Uncut Insights from Copenhagen Fashion Week: An Editor's Personal Account of Scandinavian Style
Copenhagen Fashion Week and CIFF: A Scandinavian Fashion Spectacle
Copenhagen, Denmark, played host to two of Europe's most influential fashion events: Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) and Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF). These biannual events, held around early August, showcased seasonal collections, emerging trends, and notable Scandinavian and international brands.
At CIFF, buyers, editors, and creatives gathered to discover the next big thing. Brands like Lovechild 1979, Sisters Point, and Pico Copenhagen, known for their Nordic minimalism combined with bold design elements, featured prominently. Emphasis on new talent discovery and sustainability steered recent CIFF editions, with curated selections focusing on future-facing concepts and Scandinavian craftsmanship.
Trends highlighted during these events included statement accessories, Scandinavian minimalism, and sustainable fashion approaches, with distinctive bags and jewelry from brands like Pico Copenhagen taking centre stage.
Meanwhile, at CPHFW, Ana Escalante, an award-winning journalist and Gen Z editor known for her sharp takes on fashion and culture, attended the events. She started her day at 10 a.m with a press appointment at Stine Goya, Ragbag, and Tekla. Later, she covered the anticipated Birrot collection unveiling at 1 p.m. The collection, themed around South Korean influences, featured a muted color palette with pops of pink and sporty jackets, genie pants.
Ana also attended the Caro Editions show, which focused on the love story between its founders. New Balance collaborated with Caro Editions on taupe-colored, suede 204L sneakers adorned with charms and bows.
The evening saw Apollo Bar hosting an after-party co-hosted by Mulberry, while Lié Studio, a Danish jewelry company founded by models, muses, and twins Amalie and Cecilie Moosgaard, showcased their creations.
As the day ended at 9 p.m, Ana marked the end of fashion week at Esmée, a favourite restaurant in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, brands like Skall, known for its feminine fabrics and airy silhouettes, and Sea, a New York-based brand, hosted dinners to celebrate their new pop-ups in the city.
CIFF hosts over 1000 brands twice a year, making it a hub for fashion enthusiasts. The events have evolved historically to not only serve as trade fairs but also as platforms for sustainability dialogues, innovation in fashion, and supporting Copenhagen's reputation in the global fashion scene.
Street style during Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) and CIFF mirrors the unique fusion of Scandinavian lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, and travel. Whether it's the bold designs of emerging brands like Lovechild 1979, Sisters Point, and Pico Copenhagen at CIFF or the South Korean-inspired Birrot collection showcased at CPHFW, these events celebrate both established and new talent.
