And that’s a wrap! Kara O’Sullivan takes us through a recap of her Copenhagen Fashion Week, from the must-see shows to the street stylers to follow.
Wow, what a week! I feel like I have lived nine lives in one week, attending 20 shows, endless events, wearing lots of looks, too many outfit changes, minus hours of sleep and eating I don’t know how many pastries. Don’t tell, but the pastries in Copenhagen are better than in Paris!
CPHFW for me is just the gift that keeps on giving. I truly never feel more alive than when I’m there. I have just landed back in Paris, and still have about 10,000 pics to scroll through, so I’m excited to relive my week with you.
THE WARDROBE
My style mood in Copenhagen is always a couple of stand-out pieces, denim (duh!), and dopamine dressing, especially in the winter when the weather isn’t giving us our dopamine hit! My other rule for dressing here is that more is more, I really don’t think I’ll change my mind about this one!
My looks this week are some of my favourite looks I think I have ever worn. I don’t think I will ever be over these Ksenia Schnaider jeans from Zalando – you know how I feel about denim. It was so fun to watch people’s reactions as they realised they were literally a pair of denim jeans printed on more denim – genius!
I was dressed by two brands this season (pinch me!), and not just any brands, but two of my absolute favourites, Rotate and Munthe. I adored my looks for both of these shows. I chose a sparkly silver sequin number for Rotate, which I paired with daring silver eyeshadow and some mixed metal to mix things up. Surprise surprise, I stuck with my double denim uniform for this Munthe look, having fun styling it with different pops of blue.
And pretty much everything else I wore was Vinted. As always, but especially during fashion week, I love wearing vintage pieces. It really allows your individual style to stand out amongst a fabulous crowd of fashionistas.
SCANDI STREET STYLE
Next, we have to talk about the street style for a second. No matter how many seasons I’ve been to CPHFW, and how many more times I will continue to go to, I don’t think I will ever be prepared for the style witnessed on these streets. It is constantly unexpected, a total mix of colours, textures, and styles. The standout street style trends for me this season were colourful furs, funky hair accessories and hats, ties and tailoring and of course, having fun with layering.
Whilst I always look out for the same familiar faces every season, capturing street style is also my favourite way to discover new people to follow. I always know Sally Javadi (@sallyssneakers) will of course have the coolest kicks, but her ‘fits are always fire too. I am obsessed with her and Nadia Idder as a duo, they always manage to coordinate in some sporty spice look and somehow make it look effortless. I seriously need to steal Nadia’s sneaks.
Babette van Luijk is always one to watch. Her look for the Baum und Pferdgarten show was one of my favourites all week, how FUN. I found her with friends Amy Nathalie Portier and Daphne Boskma, more fabulous people to follow.
Ava Kalitowski is the absolute cutest. I just discovered her this week and her ‘fits every day got better and better. Of course, I chased her down to get her Instagram after I saw her!
Mona Ali kills it every single time. She always has so much fun with her style which I love. If the head-to-toe print wasn’t enough, the bump just makes her look even cooler! She’s giving Riri a run for her money here.
I always keep my eye out for Zeda. I can never even begin to guess what she is going to be wearing, she always takes me by surprise. I have never seen someone experiment with style and fashion more and she always nails it! She is a true genius when it comes to styling, and I am always dying to see what she will do next. She wears her looks with the most energy too, and never fails to bring a huge smile to everyone’s faces!
Chloe King is the queen of colour, print and everything in between. She is not afraid to mix, match and clash, and it works every single time. She is such a joy to spot each season, which isn’t hard, as she’s usually the most colourful and radiant person in the room!
COPENHAGEN’S MUST-SEE SHOWS
The shows this season did not disappoint. I know I say this every time, but I really am always the most excited for the Rotate show. Nobody knows how to put on a show, (or an after-party!) quite like the Rotate girls! The energy is always so high, the looks are always fierce, feminine and fun, and the music is unmatched. Tarzsa Williams DJ’d the entire show and after-party and I’m not ashamed to say I spent most of the night Shazaming.
Opera Sport was the first show of the week, and definitely started it off strong. I loved the layering, the polka dot details and the cutest Puma shoe collab. I also met the sweetest and best-dressed guests, Elle Bridge and Anais Van Oekel, who I have been following for a while now, so this was such a gorgeous way to start off the week.
ALIS had an incredibly cool comeback show. Styled by another favourite fashion icon of mine, Pernille Teisbaek, the looks solidified the brand’s skater-style streetwear comeback. Of course, the dyed green acid wash denim caught my eye, along with the pops of pink and double zip details. I am a huge fan of a double zip, it makes the piece so much more interesting to style.
Munthe was full of loud prints and cosy coats and is definitely bringing back the skinny scarf. I adored this striped cardi with the sparkly skinny scarf and supersized glasses.
Baum und Pferdgarten always put on such a fun show. The theme for the collection was ‘heartbeats’, which was showcased by an incredible set design of inflated hearts, and a fitting soundtrack of an edit of Robyn’s “With Every Heartbeat”. The collection was cute and colourful, as to be expected, with shades of olive, plum and lots of fun prints. The denim polka dot set that closed the show absolutely stole my heart – I’m going to need it the second it hits the shelves.
I stopped by the Stine Goya showroom to view the new collection, and was blown away from the second I stepped in the door. Their Senior Print Designer and Art Director had hand-painted their hero print of the season all over the showroom, it was a true work of art. The team kindly talked me through the inspiration for the collection, including memories from Stine’s childhood, and showed me more hand-painted sketches which were mesmerising. I also got to meet Stine herself which was a real treat.
THE COPENHAGEN MUST-VISITS
And finally, in our very limited downtime, here are some go-to spots to save for your next trip.
Delphine is definitely worth the hype. You’re going to want to get your outfit pic here, the decor in this place is as good as the food. Don’t miss the photo booth or the fries.
Sct. Peders Bageri is a must. I don’t know how to pronounce this properly, but what I do know is that it is the best bakery ever. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but don’t judge a book by its cover and all that. This place is truly heaven. I couldn’t choose between sweet and savoury, so, of course, I got both. The salted cheese and butter sourdough roll to start was mind-blowing, and the pistachio cream pastry was just scrumptious for something sweet after. I’m still dreaming about this, to be honest.
Gasoline Grill is an essential pit stop. This place literally looks like a gas station, but in fact serves up some of the best burgers I have ever tasted. Don’t mind the queue, it moves fast! This is the perfect fuel to get you through fashion week when mealtime is a mystery and you don’t know when you’ll get your next fix.
Magnolia’s pre-loved and vintage store is as dangerous as it is gorgeous. With rare pieces from favourite brands like Chanel, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana as well as the best that Scandi style has to offer like Cecilie Bahnsen, Acne Studios, Stine Goya and Samsoe Samsoe. Prepare to part with any money you have left for the trip.
I had the best time ever, and despite the sleep debt, left full of energy, inspiration, and joy! It is truly a magical city and a very special week every season.
Photography by Kara O’Sullivan.
