Scandi style: Copenhagen Fashion Week’s unmissable highlights
From rugby shirts to bubble skirts and brat green, style savant Corina Gaffey takes us through the trends and designers that reigned supreme at Copenhagen Fashion Week this year.
While September is traditionally known as fashion month, with the global fashion tour hitting the capitals of Paris, New York, London, and Milan, August brings a unique twist. It’s the turn of the unofficial fifth fashion capital, Copenhagen, to host its annual Scandi showcase of the coolest brands, emerging talent, and cult favourites. This year, the calendar was dominated by brands like Rotate and Munthe and the exciting debut of Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer as Zalando’s Visionary Award winner.
While last year’s Copenhagen Fashion Week might have been hit by unseasonable weather (read: rain), the sun shone brightly for the 2025 spring sartorial parade. Designers took full advantage of the excellent weather, staging shows in various elaborate al fresco venues, from athletic stadiums to royal gardens and parks. Even indoor locations ranged from breweries, complete with beer for the show-goers, to large warehouses decked out in elaborate sets.
While the staging of the shows might have been dramatic, the clothes that walked the non-traditional catwalks also lived up to the diverse locations. Techno was the resounding genre for many shows, with models marching to an electronic beat.
At Marimekko, trance blasted through the speakers as a few trickles of rain arrived but disappeared as quickly as it came. The runway was instantly brightened with the kaleidoscope of prints on show, with all looks styled up with runners and models walking fast-paced to the beat.
With a blue-tinged athletic field, the sporty theme continued at Baum Und Pfetgarten as models raced down the track to ‘Personal Jesus’ by Depeche Mode. Clothing played up to the sporty atmosphere with football shirts, trailing tulle, and sequins teamed with stripes.
So, what else is in store for spring 2025?
Brat green
Spring 2025 is poised to embrace the bold, bratty green. Highlighter lime green is undeniably the newest shade of the season, and its reign is set to continue in 2025. At A. Roege Hove, it came in body-sculpting knits; at Baum, it came glittering; and at Sinéad O’Dwyer, lattice bodysuits in neon green were teamed with lace underwear from Savage by Fenty. While strong-silhouetted satin dresses and coats were crafted in the zesty hue at Forza Collective.
Ruffles
From tiers cascading down dresses to ra-ra ruffles adorning micro-culottes at Sinéad O’Dwyer, designers at Copenhagen reimagined ruffled embellishments. At Opéra Sport, ruffles add dimension to simple black midi dresses and decorated neoprene swimming separates, bringing the sporty and sweet. At Lovechild 1979, a grey organza ruffled dress was the closing look, giving the perfect modern bohemian sweeping finish to end the show.
Cuffs
Sculptural cuffs are here to replace your statement earrings if the Copenhagen runways are anything to go by. Bold, decorative bangles showcased a shift in focus from ear to wrist. Stacked cuffs by Danish jewellery brand Pandora at the Rotate show delivered an unexpected edge to ethereal dresses. At Remain, silver stacked cuffs paired with maxi dresses and sheer separates proved that your accessories don’t have to be limited to just dangling ear candy.
Art, nature and architecture
The art world and its surroundings greatly inspired designers’ ss25 collections. The Garment unveiled its Arts Club collection at the Thorvaldsens Museum, with the historic venue’s influence taking centre stage in the classic elegant meets modern sensibility collection. Lovechild 1979 looked to the abstract watercolours of Eva Hesse, channelling her muted palette and fluidity with their fabrics. MKDT drew from a rich source of influences, most notably Indian architect Bijoy Jain. Their collection embraced a harmonious blend of craftsmanship and nature, with earthy tones and intricate 3D floral motifs.
For Munthe, art is more than just inspiration – it’s an ethos. This season, a hand-crafted pressed floral print became the standout motif. Rotate took inspiration from the 1920s with a collection that reflected the decade of escapism and frivolity. They hosted the show in Copenhagen’s Royal Library gardens to further enhance their vision, with models circling art-deco flowing foundations designed in the twenties. Sinéad O’Dwyer showcased her looks on pathways at the Opera Park using sculptures based on 3D scans of Sinéad’s early cast works of artist Jade O’Belle that perfectly reflected the collection’s colours.
