PHOTOGRAPHY James Cochrane
Copenhagen Fashion Week returned this week, and true to its reputation as the friendliest of the major fashion weeks, it brought an unmistakable sense of warmth and solidarity. The streets and venues buzzed with conversations, laughter, and creative exchange, with many showing visible solidarity by wearing keffiyehs in support of Palestine – a quiet but powerful gesture that underscored the collective spirit.
The collections this season embraced themes of intimacy, transformation, and thoughtful innovation, reflecting a world in flux yet hopeful. Designers explored the boundaries between private and public life, experimenting with materials and silhouettes that challenged conventions and invited new ways of expression. Below, we round-up our favourite collections from the season.
SWEDISH SCHOOL OF TEXTILES
The world-renowned institution is known to push aesthetic boundaries and challenge conventions. Emphasising a balance of foundational theory, experimental practice, and advanced research, its graduates continue to contribute meaningfully to the evolving design landscape. Zuzana Vrábelova’s collection imagined garments as living organisms that exist independently yet interact with the human body. Using experimental knitting and unconventional materials such as paper yarn, her sculptural pieces took on organic, animal-like, and botanical forms that challenged traditional body-centric fashion. The textures evoked skin, hair, and bone, blurring the boundaries between body and textile.
Lan Krebs redefined the humble jersey fabric through machine-made tubular knits that transform simple tubes of fabric into dynamic, sculptural forms. Through layering, pleating, and careful manipulation, Krebs created versatile pieces that were sculptural without stiffness, fluidly reacting to movement. Meanwhile, Susanna Suojanen explored the transformation of post-consumer garments through dimension-altering sewing and upcycling techniques, draping and reconstructing discarded denim, leather and chiffon in her collection, Translating Wardrobes.
FREYA DALSJØ
After a six-year hiatus from the runway, Freya Dalsjø returned with a seasonless collection shaped by themes of stillness, process, and permanence. Drawing from a deep respect for natural materials and traditional craftsmanship, the collection was built from silk, wool, cashmere, leather, horsehair, and wood, and developed using time-intensive, hand-finished techniques. Fluid silks, double-faced cashmere, and sculptural leather pieces highlighted each material’s innate character, with a palette that mirrored their natural tones from ivory to mahogany.
Collaborations with long-term partner Felefasa in Hangzhou brought generational expertise to these natural materials, while hand-crafted jewellery continued the collection’s artisanal ethos. It was a return to core values for the Copenhagen-based label – slow, intentional fashion that treats clothing as an enduring craft, rather than a fleeting trend.
BONNETJE
Bonnetje’s SS26 collection explored human fragility as a source of adaptability, inspired by the paradoxical nature of glass as both protective and vulnerable. Through delicate details, plissé textures and unfinished edges, the collection, titled Breakable, reflected both the designers’ upcycling process and the emotional process of losing and regaining strength through fragility.
CARO EDITIONS
For SS26, Caro Editions staged Under the Bridge as a nostalgic return to the spot where founders Caroline and Frederik Bille Brahe were married – Copenhagen’s Knippelsbro. The show drew on memories of their big day, the city’s everyday beauty, and the symbolism of the bride as both a familial figure and an activist, inspired in part by Yoko Ono’s Brides on Tour.
The concrete and cobblestoned runway was set against Caro Edition’s playful colour palette, polkadot patterns and dress-up-box styling. Flowing veil-like dresses, hand-embroidered love-letter motifs, and details inspired by wedding keepsakes carried this theme throughout the collection, while a nostalgic pop-punk soundtrack honoured millennial wedding DJs everywhere.
Most excitingly, the brand debuted a new collaboration with Mulberry, transforming vintage Mulberry signature styles into whimsical, one-of-a-kind bags adorned with bows, gingham, and playful appliqués – unsurprisingly, these sold-out almost instantly.
