In August, more than 120 of the most significant fashion journalists and retailers in the world flew to Denmark to voluntarily sit on wet stools in the pouring rain.
Was there a forthcoming immersive new fad with the label “water-core” to be had? No, but in terms of style, never rule anything out. They were there to embrace the elements at Copenhagen Fashion Week, painting a slightly different scenario from the candlelight and tranquility for which this particular mid-summer event is typically associated
Given that little these days prevents the fashion set from attending the capital of Denmark’s biannual January and August presentations, this is hardly unexpected.Copenhagen is now commonly referred to be “fashion’s fifth city” after the well-established New York, London, Milan, and Paris fashion-week mainstays. This award was given by Vogue Business this year, but a chorus of top fashion reviewers from publications like i-D, the Financial Times, Hello!, and High Snobiety also shared the same sentiments.
Why? Copenhagen Fashion Week has produced a showcase that has resonated across continents thanks to its 18-point sustainability criteria, multiple avenues of investment open to designers that facilitate a diverse offering, and established It-girl credentials thanks to global phenomenons like Ganni, Stine Goya, and Saks Potts.
The statistics support this. According to CPHFW, the Spring-Summer 2024 showcase had a seasonal increase in online media exposure of 117.5% this summer as it expanded from its typical three-day schedule to four to accommodate 31 exhibits. Over a million more social media impressions were recorded for the event than at the same time last year.
It fosters an unprecedented number of collaborations with government-funded and independent arts organizations to give designers the mentoring, investment, crucial press coverage, and retailer exposure they need to get off the ground. Acting as an incubator for not just Danish but all Nordic fashion designers looking to take their first steps into a renownedly difficult industry.
The Copenhagen Fashion Week organization has helped a number of well-known Danish businesses that have attained high levels of international exposure, like Ganni, Stine Goya, and Cecilie Bahnsen, grow their companies to success. The council is clearing a path for others to follow where they have already blazed a trail.
There are also additional programs, such as a bursary program that offers funding for up to three seasons to four companies that are under five years old.
It all adds up to a support system that is unrivaled by other fashion hubs and is crucial to the success of designers in growing their companies.
The Womenswear and Menswear Buying Director of online clothing retailer Browns.com, which has continued to support Danish designers, Ida Petersson, claims that “The Danes have made a concerted effort to partner closely and work like one unit rather than separate their agendas.”
Peter Lundvald Nielsen’s label, P.L.N, which was established in 2021 and won the New Talents award, has had a similar journey. “The funding has been a great investment to lift us as a brand,” said its COO Olivia Danielsson. Making the appropriate strategic decisions can be quite important, so we also have some wonderful people with extensive industry knowledge from whom we can seek help. You can be made or broken by the people you choose.
The Danish Arts Foundation bases its investments on encouraging artistic expression rather than only financial benefit.
We believe their work has significance and potential, and we hope to see it fully realized in the future.