Sheer genius
There has yet to be a passing season where sheer wasn’t a significant trend on the catwalk. And, once again, designers at Copenhagen sealed its status for spring 2025 dressing. Diaphanous fabrics and gauzy silhouettes continued to redefine naked dressing with an elegant edge both on and off the runway. At Remain, minimalist sheer organza pieces in a moody slate palette delivered a masterclass in understated sophistication. At Baum Und Pferdgarten, longline sweatshirts and rugby shirts with lace or sequin sheer skirts offered a playful twist. At Remain and The Garment, sheer suiting brought sophistication to sheer-through separates. The message is clear: this trend remains anything but invisible.
Capris
Pedal pushers—like or loathe them—are making a comeback, swiftly reclaiming their place in the fashion spotlight. The abbreviated trousers are no longer confined to nostalgic throwbacks—they have become one of Copenhagen’s dominant trends on and off the runway. Opéra Sport was the debut show at Copenhagen Fashion Week and was the first to showcase capris for spring 2025. This trend is set to dominate the upcoming season, and A. Roege Hove’s knitted capris paired with ballet flats are a perfect example of how to style capris in Copenhagen fashion.
Rugby shirt
Add the rugby shirt to your SS25 shopping list. The sporty striped staple was spotted at Baum, Opéra Sport, and Stem, each uniquely styled and showcasing how the preppy piece can be worn beyond just the field. At Baum, it was paired with sequins or full skirts; at Opéra Sport, it was silky slip skirts and smocked skirting at Stem.
Bubble
From bubble-soled flatforms at Sinéad O’Dwyer to puffball skirts at Nicklas Skovgaard and bubbly crop tops at Herskind, the airy, voluminous trend was bubbling under all over the catwalks. But what is the Copenhagen way of wearing the statement silhouette? It’s all about balance: opt for muted, timeless hues that let the bubble take the spotlight while the rest of your outfit remains understated.
Clean Slate
It wouldn’t be Copenhagen Fashion Week without a hefty dose of refined minimalism. Delivering its signature brand of effortlessly chic pared-back aesthetic reminding us once again why the Scandinavian fashion capital holds its place as the pioneer. Neutral tones and palette cleansing hues like stoney taupe and slate grey emerged. While clean, crisp white added a touch of purity to the proceedings. Serene shades aren’t simple; designers played with texture, silhouettes and form.
Lessons in layering
Playing with layers is a surefire way of adding depth and flair to an ensemble. We saw an elevated play of textures and silhouettes, moving far beyond the simple pairing of a coat with a dress. Layering wasn’t just a technique—it was a stylish mash-up. Light eclectic layers were spotted at Munthe, where a denim midi dress was layered over sheer sequin trousers. At Remain, sheer organza separates were layered with perforated leather. Sorbet-shaded bandeau dresses were draped over trousers at The Garment.
Denim
Denim, especially in its double incarnation, appears so frequently on the Copenhagen catwalks that it is almost too ubiquitous to be a trend anymore. But no matter how often we see denim on the runway, designers always offer a fresh, modern take on the hard-working fabric. There were two-toned at Baum, embellished at Gestuz and buttoned-adorned at Rotate. Meanwhile, Sinead O’Dwyer crafted deep, dark denim that sculpted and contoured the body.
Work/life balance
Many brands redefined workwear with a fresh, innovative approach, tailoring it to seamlessly fit the demands of modern lifestyles. At Baum Und Pferdgarten, with their aptly named show Office Olympics, they presented tailored blazers, trousers, and skirts designed with flexibility and comfort in mind—ideally suited for navigating the hustle of a demanding workday. And that’s what Danish design is inherently about; merging and fusing practicality with stylish flair.
That was also apparent at Lovechild, a collection that seeks to embody the dualities and contrasts that define today’s contemporary workwear. What followed was a tonal and calm-hued collection that merged occasion with every day, and raw with refined. At Marimekko’s energetic, print-led collection, dresses were thoughtfully designed to be non-restrictive to live-in, even to run-in, and the models showcased that perfectly marching fast-paced to techno.
Photography by James Cochrane.
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