ANNE SOFIE MADSEN
For SS26, Anne Sofie Madden’s collection draws inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s cult short film Lick the Star, in which a group of seventh-grade girls plot to poison their male classmates in a secret plan misheard as “Lick the Star” — a twisted code for “Kill the Rats.” Referencing the adolescent tension, power struggles, and identity experiments portrayed in the film, the collection uses the rat as a symbol of rebellion, miscommunication, and the murky transformation of girlhood – including now-viral “rat bags,” the undeniable breakout It-item of the week.
Working with Issueissue founders Freja Wewer and William Becker on a personal-meets-performative presentation, the runway was anchored by an intimate installation of personal items from Madsen and co-director Caroline Clante, a time capsule of their own histories.
RAVE REVIEW
Rave Review’s SS26 collection, Blommornas Makt (Power of Flowers), transformed Copenhagen’s former church Nikolaj Kunsthal into a space where nostalgia, resistance, and romanticism collided. Drawing on 1960s Swedish counterculture, the feminist fashion collective Mah-Jong, and the flower power movement, designers Josephine Bergqvist and Livia Schück reimagined the flower as a potent symbol of heritage and persistence rather than a retro cliché.
Influences ranged from flower festivals to the traditional Dutch folk costume, klederdracht, informing strong-shouldered jackets, ceremonial silhouettes and army-style trousers. Constructed primarily from deadstock and vintage home textiles, the garments fused tailoring and play: heat-pressed floral bed linens became sculptural suits, while sheer overlays and boned hips balanced structure with softness.
A continued collaboration with PUMA introduced customised sneakers and ballet flats, grounding the romanticism in an urban edge. The result was a richly layered statement on beauty as protest, anchored in the brand’s commitment to upcycling, innovation and emotionally-driven design.
ROLF EKROTH
Rolf Ekroth’s SS26 collection, Encore, marked another high point for the rising designer who has become a consistent critics’ favourite in Copenhagen. Pivoting towards a pragmatic survival aesthetic, Ekroth mined his own process of iteration and renewal, turning last season’s garments into raw material for the new season. Additionally, discarded Finnish fabrics and denim, sourced through a partnership with municipal waste company LSJH, were reborn as cloud-patterned trousers, tubular reinterpretations of rescue vests, and protective yet romantic robes.
References ranged from ’90s British style to horror film soundtracks and The Sopranos morning rituals, merging grit with nostalgia. Technical Japanese nylons, coated cottons, and long-time collaborator Matilda Diletta’s tulip-and-brushstroke prints anchored the line, alongside meticulous details like 15,000 hand-sewn pearls, 1,000 flame-forming pins, and laser-cut breathing holes. In Encore, Ekroth refined his language of destruction and reconstruction into a compelling argument for fashion as both resilience and evolution.
ALIS
Alis held a spirited comeback for SS26 with a show staged along the waterfront, soundtracked by Oasis – perfect for anyone who missed the band’s own comeback tour but still wanted to bask in that Britpop glory. Under the creative direction of Tobias Birk Nielsen, the collection embraced the brand’s foundational authenticity, blending it with contemporary streetwear sensibilities and an expanded focus on womenswear, having first debuted women’s designs last season.
The pieces balanced relaxed silhouettes like coated denim trousers, cropped shirts, and single-breasted blazers worn with sporty shorts, alongside distinctly feminine items such as flowing skirts, micro minis, and fluid dresses.
Adding a playful, personal touch, graphic sun motifs were co-created with Nielsen’s young son, adding a personal touch and a signalling a revitalised force behind the brand as it seeks to resonate with new generations.
IAMISIGO
IAMISIGO’s SS26 collection, Dual Mandate, stood out as a powerful homage to personal history and heritage craftsmanship. Following their recognition as last season’s Zalando Visionary Award recipient, the brand used their increased support to create a collection that redefined what clothing can be: instead of simple decoration, designer Bubu Ogisi wanted them to act as “energy architecture.”
