Shades of Barbie pink to big bags, 7 trends from Copenhagen Fashion Week

Had I not visited the brand’s showroom the day before, I would not have known about its focus on natural Danish materials and mono-fibres, the latter a crucial help when it comes to circularity (multi-fibre textiles are much more difficult to recycle) but not on the to-do lists of a brand – yet.

‘Conscious living’: Hong Kong fashion label hosts wearable art pop-up

The diversity of models was also striking. CPHFW shares guidelines with brands on the importance of representation, a move that has clearly paid off.

At the Alectra Rothschild/Masculina show on day one, Rothschild, the first openly trans woman to show at CPHFW, sent a diverse cast of charismatic performers down a womb-inspired catwalk in zero-waste dresses – an avant-garde spectacle that paid homage to her transition and “rebirth”.

Given the back-pedalling that casting directors have done in fashion capitals like Paris (the return of the Y2K look swiftly wiped out much of the progress seemingly made), the heights, body types and backgrounds of the models in Copenhagen demonstrated things the Big Four fashion weeks should have nailed years ago.

Gloves were seen as a rising trend. Credit: Tonya Matyu

At the event’s core was the fashion and, on this front, designers offered plenty to mull over. From tailored three-piece suits to hardware worth expanding your jewellery vocabulary for, below are seven trends that we bookmarked for styling inspiration and future shopping trips.

1. Barbie pink’s second wind

While the Oscar nominations had us thinking the reign of Barbie pink was over, several brands pleaded its case, using the colour for a series of sophisticated silhouettes in pastel and bold shades.

Stine Goya showed impeccably tailored wool coats and cut-out gowns in cool pastel pink Photo: James Cochrane

During Stine Goya’s show, hosted in the brand’s colourful atelier, the Danish brand presented impeccably tailored wool coats and cut-out gowns in cool pastel pink, alongside a warmer-hued silk draped dress with a matching shoulder bag.

Its eponymous founder’s fondness for a rich palette was evoked in a manifesto printed on the walls and narrated by her to begin the show. A pink dress also made an appearance at Alectra Rothschild/Masculina – a ruched, asymmetrical bubblegum pink number.

For those looking for ways to pair brighter pinks with wardrobe staples, take note of minimalists’ favourite Aeron, which interspersed its collection of looks in earth tones and pastels with fuchsia ostrich leather trench coats and trousers.

A look from the Aeron runway show. Aeron interspersed its collection of looks in earth tones and pastels with fuchsia. Photo: James Cochrane

The latter’s pairing with a burgundy jumper and scarves was inspired, and offers a chic way to contrast brighter statement pieces with cosy cold weather favourites.

2. An ode to the mob wife

Given the current “mob wife aesthetic” trend, it was no surprise that leather and faux fur made appearances on runways in the Danish capital.

A look from the Nicklas Skovgaard runway show. The show featured 1980s-inspired hair and make-up. Photo: James Cochrane

At up-and-comer Nicklas Skovgaard’s show, 1980s-inspired hair and make-up and Laban’s “Caught Me by Surprise” set the scene for a retro-glamorous collection.

Draped leather dresses with an exaggerated hourglass silhouette, high-waisted leather pants and faux-fur-panelled cardi-coats exuded extravagance, while slouchier off-the-shoulder necklines and jersey underlayers paid tribute to the aerobics boom.

Elsewhere, at OpéraSport and The Garment, leather took on a more pared back look in the form of coats, capelets, blazers and bombers.

A look from The Garment’s runway show, which paired classic polo neck jumpers and belted trousers with faux fur jackets and sweeping coats. Photo: James Cochrane

At the latter, faux fur jackets and sweeping coats were paired with classic polo neck jumpers and belted trousers – signalling a way to dip one’s toes into the aesthetic without fully committing to the animal prints and tracksuits of The Sopranos.

3. The bigger the bag …

Bulky totes and clutches were all the rage, contrasted with short hemlines and slinky fabrics. Saks Potts, the cool-girl label run by childhood friends Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts, released its debut bag alongside an urban yet bohemian line-up that paid tribute to Kate Moss and other 90s tabloid regulars.

