Copenhagen Fashion Week: The trends of the Autumn-Winter 2022 collections from Scandinavia
Hope and good humour, the staple of Copenhagen's Autumn-Winter 2022 Fashion Week. There was a palpable sigh of relief across the city when Copenhagen Fashion Week opened last Tuesday. This day marked not only the kick-off of the shows for the Autumn/Winter 2022/23 season, but also the end of all Corona restrictions in Denmark. As one of the first European countries in the middle of the omicron wave, it was almost fully back to normal - hopefully with a one-way ticket.
Walking or cycling through the streets of the Danish capital in true Danish style between the shows, talks and events of the week, we encountered not only all kinds of colourful street style looks, but also enormous optimism. Of the nearly 30 brands on the Copenhagen show schedule, more than two-thirds presented their AW22 collections in physical shows whose venues were once again spread all over the city. For example, Mark Kenly showed Domino Tan in the Danish National Gallery, Stine Goya in the Museum of Decorative Arts and Soulland in the impressive halls of a former locomotive workshop. Star designer Søren Le Schmidt even took his show visitors to the city's own amusement park "Tivoli" amid roller coasters and carnies and simply showed his latest collection in a ride itself.
The Danish capital has become an underrated fashion hub thanks to the increasing popularity of Scandi brands such as Ganni or Baum und Pferdgarten, as the Danish fashion industry is flourishing like never before. Not entirely unconnected to the current Scandi hype is their collaboration with German fashion giant Zalando. In January 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week unveiled its "Sustainability Action Plan 2020-2022" with Zalando, which itself set a new standard in sustainability with 18 stipulated minimum sustainability standards that every brand has to meet as part of the official show calendar, which should further strengthen Copenhagen Fashion Week's already undisputed role model function in terms of environmental awareness, transparency and social labour standards in the future. So the big goal still remains to become the most sustainable fashion week of all. For this reason, too, there is hardly any way around Scandinavia from a fashion perspective.
Stine Goya:
Stine Goya's show was a welcome ray of sunshine on a rainy day in Copenhagen. Known for its colourful universe of floral prints, Stine Goya now set out to create an entirely different kind of biotope for Autumn/Winter 2022. Inspired by the immersive installation "Life" by the Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, who flooded the museum halls of the Fondation Beyeler with green fluorescent water last year. The fusion of natural and artificial-digital textures were clearly visible in the collection, for example in the filigree floral embroideries in classic Stine Goya style, bright chequerboard patterns in neon colours, daring psychedelic prints, shiny jacquard and transparent rain fabrics made of biodegradable rubber. Stine Goya's designs become more eco-friendly with each collection, proving that sustainable choices don't have to come at the expense of good style.
Mark Kenly Domino Tan:
This season, Mark Kenley Domino Tan hosted an artful performance at the Danish National Gallery. The models were staged against a backdrop of painterly works, while the fashion itself was inspired by the landscape paintings. The result is a colour palette that mimics Mother Nature in autumn, from brown sugar and chestnut brown, anthracite grey and camel, to ivory and black. As Denmark's seasons turn cold, this Autumn Winter 2022 collection offers us the retreat we so often crave in winter in an indescribable display of texture and tailoring, of heavy, oversized wool knits and carefully selected lightweight materials of linen, silk and cotton. Strict, architectural lines are juxtaposed with soft, organic shapes. In doing so, Mark Kenly Domino Tan steps out of even its comfort zone of past seasons and takes a fresh approach to the everyday AW22 wardrobe. The brand is known for its attention to detail. So look out for the ruffle detailing on skirts and dresses, as well as the sophisticated floral detailing on the collar.
Martin Asbjørn:
The Danish designer returned to Copenhagen Fashion Week to posing applause after a two-year hiatus. And all because he simply wanted to design great clothes. He certainly achieved this goal as the closing show of the official show calendar. Actually known for his fine menswear, Martin Asbjørn surprised on this occasion with something completely different: Womenswear. While some of his AW22 looks were designed with the female form in mind and styled on female models, the designer is by no means fussy about who actually ends up wearing it. After all, the boundaries between men's and women's fashion are becoming more blurred by the day anyway. In this case, his fashion means unexpected layering and clever cuts. A pleated miniskirt sits on top of flared trousers, two blazers are worn at once and opposites meet in the form of sheer sequin dresses and suit trousers. Despite or perhaps because of the immense layering, this collection embodies Martin Asbjørn's other favourite description of his current work: sexy.
