Copenhagen Fashion Week is known for its great street style looks, refreshing new talent and – above all – its concern about sustainability. Hence, Copenhagen is one of the most innovative fashion capitals when it comes to sustainable brands and solutions. Discover the best of Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2021 here.
For a complete overview of all participating designers, check out the official Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule.
Cover photo: © Pexels
Best of Copenhagen Fashion Week
As with many fashion weeks, Copenhagen’s fashion circus is mainly located outside; right where the fashion crowd gather in front of the groups of photographers. However, this year things will be different. Earlier this year, the organization behind Copenhagen Fashion Week announced to host bost a digital and physical event. It’s one of the many effects on the fashion industry of the pandemic. Despite this, we’re happy to be able to present to you the best of Copenhagen Fashion Week (in random order).
Whyred
The Stockholm-based Whyred usually channels their love for classics through their designs, but always with an edge. This ‘edge’ was clearly visible in their Spring/Summer collection, kicking-off Copenhagen Fashion Week. The video opened with of Krishnamurti: “Love can do nothing, but without it nothing can be done.” With the theme “Summer of Love”, Whyred created a video around the music of This is Head, located in a field of hay and flowers. In this dreamy and sunny setting, models walked around barefoot, wearing minimalist bohemian and hippie-like outfits in earth tones. New Whyred creative director Jessy Heuvelink delved further into the era-defining dress codes of the 1960’s and 70’s. The outfits perfectly blended with nature but would look great during a city stroll as well. Timeless items were combined with more modern pieces, making the entire collection very relevant today. Overall, it was a romantic story in which the clothes weren’t in the lead, but love was. A great base in times like these.
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Designers Remix
Designers Remix has made name since 2002. They have been making clothes based on upcycling ever since.
Charlotte Eskildsen has a sustainable approach to every aspect of the design process, she has a strong belief in using innovative high-quality sustainable materials, which underlines the experimental vibe in the creation of clothes with strong iconic silhouettes for a global audience. Those iconic silhouettes were translated into something new for SS21. Every wondered how to create a dress out of a tent? Eskildsen did – and and successfully tried it. However, Eskildsen didn’t use the tent’s fabric, solely its poles – functioning as a skeleton. On each dress, Eskildsen spelled out the fabric’s former purpose, resulting in slogans as “I used to be a curtain” and “I used to be a couch”. As always, Eskildsen put sustainability as top priority when designing this collection. And we have to say, it’s a mission accomplished.
NYNNE
NYNNE’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection Walking Soft Sculpture is about going back to basics, while focusing on the label’s signature designs. Nynne Kunde’s Scandinavian roots play a significant role in each piece. Yet for SS 21 her trademark lean and minimalistic lines are complimented with the vibrant colors and details synonymous with London’s cosmopolitan energy – exactly the signature the brand is known for. Think of the Diana dress (slightly adapted each season), combined with refreshing and new silhouettes. Kunde designs according to silhouettes and fabrics that her customers have grown to love since her debut. Hence, the collection revolves around female empowerment. It’s is a celebration of the soft beauty of women and the power in gentle expression.
Once again NYNNE has taken another step to becoming more sustainable via the introduction of Tencel fabrics, as well as an increased volume of recycled polyester and microfibres. This collection is for strong women to wear everyday; it takes them from day-to-night with the change of an accessory. Our favorite look? Definitely the gradient azure blue gown; it’s mesmerizingly beautiful.
Ganni
Ganni doesn’t identify itself as a sustainable brand. However, they aim to “becoming the most responsible version of ourselves” with the ultimate goal to create a collection that doesn’t do any harm to the environment. They recognize that they aren’t there yet, but it’s a journey. And journeys simply don’t end within a few days; the same holds for their original Scandi-style, developed over the years. Ditte Reffstrup, Creative Director, explained: “With GANNI we wanted to do something different than the typical stereotypes of scandi- navian fashion, which when we started were either high-concept Scandi-style or girly-boho. Aiming to create a third alternative, we sought after a more playful and effortless approach to design, that represents how I want to dress and look. Without strict dogmas or rules, but with room for personality, contrasts and experimentation.”
However, at the beginning of the lockdown things didn’t feel as easy and straightforward as they used to. Reffstrup: “Honestly, at the start of lockdown, I had so many doubts. About everything! I was re-evaluating
what’s important in life, asking myself if what we do is enough. But then a light switched on – and for
the past few months I’ve never felt more certain. It’s what I am meant to do. I love it 100%. These are
troubling times, but we are moving forward with a new optimism, looking towards change.” To spice up things a little and to change perspectives, the creative duo behind GANNI collaborated with Levi’s. Reffstrup continued: “GANNI has always been about making people feel comfortable in their own skin. What’s fun about fashion is that it’s an expression of people’s state of mind, their personality. I wanted that to be the energy this season. We worked with Levi’s® on a denim capsule too. It’s been such a dream. I love collaborating. I find the process so uplifting – the synergy is so rewarding. When you work together, you don’t stand still, you have to evolve, because you’re looking at the world from another perspective, seeing another reflection of society. That’s really also the beauty of our GANNI 202020 collective.” The Levi’s collaboration Reffstrup is referring to, is all about renting. Together with the denim mogul, GANNI created a capsule collection made out of old jeans. They upcycled the used denim and created very GANNI-worthy items out of them. The most important aspect of their collaboration is that the items aren’t for sale; they can only be rented for a certain amount of time. It’s a project building further on last year’s GANNI Repeat, at which customers could rent GANNI items for up to three weeks. It’s an ambitious project with which GANNI shows a new way of enjoying fashion. The Levi’s x GANNI items are aimed to be worn many times, by many people.
So, may it be clear that after a period of soul-searching, Reffstrup’s light started to shine again. With her renewed energy, she created a vibrant collection for SS21. Eye-catching prints and graphic florals are just a few of the extravert expressions the designer made used of. After all, the collection aimed to give an answer to “What will the 20s look like?” According to GANNI’s team, the twenties will be roaring. In a good way.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDto8axhw-X/
Samsøe Samsøe
Samsøe Samsøe’s SS21 collection took inspiration in the global, yet local, subcultural diversity of the people around them. They explained: “We decided to go back to our roots – ensuring a storytelling of the global, yet local presence that Nørrebro possesses. This making us as a global brand a bit more local, real and raw. Being in the now. Just how we like it.” It resulted in a story of love: “With this year having an immense stamp on the world history, we realized we needed to go back in time – dig deeper, and analyze ourselves and our actions as well. With words such as glocal, diversity, inclusion, and camaraderie being a part of our moodboards and ethics for the past few seasons – it really became the ignition for pushing this collection to what it actually has become – a story of local love.”
The collection was full of folkloric traditions and cross cultural references. They were portrayed through geometric prints, light fabrics and oversized silhouettes. The soft tailoring combined very well with chunky outerwear items; it perfectly displayed the Nordic heritage. Overall the collection evoked a longing for romantic summers. Just how Samsøe Samsøe likes it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDtv_kPBBsD/
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