With Copenhagen Fashion Week just over, Kara O'Sullivan reflects on the street style she loved most.
The thing I love the most about street style at Copenhagen Fashion Week is the inevitable unpredictability. You truly never know what you are going to get! A girl in a pair of boxer shorts, flip flops and her boyfriend’s jersey somehow sits perfectly next to another in a vintage ball gown, gloves, socks with heels and a fabulous hat in the front row.
The weather this year was equally unpredictable, which added to the anticipation and mystery of the street style we spotted each day. Mild temperatures in August for a SS24 season seemed to call for summer attire, but the tireless rain and gusts of wind disagreed. Luckily for us, this gave way to one show that wasn’t on the calender; the daily presentation of how each attendant dressed for any (and all) of the four seasons. We saw slinky, sheer, summer dresses, trench coats with winter-proof balaclavas, transitional autumnal layers (and broken umbrellas), and double denim fit for spring.
As always, there was endless inspiration around the streets of Copenhagen, but these were some of the looks that stood out to me most this year.
This is one of my favourite photos ever! It perfectly captures the energy at CPHFW; colourful, chaotic, comfy, cool and casual. I adore the crochet hat which picks up the joyful colours of Zeda’s bling, and perfectly clashes with the leopard print coat whilst somehow being the perfect match.
Emma Fridsell is the perfect example of Copenhagen cool girl. Here, she pairs jeans, a tee and boots with a weather-appropriate coat and a denim Louis Vuitton baggy shoulder bag complete with an epic cowboy hat to spice up the look. The hat was part of a collection by her friend and fashionista Lotta Lavanti and her brand, A Very Cool Hat. She wasn’t wrong, it definitely stood out as the coolest accessory of the week!
This was my favourite Barbiecore look! It’s giving Barbie meets Paris Hilton circa 2002 and I’m obsessed. This bubblegum is the perfect shade of pink on Anna Reesen. The make-up was an added bit of excitement with Euphoria-inspired diamantes to match the bling on her set, and the metallic moment of the bag… she even matched her drink can to her outfit. Pretty impressive if you ask me!
What’s better than double denim? Double denim with diamantés! Obsessed with this Saks Potts denim set on Celine Nordal, styled with a denim cap, kitten heels, a vintage Chanel bag and, of course, an umbrella. Have you ever seen anyone look so glamorous trying to hail a taxi in the rain!? She has the Carrie Bradshaw run nailed.
Dress for the weather you want 101. This is exactly the kind of look you would expect to see a SS season, and the weather listened. The sun came out for this look, highlighting the sparkling sequins and the sheerness of the dress. Straight from the Rotate SS24 show, this look on Meri Calvet was perfectly elegant, sexy and cool at the same time.
This outfit wasn’t planned, but after being frozen and soaked the previous day, the main inspiration was not ‘pulling a look’ but being comfy, cool, casual and most importantly, not cold! Without realising my inspiration at the time, this definitely ended up being a vintage JLO-inspired look. The hoops (the size of my head) added a bit of edge, the knit bralette from Irish brand Hope Macaulay added some colour and texture, tying in with the bag and shoes. The cargo pockets on the bomber and jeans played up the cargo trend that has been around for the last couple of seasons – one which isn’t going anywhere. It’s funny how my favourite look was the one I also felt most comfortable in!
This 1960’s inspired outfit is a look we definitely didn’t see much of, but it really caught my eye. The put-together perfection of this look is not exactly Copenhagen-like – a city known for its typically cool, casual, colourful uniform – the pastel colours really brought it right back and made it perfect for CPHFW. It was amazing to see how perfect the look stayed… regardless of the rain and wind, there was not a hair out of place! It was as if the weather knew not to go near Maren Schia in this look. The ballet flats and hairband touched on some trends of the moment, but this look felt timeless.
The shoes really do it for me in this outfit. The motorcycle jacket trend is here to stay apparently, but I love the full blue look to make this sporty fit look more fun and playful. The fluffy bag and phone charm give it a more girly feel too. I really adore every detail of this look, and will not rest until I hunt down these Nike x Martine Rose shoes!
Sustainability always plays a big part in CPHFW, but even more so this year. We saw a lot of rented, vintage and full secondhand looks, like on Verona Farrell, who is partnering with Sellpy to do secondhand fashion month! I adore this look on Johanna Dooley so much. The beautiful Saks Potts set is rented from Rentage, a Danish rental company, the bag is rented from greens are good for you (the company we set up together, so she got a good deal!) and the shoes were thrifted Ganni. It doesn’t get much more Copenhagen than that! The colours beautifully melt together giving us another autumnal-inspired look. Dare I say, it made me excited for autumn!?
Tara Kumar wasn’t letting the rain get in the way of her colourful summer! I am obsessed with the rainbow overload of this look. Her sporty spice aesthetic shines through with her Yankee cap, Irish artist Gemma Dunleavy x Bodibro UDF jersey, Adidas tracksuit bottoms and Nike x Martine Rose shoes, which bring some street and edge to this rainbow Stine Goya trench coat straight from their SS24 collection – all paired with her Pandora bling. Tara has such a unique yet distinctive sense of style that only she can pull off!
The men also deserve a mention from CPHFW. They really must be the best-dressed men in the world, and again anything goes. You will see edgy, biker, punk-inspired looks next to perfectly preppy ones, and everything in between. These Supreme x Louis Vuitton denim dungarees caught my eye immediately. The balaclava is fitting for this street-style look, but the loafers add an unexpected twist, giving the outfit serious class whilst still remaining super cool.
Spotted some Irish queens! They were really representing this year. I adore Gabrielle Luksaite in this chic farm girl look. It’s a perfect example of a transitional outfit – it’s definitely giving autumnal vibes with the ‘it girl’ biker boots and patent brown bag, but the sleeveless waistcoat and cream linen skirt really lighten the look and bring it back to summer. She added some cool from her own jewellery label, by stacking her ‘CRYSTAL’ rings and letting her chunky ‘GOLD GIA’ necklace peep out at the top of her waistcoat. Claudia Lamour styled her Mum’s vintage Moschino skirt and vintage Louis Vuitton denim bag with an easy white tank and blue Gazelles. We love a sustainable queen! She really made these vintage pieces her own. I love the mix of colours and prints that perfectly complement her accessories. It’s such a cool, casual, effortless look – she has really tapped into the Copenhagen cool way of dressing… it’s as if she has been living there all her life!
One thing is for sure, you will always find a twist with Copenhagen style. This cardigan styled backwards with a sequin maxi skirt and mules somehow looks so effortlessly cool and comfortable. She’s giving collecting the kids at 5pm and Ganni after party at 6pm. She really slayed without skipping on comfort.
This mother-daughter duo got the memo. They looked like something out of a children’s storybook, heading for the Saks Potts show in the lashing rain. So perfectly put together, and unintentionally (or maybe intentionally?) matching. The plaits really got me! Take a lesson from them on how to look chic in any weather.
Street style photography captured by Kara O’Sullivan at CPHFW.
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