HEADER IMAGE Baum und Pferdgarten finale by James Cochrane
I have publicly proclaimed my love for Copenhagen Fashion Week many times already, thanks to its industry-leading sustainable innovation, cohort of exceptional emerging talents, and laidback and welcoming atmosphere. This season was no exception, as international guests and Denmark’s native fashion crowd flocked to the Scandinavian fashion capital to enjoy more than 40 runway shows, events and parties packed into its compact 4-day schedule.
Aside from its daring designs and inspiring earth-consciousness, it was the glorious sunshine that took over SS25 season. Guests sat on the glistening waterside of The Opera Park for Monday’s opening show OpéraSport, then again for Zalando Visionary Award winner Sinead O’Dwyer on Wednesday, and again on Thursday for a colourful display at Marimekko. Danish natives Stamm took guests to a rooftop basketball court, Baum und Pferdgarten held the Office Olympics at Østerbro Stadium, and CPHFW New Talent recipient Nicklas Skovgaard’s cosy presentation at Brick Gallery spilled outside as guests basked in the sun-soaked streets.
Meanwhile, for Scandinavia’s grungier brands, we spent several days travelling back and forth from the city’s warehouse district, from Alectra Rothschild’s motorcycle-fuelled “Masculina” ball and Rolf Ekroth’s tribute to Finnish barn parties to Han Kjobenhavn’s surrealist club-kid runway, that saw models towering over guests on stilt-like shoes.
Below, see our favourite collections from Copenhagen Fashion Week SS25.
Rolf Ekroth
The CPHFW New Talent alumni has quickly become a fan-favourite among attendees for its modern interpretations of the designer’s Finnish heritage that are equal parts utilitarian and twee. For SS25, Ekroth was inspired by “lavatanssit” – traditional Finnish barn dances that date back to the 19th century – utilising the party’s typically earthy colour palettes and care-free attitudes.
Ekroth’s floral prints were particularly striking, as were a pair of denim jeans embroidered with 3D dandelions. However, it was the styling that particularly stood out as the collection embraced a playful mood, with handmade crochet accessories, a rainbow of suede Pumas paired with mis-matched glitter socks, and inflatable bags fashioned from life rings – a nod to how party-goers would arrive via boat.
Additionally, the designer debuted a jewellery collaboration with Finnish heritage jewellery brand Kalevala Koru. Designed by Ekroth, the jewellery functions as an earring, but was also styled playfully throughout the collection in scarves and adorning clothing.
Alectra Rothschild / Masculina
Powerful latex, olive-based leather and deadstock lace designs formed the base of Alectra Rothschild’s SS25 collection. In a love letter to the trans community, queer and trans models climbed up on scaffolding and rode motorcycles around the runway. The bustling crowds cheered as the models strutted their stuff, showing off their star power despite the extreme discrimination from society still found across Europe.
The collection was labelled as the third and final instalment of the designer’s trio of collections across SS24, AW24 and SS25 documenting her transition. Entitled “You are wasted here, You are a star”, this season’s collection focused on the hope of life post-transition. “We are wasted in this world because we are disproportionally experiencing extreme discrimination, homelessness, joblessness and violence for simply existing and obviously not appreciated for the Stars we are,” Alectra expressed.
Joao Maraschin
CPHFW New Talent designer Joao Maraschin’s third collection, entitled ‘Road Trip’, was a stand-out on the second day in Copenhagen. Having previously shown in London, the LCF alum is best known for his material textures and handcrafted techniques. For SS25, the Brazilian designer partnered with Unifi using recycled bottle fibre REPREVE for its “floating knit” capsule collection, and also collaborated with Lenzing and Canatiba using TENCELTM for its denim garments.
Handmade oversized pullovers were crafted in resined wool, handmade by artisans in Brazil using materials from Circulo. A significant amount of handcraft featured in the collection including macrame and crochet, but not like you’ve seen it before.
The collection’s colour palette of cobalt paired with fiery oranges and reds was striking on signature dresses, while the addition of hoodies and tracksuit bottoms in vibrant exquisite jacquards added an air of comfort and practicality. Cleverly, the brand brought a backpack from its AW24 collection ‘Home’ along for the road trip, combined with newly designed pieces found along the way.
Royal Danish Academy
Student graduate runways are a staple of a summer show schedule, but are known to be a fairly overwhelming undertaking to attend – exploring countless themes and ideas across 100s of mini-collections. This was not the case at The Royal Danish Academy MA fashion show, which boasted a modest class size of 14, with each designer showcasing five key looks.