Baum und Pferdgarten:
It's no secret that winter in Denmark is freezing and stormy. But the icy winters in Copenhagen were simply not cold enough for Baum und Pferdgarten. Instead, designers Helle Hestehave and Rikke Baumgarten turned their gaze north to the unique landscapes of the inhospitable Arctic. Under the light of a gigantic polar full moon, we took a look at Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave's fashionable approach to dressing ourselves weatherproof against the elements. Their Autumn Winter 2022 collection is therefore rooted in a Nordic aesthetic that plays with the contrasts between light and dark, masculine and feminine and the diversity of the seasons. The result is shiny down jackets and quilted skirts in bold red, moss green and black, knitted jumpers and coats in sustainable fibres, all worn in layering, of course, with a touch of glamour - in short, a revisiting of the timeless classics for which Baum und Pferdgarten is so appreciated.
Saks Potts:
Whereas last season Saks Potts was drawn to the garden of famous architect and designer Arne Jacobsen in Charlottenlund, this time the Danish label invited us to the imposing halls of the Royal Danish Opera House and redefined the brand's entire aesthetic with their Autumn/Winter 2022 collection. Architecture and the visual arts play a central role in Barbara Potts and Cathrine Saks' work, and the designs were strikingly sculptural, yet seductive and practical. Draping, layering, graphic-constructed necklines and natural materials such as coarse knits, suede, and smooth leather met flowing fabrics, lots of lace and workwear-inspired trousers, midi skirts, playful polka-dot dresses, and silky slip dresses gave the collection a sleek nineties-style silhouette, unlike anything we've seen from them before. What makes Saks Potts' avant-garde looks so exciting is their fresh styling and surprising colour combinations like pink, cognac and beige or grass green to red and pink.
Soulland:
The literary genre of autobiography has been experiencing a decided boom in recent years; more and more readers are getting inside the heads of great thinkers, poets and stars and cannot escape the magic of personally experienced history. As the ultimate product of the ego, autobiographies are not that far removed from fashion. In this respect, Soulland's collection entitled "Original Memory, An Autobiography" also touched on the essence of the brand. Launched in 2002 as a menswear label, those origins are still omnipresent, even in womenswear - for example, when a hoodie peeks out from under a pinstripe blazer or a two-piece with a bright orange floral pattern clings extra boxy to the body. Otherwise, Soulland relied on a colour palette that mixed classic black, navy, camel and white tones with orange, red and green accents. Other motifs included stripes in every design, Tencel shirts, knitted jacquard - and a series of floral prints created in collaboration with American artist Charlie Roberts.
Henrik Vibskov:
We don't have to explain to Henrik Vibskov that fashion in Copenhagen is always understood in the context of other disciplines of the arts such as architecture, painting and performance. The designer is known for his spectacular presentations. For this year's autumn-winter 2022 collection, he got poetic. Inspired by his current retrospective at the Lillehammer Art Museum in Norway, Henrik Vibskov has been thinking about memories. More precisely, the Danish designer has been thinking about what he would like to be remembered for and what memory actually is in the first place. His thoughts eventually ended up in outer space, and he was also inspired by this, a journey and its wardrobe into the unknown. He refers to the 1972 Russian epic Solaris, in which space explorers discover a distant planet covered in water that can release distant memories. For his AW22 show, neon-filled floating balloons filled with notes and sheet music were suspended in the middle of the runway in an industrial hall. Time capsules for the future. In practical terms, the AW22 collection is a mix of vintage and futuristic elements. Retro elements appear in the form of puffed sleeves and shrunken collars, checked wool coats and floral patterns. A kind of dystopian futurism, on the other hand, is found in the sharply tailored suits. Henrik Vibskov thereby dedicates himself to a distant reality, and is already preparing us fashionably for the occupation of other planets.