Drawing from the complex legacy of the colonial doctrine that inspired the title, Dual Mandate softened its violence and turned it inward, celebrating a rich tapestry of traditional African crafts, from hand-weaving to chainmail forging and glass blowing. Materials like cotton, sisal, raffia, and jute were juxtaposed with metal, glass, and plastics, resulting in a collection of vibrant wearable art pieces.
HERSKIND
Herskind’s SS26 collection blended sensual curves with sharp tailoring. The brand’s signature balance between masculine and feminine remained, but this season leaned confidently into feminine power with unapologetic grace. Founders Birgitte Herskind and Andres Hess emphasised that strength, curiosity, and the confidence to embody complexity inspired their take on feminine yet modern city style.
Standout pieces ranged from sculptural ankle-length skirts that bloomed from fitted waists, styled with corset tops or crisp shirts, to lightweight harem pants embroidered with sequin florals or crafted in butter yellow and soft black viscose. Clever details like unzipped sleeves that transformed blazers into vests and visible built-in briefs under transparent silk organza skirts blurred the lines between dressed and undressed, while the collection’s palette similarly mixed bold classics with contemporary favourites like blush and citrine.
MKDT STUDIO
MKDT Studio’s collection drew inspiration from two seemingly unrelated artists: painter Kay Sage, whose surreal, still spaces blur presence and absence, and Jean & Jacques Balzac, an AI-generated persona whose “wrong architecture” imagines buildings that almost make sense. Both explore the uncanny, creating studies or rehearsals for what might exist. This interplay between memory and invention guided MKDT’s creative process, leading them to revisit their archive and the instinctive ways women wear their garments.
The collection stayed rooted in MKDT’s signature tailored silhouettes, featuring structured blazers, sculptural trousers and fitted dresses. Details like uncut threads, misproportioned belt buckles, and seams that revealed glimpses of skin introduced a raw, unintentional quality. New techniques, such as woven fabric bands along sleeves and shredded ramie, created a three-dimensional checkered texture.
Collaborations with Dahlman1807 on a new signature belt and Parisian shoemaker Calla for babouches made from MKDT’s own cutoffs highlighted the brand’s belief in craft as a continuous dialogue – a reconstruction of meaning from what already existed.
BAUM UND PFERDGARTEN
Notes from the Grandstand, Baum und Pferdgarten’s SS26 offering, charged into the season with a sophisticated exploration of contrast. Drawing inspiration from the world of the Derby, the collection referenced the vivid uniforms of jockeys and the refined elegance of guests dressed to impress. Creative directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave combined these worlds seamlessly, balancing the bold, functional colour-blocking of riding attire with the glamorous details of high society. Striped nylon echoed the jockeys’ iconic uniforms, while checks and sharp colour contrasts suggested motion. Feminine touches like frilled sporty outerwear and softly draped blouses introduced a graceful tension, enhanced by powder pink hues, faux suede accessories, and the mix of vintage lace with modern leopard prints and faux leather.
The show was set at Charlottenlund Travbane, the historic Nordic racetrack, perfectly emphasising the equestrian spirit woven into the designs. Both Baumgarten and Hestehave’s lifelong connection to horses enriched the experience, drawing from shared memories of racetracks, riding lessons, and time spent at the stables. A limited-edition T-shirt – featuring a hand-drawn illustration of horses racing – was also presented and is now available at the brand’s Copenhagen flagship store and online.
BIRROT
Birrot’s SS26 collection, Emotional Layers, deepened the brand’s quiet yet deliberate design language. At its core was the signature Lay fabric, a bonded stretch crêpe that was pushed further this season with the innovative 3.1 Lay skirt, which combined three structured layers at the waist, flowing into a draped asymmetrical hem. Classic pieces like boatneck cardigans and cigarette trousers were paired with more experimental silhouettes, including hourglass-hugging dresses and ruched tops and trousers. The collection reflected the brand’s fusion of Korean and Danish design, blending structure with fluidity and emphasising the empathy behind the brand’s approach: garments that shape themselves to the wearer, coming alive only in motion.
