IMAGES James Cochrane courtesy of Copenhagen Fashion Week
Writing this after another week of relentless heatwaves in London, I have serious FOMO about Copenhagen Fashion Week. The sun is shining in the Danish fashion capital, but thanks to a light sea breeze, temperatures have remained in the late teens to early twenties sweet-spot, making the street style better than ever. From colourful crochet dresses to business-casual balloon trouser suits, Copenhagen reminded us why it’s the unofficial capital of cool-girl dressing – with a wardrobe that’s as refreshing as the weather.
Beyond the street style, SS27 saw designers move away from strict minimalism in favour of joyful colour, nostalgic references and a renewed appreciation for craft. From playful femininity to innovative approaches to circular design, Copenhagen’s runways proved that personality is the new uniform.
PAOLINA RUSSO
Undoubtedly, my favourite collection of the season has come from Canadian-born, formerly London-based designer Paolina Russo. Russo’s latest collection, Lone Star, is a masterclass in cool-girl dressing, and an antidote to the largely minimal styles and colour palettes Copenhagen is best known for. Think acid-bright knitwear, slouchy denim, romantic florals and plenty of DIY-style embellishment, all thrown together with Russo’s signature irreverence, while models skated down the runway as Grace Ives and Copenhagen locals haloplus+ performed. The final touch? A pair of customised ECCO JOKE with rhinestoned shoelaces.
Anne Sofie Madsen
Anne Sofie Madsen’s The New Desire offered a softer take on the Copenhagen Fashion Week wardrobe, balancing sculptural tailoring with sheer draping in shades of turquoise, butter yellow and peach, keeping the delicate fabrics feeling youthful rather than overly prim. While not quite as eccentric as the beloved rat-shaped bags of AW26, a playful Nike collaboration offered a standout look: a slogan tee styled with silk chiffon ruffled hot-pants, bringing a sporty edge to an otherwise dreamy collection.
I.AM.SIGO
Returning to the schedule with Sacred Ecologies, Bubu Ogisi continues to make a case for weaving as one of fashion’s most exciting forms of storytelling. I.AM.ISIGO’s signature craftsmanship appeared in new fabrications this season, with banana fibre, sisal, reclaimed cotton, wooden beads and recycled aluminium transformed into pieces that felt tactile, raw and distinctly human. The collection also featured select pieces from an Adidas deconstruction table staged during CPHFW, bringing a familiar sportswear language into Ogisi’s world of African environmental craftsmanship.
INSTITUTION
If Copenhagen has taught us anything, it’s that beige doesn’t have to mean boring. Institution’s SS27 collection was a masterclass in structure, draping and proportion, with oversized trench coats and enormous, duvet-like white forms creating plenty of drama within an otherwise restrained palette. Founded by Galib Gassanoff, the Milan-based brand works with deadstock natural materials and traditional craftsmanship, making this a case where minimalism felt anything but simple.
STINE GOYA
“Florals for spring” is perhaps the most tired fashion trope, and yet for Stine Goya’s SS27 offering, the brand presented florals as delightfully contemporary. Painterly blooms were reworked across linen, denim, embroidery and beaded surfaces, drawing on the artistic experimentation of 1913 while feeling firmly made for today’s modern dresser.
MR LARKIN
For its first-ever Copenhagen Fashion Week runway show, Mr. Larkin marked 13 years since founder Casey Blond re-established the brand in Copenhagen with Lucky. Mouth-watering colour combinations of turquoise, gold, pastel pink, lilac, bright red and olive came together in vintage-inspired silhouettes with a distinctly modern ease. Woven textures and intricate knitwear brought the palette together, while hand-beaded details, lace accents and talisman-like adornments – from trinket-covered pencil skirts to shell brooches pinned onto sheer dresses – added to the collection’s ethos of elevated personal style over trend-led design. The casting felt just as considered, with models of different ages and body types proving that pieces often reserved for younger dressers, like a sheer dress, can belong to anyone.
NICKLAS SKOVGAARD
For SS27, Nicklas Skovgaard looked to the glamour, individuality and unapologetic femininity of 1960s girl groups, imagining his own fictional act: The Skovgaardettes. Gingham, crisp taffeta and pastel floral jacquards were transformed into sculptural silhouettes, with circular-cut skirts and playful proportions bringing a fresh energy to classic references. Each look felt like its own character, from powder blue and pale pink ensembles to romantic floral moments, creating a collection that celebrated both belonging and individuality. A live performance from True Blue, in collaboration with Danish music platform Brodie Sessions, completed the fantasy, while returning collaborations with HOFF sneakers and HVISK bags evolved the collection beyond nostalgia with contemporary favourites.
COLLINA STRADA
New York favourites Collina Strada made its Copenhagen debut with Delirium in Bloom, bringing its signature eccentricity to the city’s inaugural International Guest Slot. The collection was a celebration of reinvention, transforming existing garments and deadstock materials through pleating, patchworking, layering and sculptural fabric manipulation. Romantic chiffon and soft pastels met glitter, sequins and the brand’s trademark playful chaos, presented at sunset by the water with a string quartet soundtrack and barefoot, tinsel-covered models.
CARO EDITIONS
For SS27, Caro Editions transported Copenhagen to the hours after midnight with Caro Club; a collection that felt like a love letter to 80s power dressing and the unapologetic glamour of the Versace-style supermodel era. Sculptural tailoring, oversized shoulders and sharp jackets brought a sense of old-school confidence, while ikat prints, pearls, sequins and floral embellishments added a playful richness. The collection balanced couture-level craftsmanship with a sense of fun, from vintage Levi’s jackets reworked with deadstock Chanel trims, to jelly shoes finished with customisable embellishments, proving that dressing up, at its best, is an art form worth celebrating.
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