(di)vision:
This season, designers Nana and Simon Wick were inspired by looking up at the sky and asking themselves what is beyond our planet. The latest collection was inspired by the idea that there must be more out there, which is evident in the out-of-this-world looks made from old stock in patchwork and upcycling, and shown in no better venue for it than Copenhagen's stellar stronghold, the Planetarium. A scenario was created in which we humans are the true aliens of the galaxy. To stay true to this futuristic approach of their AW22 collection, the design duo also relies on modern technology in production. They work with 3D renderings of their designs as digital models, which even allows them to skip some prototypes in order to fulfil a sustainable claim. (di)vision is already toying with the idea of digital clothing as a fantastic way to create something that can belong to several people without having to exist in the physical world.
Rabens Saloner:
Since its founding in 2007, Rabens Saloner has become known for its modern patterns with swirls and splashes of colour. For Autumn/Winter 2022, creative director Birgitte Raben proved that this aesthetic is also still central to the brand, but this time reduced it to just a few blues and earth tones and bright berry reds, but added tie-dye and pinstripe looks to the range for Autumn/Winter 2022. Rabens Saloner knows how to show off. But the brand not only creates coveted, handmade batik and knitwear, but in addition to fashion, they also offer unusual furnishings, which they source mainly from Bali, where founder Brigitte Rabens spends about half the year. For AW22, these two mediums came together, with monstrous Balinese clay pots piled up in the middle of the sprawling industrial space where the show was held.
Gestuz:
Instead of getting on a plane, how about getting into a time capsule? This thought experiment served Gestuz as the ideal runway for a trip back to the subversive 80s and 90s. Since a trip around the world was not possible, Gestuz creative director Sanne Sehested had simply created a time-travelling muse in her head. This allowed her to select the best fashion elements from the decades and then give them a modern 2022 twist. To do this, the Danish label not only chose the format of a digital presentation, but also placed a massive, out-of-control digital clock above the runway. The designer dropped us off in a gloomy club somewhere between the decades, when glam and punk rock were finally replaced by house and techno. In search of lost time, the collection takes us along broad-shouldered jumpsuits, ensembles in leather, ultra-minis and minimalist blazer-rock combinations in purple, to finally end up in the legendarily seductive heroine-chic era that can of course be worn both to dance with friends and to the office.
Lovechild 1979:
For Autumn/Winter 2022, Lovechild 1979 takes it grown up and gets inspiration from memories of yesteryear. Creative director Anne-Dorthe Larsen, who has been reflecting on the past more and more lately, found herself reminiscing about times gone by, especially on one of those endless evenings at home to soft jazz and dimmed lights, thinking about how clothes can create a certain mood. With this collection, while she also wanted to artistically capture her younger self that she knew from memories, she also wanted to capture the adult self from the here and now. Memories do have a tendency to be a little too romantically coloured - as if through a foggy lens. But that should be exactly the output of her in breezy, earth-toned dresses, relaxed blouses and sophisticated suits presented for the upcoming season that will hopefully create new memories. This collection may seem a little more grown-up than the previous ones, but that's exactly the direction she hopes to continue in the future.
Day Birger et Mikkelsen:
This season Day Birger et Mikkelsen celebrates the woman who is always well-dressed but never overdressed. For her AW22 collection, Day Birger et Mikkelsen's Creative Director Christina Exsteen has been inspired by the inherent beauty in all of us. Typically Danish, yet so universal internationally, it is the serenity and reliance on our beauty that has always played a big part at Day Birger et Mikkelsen. This season they perfect that same simple elegance, with classically feminine pieces in a balancing act of timeless classics and statement pieces. Once again, they have succeeded in this collection. It is the attention to detail, and yet the focus on utility and functionality, that is the common thread running through this collection. Between reinterpretations of classics and altered proportions with subtle accents, it's all about that very versatility of our modern wardrobe from trench coats, tweed blazers, leather jackets, flared or high-necked floral and cocktail dresses and fluffy fringed scarves. Seeing this, we almost can't wait for the upcoming AW22 season.
