femaleThere were four major cities for Fashion Week: New York, London, Milan, and Paris. While it remains the title holder, several other cities, from Berlin to Seoul to Lagos, have been vying for the same recognition to become the “Fifth Fashion Week”. But so far there has been only one real winner: Copenhagen Fashion Week.
The Danish showcase, which has helped put Ganni and other domestic brands in the international spotlight while leading sustainability initiatives, kicked off its 20th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday.
What started as a merger of two small trade fairs in 2006 has become a biennial event on the fashion calendar, attracting editors from prestigious publications including Vogue, buyers from global luxury stores and influencers flocking to the street style scene. The early days in 2006 were mainly met with skepticism. Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW), describes the showcase’s founder, Eva Kruse, as a “pioneer”. The former editor-in-chief of Eurowoman magazine said: “She set out from scratch to create the fifth fashion week. But she was met with a lot of doubts. People thought her vision was unrealistic. But that’s it for today.”
Since the founding of CPHFW, the Danish fashion industry has grown significantly. Fashion is now Denmark’s third largest export. International demand from countries including the US and Germany has increased by 84% and fashion now accounts for 5% of Denmark’s total goods exports.
Linda Cui Zhang, fashion director at luxury retail chain Nordstrom, which operates in 39 U.S. states, said the Danish brand attracts customers because it “embodies the principles of the Scandinavian lifestyle,” pointing to intricate, romantic dresses by Cecilie Bahnsen that are “carefully crafted and versatile enough” and sculptural jewelry by Lié Studio that are “made for everyday wear.”
Reflecting on CPPHFW’s second anniversary, Thorsmark, who became CEO in 2018, said the biggest highlight was the successful implementation of the sustainability framework. In 2020, CPHFW gave brands three years to meet 18 minimum standards, ranging from a ban on plastic hangers to rules on the types of fabrics they can use, or face being banned from its schedule.
It was a bold move in an industry known for greenwashing. Although several brands failed to meet the requirements in the first year, more than 30 brands are now compliant, with fashion councils in the UK and Germany also following suit. Thorsmark said the framework “really highlighted the potential to host fashion weeks and transform them from showcase events into catalysts for change.”
One of Denmark’s biggest success stories is Ganni, the brand that popularized everything from leopard-print jeans to fruit-emblazoned T-shirts and was valued at £500 million in 2022. As another indicator of the brand’s success, two years later the brand followed another homegrown talent, Bahnsen, into Paris Fashion Week, the pinnacle of fashion and home to Chanel and Dior.
Ditte Reffstrup, the brand’s creative director, says the emergence of the #GanniGirls street style phenomenon, which has been exhibiting in Copenhagen every other year since 2014, has played a key role in its success. “There is no doubt that Copenhagen Fashion Week has been a highlight for us and has helped us become an international brand.”
This is a sentiment echoed by Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave, co-founders of Baum und Pferdgarten. When they took part in the first edition of CPHFW, their family helped build the catwalk, their friends helped cut the place cards, and the show was mainly watched by local or Scandi media. Now, 20 years later, the brand is sold in more than 30 countries. “In the beginning, the show was much more raw and intimate,” says Baumgarten. “It felt a lot more amateurish. Copenhagen Fashion Week has changed tremendously and has become an important platform for our growth as a brand. It has given us visibility, credibility and the opportunity to evolve from something very local to something truly international.”
Reffstrup says CPHFW is vital in supporting new talent and Ganni is now supporting emerging Nordic brands by providing them with sponsorship and mentorship. “It’s very easy to drown in Paris or Milan. There are so many brands competing that it’s hard to even fit the time into your schedule. Here in Copenhagen, you take center stage.”
This year, the Homecoming annual slot was introduced with the aim of welcoming the brand back after presentations elsewhere. Holzweiler, who most recently showed in London, will participate for the first time on Wednesday. This was inspired by Bahnsen, who held her 10th anniversary show in the Danish capital last August rather than Paris.
“Our goal is not to keep the brand in Copenhagen forever,” says Thorsmark, “but to ensure that the brand continues to develop and thrive by supporting it in all areas we feel are relevant to the brand itself. Even though we will miss the brand enormously, this is a positive step forward and demonstrates the potential we can foster in Copenhagen.”