A model holds a black leather bag Backstage at Saks Potts, a cool-girl label run by childhood friends Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts. Photo: Tonya Matyu

The bag, rendered in a croc-like black leather, contrasted nicely with the collection of silky dresses – a tempting proposition for those who, like me, enjoy having a snack, first aid kit and book on hand at any given time.

The big-bag memo had clearly also been received at Aeron, where leather totes were folded up and held as clutches alongside suits and maxi dresses, while an oversized bucket bag was held over the shoulder alongside a suede gown.

4. Masculin féminin

Mf Pen’s polished blazers were dialled down with trousers in a more relaxed silhouette. Photo: Bryndis Thorsteinsdottir

Androgyny was the name of the game for several designers, who made Savile Row tailoring cues covetable for all.

Skall Studio kept things wearable with denim, cosy knits, and blazers in seasonless earth tones which were dressed up with skirts, statement jewellery and pointed flats.

At cult label MF Pen’s debut show, menswear tropes were given a grunge edge: pinstriped trousers were styled simply with a shirt and safety-pin-topped tie, while polished blazers were dialled down with trousers in a more relaxed silhouette. The brand managed to make suiting look and feel effortless.

A look from the Remain runway show, which took tailoring to new lengths. Photo: James Cochrane

At the other end of the spectrum were Remain and Mark Kenly Domino Tan (MKDT): the former took tailoring to new lengths with several blazer-dress hybrids, while the latter’s latest collection, inspired by American aviator Amelia Earhart, subverted classical cues.

At MKDT, both male and female models wore cummerbunds under impeccably made blazers and bombers, as well as pleated trousers, tucked into riding boots, in greys, blacks, browns and navy that let the craftsmanship speak for itself.

5. The high-low

A look from the Mark Kenly Domino Tan runway show. Photo: James Cochrane

Waistlines hit the extremes, with drop waists and ultra-high waistbands dialling up the drama.

Alongside the cummerbunds at MKDT, Nicklas Skovgaard continued his now-signature dropped waist look, which for AW24 took the form of dresses in Grecian-meets-disco drapes, ruched suede and asymmetrical sloped bodices.

There were also the wide statement belts – studded and sequinned, and worn low-slung over jumpers and shirt-dresses – at Saks Potts, which nodded once again at Kate Moss. Even I, a wide-belt sceptic having lived through the 2010s, was persuaded.

Nicklas Skovgaard continued his now-signature dropped waist look, which for this year took the form of dresses in Grecian-meets-disco drapes. Photo: James Cochrane

6. Alt accessories gain ground

Being an earrings-and-maybe-a-ring girl myself, the shows encouraged me to broaden my vocabulary when it comes to accessories. There were the safety pins at MF Pen, which were often strung with pearls and pierced on blouses for an undone look.

Also noteworthy were the silver brooches on show at Skall Studio (a collaboration with Danish jeweller Kinraden) and Mark Kenly Domino Tan, which made a case for using them to fix shawls and scarves so they drape just so; moonstone-topped bow-ties were also a stand-out.

Another unlikely winner was the humble glove, which peeked out of handbags at Stine Goya, and were rendered in gauzy sheer fabric at The Garment, lending feminine charm to the sharp-shouldered oversized coats they were styled with.

7. Statement spins on heritage knits

Scandinavians love a good knit, and several designers played with traditional patterns. Finnish designer Rolf Ekroth referenced his roots via a series of multicoloured knit pieces with patterns featuring birds and figures; rather than selling the clothes traditionally, he will partner with yarn company Novita to sell knitting kits for select items in an effort to bring shoppers closer to craft.

Finnish designer Rolf Ekroth referenced his roots via multicoloured knit pieces with patterns featuring birds and figures. Photo: James Cochrane

Elsewhere, at Henrik Vibskov, vests and jumpers were adorned with a playful pattern featuring horse-like animals, while Paolina Russo’s show featured chunky knitted miniskirts, capes and skirts with her futuristic renditions of folk patterns. Let this be your cue to double heritage knits as party wear.

The label, known for its sculptural knits, returned to CPHFW after winning the Zalando Visionary Award last season.

Shades of Barbie pink to big bags, 7 trends from Copenhagen Fashion Week