Textures balanced tactile contrasts, mixing crispy recycled poly-cottons, airy organza, and soft cashmere with variations of Lay fabric. The muted colour palette featured brick red, moody indigo, sandy beige, and subtle touches of baby blue. Presented against the raw, industrial backdrop of Paper Island, the show highlighted the collection’s dialogue between rigidity and softness.
MARIMEKKO
Marimekko celebrated playful proportions and signature prints for SS26. Set against a former industrial harbour site, the energetic collection contrasted bold prints and balanced compositions with an industrial soundscape created from real noises recorded at Marimekko’s textile printing factory in Helsinki. Finnish musician and artist YSI mixed these sounds to create a unique atmosphere that reflected the brand’s deep connection to craftsmanship.
The garments featured a dynamic dialogue between florals and stripes, and combined new and familiar motifs – reimagining some of its most iconic silhouettes, such as the 1960s Marimini dress, transformed into a playful co-ord set by cutting the dress in half.
A highlight was the tribute to the 70th anniversary of the Jokapoika shirt, a genderless classic featuring the hand-painted Piccolo stripe. Marimekko brought back the shirt’s original sturdy fabric while introducing new variations, including crop styles, enlarged prints, and utilitarian dresses, demonstrating the brand’s playful yet precise approach to printmaking and design heritage.
Amid the joyous colour, model Jura revealed a Palestine flag that read “Act Now Against Genocide” which was met with audible support from spectators, many of whom had adorned their own fashion week fits with keffiyehs and pins honouring the genocide, and the complex feelings many in press and media have in platforming new clothing collections amid global tragedies. However, the model was quickly escorted from the runway and removed from the remainder of the show. While this protest was clearly not approved by the brand, it was disheartening for many to see the model excluded from the runway for sharing the message – fashion is political, and calling to end a genocide should not be seen as controversial nor rebellious.
CECILIE BAHNSEN
Cecilie Bahnsen returned to Copenhagen for a landmark tenth anniversary show held at Refshaleøen, a post-industrial peninsula. Rather than a simple retrospective, the show became a live showcase of the brand’s journey; a celebration of the designs that have endured, transformed, and evolved. Titled Hana-bi, the Japanese word for fireworks, the collection opened in pure white before shifting into silver, marking an evolution and enhanced modernity. The show wove together archival pieces with new creations – broderie anglaise fronts paired with silk-quilted backs, sequin briefs beneath airy skirts, and reassembled silhouettes – capturing both refinement and exuberance grounded in the purity of Bahnsen’s universe.
Most looks were one-offs, shaped by hand in the studio and moulded through an intuitive process. Even the shoes, white ASICS reworked with embroidery and deconstruction, reflected a long-standing collaboration. The anniversary became a heartfelt tribute to Copenhagen and to those who had been part of the brand’s journey.
NICKLAS SKOVGAARD
Nicklas Skovgaard’s Collection 11 offered a thoughtful and intimate exploration of sleep, rituals, and the connection between private spaces and public identity. The collection skillfully blurred the line between nightwear and daywear, using quilting, draping, and layering to evoke the soft, secure feeling of being wrapped in bed. Romantic details like lace trims and satin collars combined with relaxed, instinctive layering created looks that felt effortless and personal. A collaboration with Sloggi brought underwear into focus as a visible foundation of dressing, while slept-in makeup captured the raw reality of nighttime and early-morning routines.
The show itself was another standout from the week, transforming the Nikolaj Kunsthal art centre into a surreal dreamscape filled with vintage beds and personal touches that made the experience deeply intimate and evocative. Guests were sat amid white duvets and bedroom details, reinforcing the collection’s theme of embracing imperfection and the transition from private to public self. Footwear by Scholl, including pieces specially designed by Skovgaard, completed the look. Overall, Collection 11 celebrated rest and ritual with warmth and authenticity, offering a fresh perspective on how our everyday habits quietly shape who we are.
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