Stine Goya, Saks Potts and Helmstedt SS20. Photography courtesy of Copenhagen Fashion Week.
If we have learnt anything from Copenhagen Fashion Week, it is this: expect the unexpected. Quick to rebuke any preconceptions of a simple, Scandinavian style, Danish designers showcased a series of outlandish, unrestrained and vibrant collections. From models dancing down the runway to more than one cowboy-inspired collection, Copenhagen SS20 should be remembered for its spirited sense of fun. Here are the trends giving us life for the season ahead.
Babushkas at Helmstedt and Pseudonym
Helmstedt SS20 (left), Pseudonym SS20 (right).
Babushkas were everywhere at Helmstedt’s wonderfully weird and bombastic show. Having their models walk down a catwalk overflowing with giant sculptures of grapes, mushrooms and strawberries, Helmstedt ran the risk of drowning out the more subtle elements of their designs. Luckily, this was not the case—their intricately decorated headscarves caught our eyes immediately. Cropping up again at Pseudonym, this time on male models, babushka scarves proved the must-have unisex accessory of Copenhagen.
Babydoll dresses at Cecilie Bahnsen and Lovechild 1979
Cecilie Bahnsen SS20 (left), Lovechild 1979 SS20 (right).
Oversized hyper-feminine looks have not been traditionally associated with Scandi-style. Yet, with every Copenhagen Fashion Week, Danish designers smash through our minimalist Scandi stereotypes. True to form, the Cecilie Bahnsen show was a celebration of powdery pinks, puffy sleeves and playful silhouettes. It came as little surprise that the gloriously and unabashedly feminine CPH label was quick to embrace babydoll dresses this season. But, with brands such as Lovechild 1979 also parading a flock of girlish garments down the runway, Copenhagen is steadily solidifying itself as one of the most feminine fashion weeks of all.
Dancing on the runway at Stine Goya and ROTATE Birger Christensen
Stine Goya SS20 (left), ROTATE Birger Christensen SS20 (right).
A hot pink catwalk and backdrop of sequined silver meant that ROTATE Birger Christensen’s closing show shimmered with a distinctly disco-y feel. The collection itself, a sparkling excess of glitter and glamour, felt like a cause for celebration, and it was fitting to see the models joyously dance their way down the runway. Stine Goya put on a similarly joyful display, as models twirled and sashayed across the catwalk. Inspired by ballroom culture, the show culminated in a group dance routine. Dynamic and unexpected, the models’ mesmerising movements echoed the clothes they were dressed in.
XXXL suits at Brøgger
Brøgger SS20.
In a collection that opened with pastel, floaty dresses, it was a surprising yet satisfying turn to see fantastically oversized suits emerge on the runway at Brøgger. The gingham printed short suits, with sleeves so puffed they wouldn’t look out of place in a Shakespearean tragedy, were a favourite. The collection was a playful cross between dramatic and childlike dressing.
Cowboys at Saks Potts and Sunflower
Saks Potts SS20 (left), Sunflower SS20 (right).
We were hoping to experience a certain degree of disruption at Saks Potts. The brand, who can count Cardi B as one of their most loyal customers, has become synonymous with brilliant garishness and those hyper-lux shearling trimmed coats. So, when a bright red pair of cowboy boots stepped out onto their SS20 runway, we were not disappointed. Wild-west influences pervaded the larger-than-life collection: from horse-shoe prints to rhinestone-studded cowboy hats. Meanwhile, menswear brand Sunflower’s approach to cowboys was perhaps more subtle, but no less effective. All black suits, paired with neon-yellow cowboy boots, is the perfect combination we didn’t know we needed.