Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Copenhagen Fashion Week, and the city is already in a celebratory mood. For spring 2026, the event widened its scope beyond Denmark, welcoming an expanded roster of Nordic talent from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The result? The largest edition yet, with 45 brands on the calendar—an eclectic mix of established names and fresh energy.
Cecilie Bahnsen, Rotate, Baum und Pferdgarten, Ranra, Anne Sofie Madsen, Freya Dalsjø, and Rave Review led the line-up, each bringing a different voice to a week known for its mix of commercial savvy and idiosyncratic style.
A platform for resilience
In an era of macroeconomic turbulence, Copenhagen’s fashion scene is hardly immune. Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of CPHFW, is clear about the mission:
“Our focus is on community—using fashion week as a bridge, showing the many roles fashion can play in the wider landscape. It’s a tough climate for brands globally, and our Nordic labels are no exception.”
Still, many houses reported healthy business growth. Sophie Bille Brahe, Skall Studio, Filippa K, and outerwear specialist 66 North all closed their fiscal year on a high note.
Creative returns and anniversary shows
Cecilie Bahnsen marked her 10th anniversary by pulling from her archives, reimagining past designs into one-off pieces. Her palette ranged from pure white to shimmering silver—one gown opening the show on Sadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, daughter of Björk. Off the runway, Bahnsen is preparing to open her first store, tucked into a hidden Copenhagen courtyard, offering private appointments and exclusive designs.
Rotate, designed by Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimarsdottir, stayed playful with airy, flirtatious fabrics and bright moods. “We’ve seen especially strong growth in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy—and a notable rise in the Middle East,” said Madsen. Valdimarsdottir credited competitive pricing as a buffer against retail slowdowns and tariffs.
Beyond the blazer fatigue
Copenhagen has become synonymous with oversized tailoring, but this season, blazer saturation set in. Skall Studio broke the mould with boucle jackets and outerwear built for easy wear—continuing a steady growth streak that saw net profit jump from $562,000 in 2023 to $905,000 in 2024.
OpéraSport took inspiration from a trip to Seoul, weaving pastel urban landscapes, hanbok silhouettes, and hibiscus motifs into spring 2026. Their opera-style coats and resort-ready dresses found eager buyers in Scandinavia, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.
From city streets to stables
Caro Editions’ Caroline Bille Brahe staged her pick-and-mix print collection—gingham, polka dots, and checks—under Knippelsbro Bridge, blending preppy and punk elements. A collaboration with Mulberry reworked vintage bags with silk bows cut from their original linings.
Baum und Pferdgarten took guests north to a horse stable, dressing models like Ascot-bound jockeys. Iceland’s 66 North recreated its factory inside a warehouse, offering live garment repairs and a weather test for its Gore-Tex jackets. The brand has posted double-digit growth—19% annually in Denmark, 41% in the UK—thanks to targeted market expansion.
Jewellery and retail innovation
Jewellery designer Sophie Bille Brahe has quadrupled revenue since 2019 under CEO Anne-Sofie Møller, closing 2024 with a 30% jump in DTC sales. This season, she reworked three signature pieces—Escargot, Fleur, and Amis—adding a new design, Cosmos, with pear-shaped diamond petals.
Uniqlo offered a curveball: the Soufflé House pop-up, an immersive, tactile installation inspired by its autumn knitwear. Customers could literally nap on the product—part of a push for emotional, sensory retail. Nine new European locations will open this autumn.
Holding the line
Despite economic headwinds and unpredictable weather, Copenhagen Fashion Week proved it can hold steady—blending business resilience with a creative spirit that still manages to surprise. As the event looks toward its 20th anniversary, the mix of heritage, experimentation, and a clear-eyed global strategy might be exactly what keeps it not just alive, but leading.
