenhagen Fashion Week is something of an attractive mystery. Whereas the Swedish proudly and successfully export their products (ABBA, Ikea, Acne), Denmark tends to keep to itself, grounded by its infamous Jante Law (an egalitarian social order designed to keep egos in check). In the international arts, Denmark remains forever a dark horse, a cipher, a secret weapon. They like it that way.
Then again, how could a city long renowned by aesthetes for its art and design standards produce anything less than impressive fashion? Though not as widely known as the Big Four of fashion weeks – New York, London, Milan and Paris – Danish fashion shows are closely watched by industry insiders and combed for clues on changing tides in style and attitude. Brands like Stine Goya, Henrik Vibskov and Wood Wood have become major players in the American and international markets, while many others we saw at the recent Copenhagen Fashion Week seem well on their way to joining them. Danish designers have also emerged as tastemakers in the music scene, with singers like Rihanna and Lady Gaga regularly sporting looks from the Copenhagen avant-garde.
We saw our share of those invigorating, super-directional ideas at Copenhagen’s recent spring shows, but we also encountered the modern, sleek minimalism traditionally associated with Nordic design and found those looks eminently wearable. Asger Juel Larsen, Anne Sofie Madsen and Soulland seem poised to become new favorites; expect to see their names pop up in editorials and on “edgy” musicians and actors before long. What goes down Copenhagen catwalks in August tends to augur September trends around the world, so consider what you see in our Copenhagen Fashion Week highlights gallery something of a preview of the entire Spring 2013 mood.
Check out our Best of Copenhagen Fashion Week gallery here.