Focusing on user understanding, identity and our emotional attachment to garments, the graduates displayed a holistic approach to a more sustainable fashion industry. Stand-out collections came from Japanese-Danish designer Mai Sakamoto, German-Danish designer Asger Beyer, Frederik Daugberg’s ‘Playground Love’ and Sarah Blicher Bek’s ‘Stay Soft’ collections, the latter of whom won the school’s Pandora contest examining the transformative power of cross-discipllinary cooperation between fashion and jewellery.
Stine Goya
Taking a break from the runway, for SS25 Stine Goya invited guests into its Copenhagen HQ for an intimate walk-through of the collection with Goya along with Head of Design, Jen Lee. The brand’s latest collection has been led by Goya’s manifesto: “Colours have always been at the core of my creativity. They define me as a designer and, in many ways, as a person… Colours are a palette of expression a tool to communicate and create interaction and individuality.”
There was no shortage of colour throughout the collection, from handpainted print tea dresses and blurred floral photo prints to blush pink shirts, periwinkle bow bags and a brat-approved lime leather coat. Lemon yellow also featured heavily throughout painted motifs, leather accessories and pipping found on camel-coloured suit separates, while marigolds served as inspiration for more prints and embroidery, providing the summery-est offering of the week.
Sinead O’Dwyer
Irish fashion designer Sinéad O’Dwyer welcomed a diverse cast of famous faces to her debut Copenhagen Fashion Week show in honour of her Zalando Visionary Award win. Models included musician Mahalia, model Alva Claire and blind activist and content creator Lucy Edwards who made history as the first blind model to walk the runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week and the first to walk for a British brand. For SS25, the models were dressed in O’Dwyer’s signature strappy bodysuits – including in brat green – as well as new denim designs.
This follows the designer’s revolutionary collaboration at London Fashion Week AW24 with Anna Cofone’s charity Hair & Care, inviting three blind and low-vision women to the show where they were able to get their hair done, experience the clothes through touch and then sit front row with audio descriptions of the looks created by Hair & Care, making it the first fashion show accessible for the blind and low-vision community.
Henrik Vibskov
Entitled ‘The Orchestra of the Soft Assistance’, Henrik Vibskov’s SS25 collection celebrated adaptability and explored how hands represent more than just physical help – but also empathy and human connection. As the models walked through the show space, hands were propelled through the air and guided the models down the runway.
The collection featured fluid silhouettes, morphed patterns, and innovative adaptive garments. Hands were represented throughout the prints – little fingers supporting you, chopped factory fingers, and analogue gloves. Grey outline fingers is an exclusively developed textile, with a smock-like crinkle that resembles intertwined fingers, making use of 30-year-old archive materials from Dutel. Elsewhere, peace offering messages were hidden in the corners of garments.
Baum und Pferdgarten
For SS25, Baum und Pferdgarten took us to the Office Olympics. The collection was a testament to the blend of office siren and sportswear – or sophistication and comfort – that has defined the modern professional wardrobe in recent years, and felt extremely timely with the Paris Olympics taking place. Held at the Østerbro Stadium, models stomped down the cobalt blue racing track as onlookers cheered from the grandstands.
The collection was packed with killer looks that embodied Scandinavian style, yet would not look out of place on a New York or Paris runway. Sportswear staples were embellished with feminine details throughout including football-inspired shirts, sporty logos and rugby-style striped polos, beautifully contrasted with airy mesh skirts, lace frills and heavily embellished sequins.
“Office Olympics is all about merging the elegance of corporate wear with the dynamism of athletic aesthetics, creating a collection that is both functional and fashionable. We wanted to encapsulate the energy and excitement of the sports world and bring it into the office environment,” explained Creative Directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave.
Rotate
This season, Rotate traded its renowned bold glamour for a more whimsical aesthetic, capturing the thrill of a summer romance. Nods to the 1920s could be seen in dramatic fringe dresses and oversized ruffles, while delicate sequin embroidery took the form of scalloped shells and pearlised beads to create the effect of stained glass. Elsewhere, daring top-to-bottom buttoned denim dresses and fluid draping offered a more relaxed approach to holiday date-night dressing.
Florals remained key throughout the collection, with new iterations bringing the brand’s blossoming prints to life – exuberant beaded roses adorned sheer dresses, and Rotate’s signature 3D piped peonies were repeated in a cotton poplin, heavy satin and chiffon varieties. Additionally, precious daisies were laser cut into faux leather two-pieces, while a show-stopping voluminous dress was draped to emulate the folds and layers of petals in the bouquet from your beau.
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