Sustainability was the word of the day at this year’s Copenhagen Fashion Week for the spring 2022 season. The Danish capital’s newly implemented rule states that all brands participating in shows must be at least 60 percent sustainable to be included. And everything Danes do—from the beauty products they put on their impossibly fresh faces to the overcoats they wear in case of a quick rainstorm to the Teslas they drive—stems from a sustainable or eco-conscious mindset.
Not only are Copenhagen residents ahead of the curve sustainability-wise, they also have one of the most gender-fluid and diverse fashion weeks. During a whirlwind three days, most of the collections I saw were entirely unisex. Some brands showed love for women’s bodies by having pregnant women walk in their shows, which I appreciated. Curiously enough, instead of the candy-colored street style seen on editors and influencers, the runway looks tended to be on the more muted and sophisticated side, especially compared to prior seasons. Below, we’ve assembled a list of the 11 standout brands that showed at Copenhagen Fashion Week spring 2022. Each label embodied these ethos of celebrating mother earth, while simultaneously putting out some seriously killer fashion.
Attendees flocked to Berner Kühl’s first-ever show this season. Like his spring 2022 counterparts, the Kühl is dedicated to sustainability. His designs were minimal and the color palette consisted of mostly black and white, with a focus on craftsmanship and wearability. If you are a minimalist but appreciate well-made garments, this is the brand for you.
Bjerregaard makes beautifully crafted and well-thought-out knits. (Although the Central Saint Martins graduate is not exactly new to the lineup, hers is always an exciting show to see.) Bjerregaard, an expert at textile design, uses deadstock fabrics for her clothing, and practices a zero-waste policy.
Another Central Saint Martins alumnus, Stine Goya hosted a “secret show” during Copenhagen Fashion Week before the collection went live for the public to see, allowing for the main focus to be the collection and not the street style hubbub outside of the show. This presentation was full of vibrant greens, florals, and just the right amount of sequins. But it was the printed hosiery and headscarves that stole the show for me.
(Di)vision kicked off Copenhagen Fashion Week with a burst of energy on a sunny Tuesday morning in Copenhagen. This was the brand’s largest collection yet, consisting of 31 unisex looks. (Di)vision is yet another brand that focuses on creating from preexisting materials—the collection was made entirely of deadstock fabrics and upcycled vintage garments. (Di)vision is fresh and playful, and is everything you would imagine a Denmark nightlife enthusiast would want to wear.
Sisters Julie and Marie Skall are vegan, use minimal animal products in their collections, and focus on elegance where quality is never compromised. Their spring 2022 show was staged in the contemporary art center, Den Frie—a perfect complement to the garments that were shown. From house dresses to sweater vests and even suiting, this was the perfectly effortless wardrobe for anyone who doesn’t want to sacrifice looking chic while caring for the planet.
Students From the Royal Danish Academy
A look from Emilie Axters’s collection.
The young talent was plentiful this season. If students at the Royal Danish Academy design school were suffering from lockdown ennui, their collections—designed completely in quarantine—didn’t show it. From Emilie Axters’s use of bold colors and exotic shapes to Josefine Dyring’s use of “pets” as fashion and Frederik Taus’s expression of gender norms and the upper class, you would have never known that these designers created during a global pandemic.
Founded by Sophia Roe in 2020, The Garment focuses on building a wardrobe that can last a lifetime. Besides being sustainable in the physical sense, Roe believes that sustainability is simply about owning less.
As the last show of the day, the setting for Soeren Le Schmidt was quite dark, setting the scene for the rest of the evening—the bar doled out drinks as the attendees waited eagerly for the lights to go up. Exquisite tailoring was apparent, but my favorite aspect of the show was the black-and-white checkered suiting and the gender-fluid casting.
Founded in Copenhagen in 2018 and a semi finalist for the LVMH price in 2020, Helmstedt is a romantic brand full of whimsy. Using hand-painted prints, designer Emilie Helmstedt focuses on creating wearable art that will last for generations.
Known for creating candy-colored coats adorned with fur trim, Saks Potts surprised us all this season, with a more toned-down see-now-buy-now collection.
A Roege Hove is a new label that has been awarded the inaugural talent slot by the Copenhagen Fashion Week show committee—the brand showed its first-ever runway show this spring 2022 season. With sculptural and unique knit pieces, A Roege Hove is definitely paving the way for knitwear enthusiasts to follow.
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