7 Names To Watch at Copenhagen Fashion Week

The most exciting thing about Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) is that designers on the line-up are young, contemporary and forward-thinking.

The ever-growing schedule welcomes new labels every season and thanks to increasing interest in the event, a relatively relaxed schedule and a smaller number of attendees, said labels quickly attract as much attention as established brands.

From the originators of Danish style to those in their first few seasons, these are the names to know for CPHFW spring/summer 2019.

Each of Cecilie Bahnsen’s designs is entirely handmade using traditional techniques – a trait not often associated with wearability but one that she has adopted to elevate her ready-to-wear collections.

Lace is unique, print is artful and detailing is considered, suiting the typically muted colour palette and leaving little need for additional styling.

Expect an ethereal showcase but one that also feels in line with Copenhagen’s effortless sense of cool. Founded in 2015, this designer might be new, but her work is one of the most in demand among the industry’s elite.

Julie Brøgger and Linn Norström Weile founded their luxury outerwear label Brøgger with the premise that the right coat or jacket should transcend seasons, trends and climates.

The aesthetic fuses Danish fashion’s signature playfulness and vibrancy with a cool, London-inspired sensibility. The result is something standout that promises to maintain its impact and relevance for seasons to come.

Expect to see not only outerwear but luxe silk separates at the fashion week showcase, designed in a rainbow of pastel hues and featuring ditsy, feminine prints. This is a collection that you might just want to wear straight off the runway.

Founded in 2003, By Malene Birger is one of the more established names on the CPHFW schedule. Season after season, collections epitomise the city’s relaxed yet contemporary approach to style.

Previous fashion week collections have included the brand’s signature relaxed shirting, wide-leg trousers, fluid silk silhouettes and lustrous knitwear. This offers a capsule wardrobe that works both professionally and off-duty, and that captures timelessness, effortlessness and confidence in its most endearing form.

Creative director Mathilde Torp Mader is in her first year in the role, so expect something a little removed from the norm.

The newest label to watch at CPHFW this season is Résumé. Now in its second year, this season is about establishing brand signatures which, if previous collections are anything to go by, cover simplistic silhouettes, an underlying sense of femininity and the odd unexpected design feature.

The playful approach is favoured by street-style stars, so don’t be surprised to see it on the front row as well as the runway.

Jewellery designers don’t often feature on the runway at fashion week unless in support of a ready-to-wear label, but Maria Black is planning to celebrate all the same.

It will host a piercing stand at the Bella Centre – a space designated to supporting emerging talent throughout the week – and present its new collection as well as the piercing service.

Expect delicate yet meticulously designed pieces that master the art of subtlety in the way Scandinavian brands do best.

After a successful rebranding in 2004, Munthe garnered a strong Danish fashion following and has since become reputable across the wider industry.

Its runway shows are a key CPHFW addition, and they can be identified by quirky styling – think softly cut tailoring teamed with sequins and high-necked, floor-length dresses cut from sheer fabrics and layered over lingerie.

Creative director at Lovechild 1979, Anne-Dorthe Larsen, has built a team of all-female designers who create items that they love and that suit their personal tastes.

Perhaps that’s what makes each collection so consistent and why the brand’s signatures are so established.

Masculine tailoring makes up a large part of each season’s collection but printed skirts and dresses also feature heavily.