CPHFW SS24
Come hell or high water, the show must go on! Fashionistas braved the elements for the summer edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week. But was it a winner or a washout?
After a few anxious days following weather apps, the world’s fashion press and buyers descended on Copenhagen to attend three and a half days of shows, parties and dinners to find that storm Antoni had decided to gatecrash at exactly the same time. But it takes more than horizontal rain, tornado winds and winter temperatures to stop the front row donning their latest looks, even if there were more coats and boots in evidence as the week progressed. Perhaps seduced by last year’s sun and heat, a majority of brands had opted for outdoor shows. Big mistake. It IS Scandinavia after all so everyone should have had a plan B. A few did manage to relocate but for most, the shows involved the rather dismal sight of models in swimwear, summer dresses and sandals walking through rain and wind in front of a cold and wet audience huddled on damp seats under umbrellas. Hardly the glamorous world of fashion and a genuine shame when designers had spent months on a collection for it to appear on pissed-off models in front of the clock-watching press. Not the best way to highlight a summer look. But, for some, the collections were strong enough to rise above the conditions or, better still, were shown indoors where we could relax and actually enjoy the spectacle. Menswear is increasingly difficult to find on the Copenhagen runways and, even though we don’t restrict ourselves entirely to left-over-right buttoned jackets and love looking at womenswear too, we would dearly love to see more that we could wear.
In a mixed-bag of shows, these were our favourite looks.
Rolf Ekroth
Part of a group of Finnish designers showing this time, Rolf Ekroth was a standout show for us. Balancing creativity, good styling, commerciality and a great understanding of fashion references, the show was a convincing example of how wide category menswear can be without falling into gimmickry or theatricality. His outerwear in particular was gorgeous and these leather coats showed quality and style in spades.
Vain
Another Finnish first-timer, Vain was altogether darker and more ‘club kid’ in vibe. The presentation suffered from being in a huge place forcing the models to walk at breakneck speed and, coupled with techno music, the clothes felt a little lost but, when you could catch sight of them briefly, there were some cool things. This coat – based on a funeral director’s crombie style – was well made and proportioned and still looked modern.
Sunflower
Sunflower insists on showing in a tiny courtyard to which it invites too many people who have to stand (outside and at the end of the day) but despite this, they won us over with a wonderful collection that was a love letter to the suit in many forms. They never reinvent the wheel, instead, they show clothes that guys actually want to wear. It was hard to pick the best but we loved the black coat (beautifully styled with shorts and a corsage), the slouchy grey suit and the seventies-influenced denim jeans and jacket.
Marimekko
The Finns were really here in force this time, with the old-guard represented by Marimekko with a show that celebrated the 60th anniversary of their giant floral prints. The rain and gloomy light did nothing to help the presentation but the prints remain vibrant and fun and we very much liked the matching shorts and shirt sets in fresh orange and pink stripes worn with sandals and socks (always a styling favourite of ours).
Henrik Vibskov
The heavens must be looking kindly on the master of showmanship Henrik Vibskov this season as his show was outside AND managed to avoid rain and wind entirely. In an entertaining and theatrical presentation (as always with this brand), he managed to build a collection around the idea of packaging and postage (well… it was tomatoes last time so we expect weird and wonderful). We could live without the very literal pieces (‘Out for Delivery’ knits) but the reversed, uncut jacquard striped shorts and jacket were great, as was the shirt dress and the signature fun knitwear, this time with a stamp-like bird motif.
Mark Kenly Domino Tan
This brand goes from strength to strength with new explorations of silhouette and detail but, for us, it’s the quintessential Mark Tan pieces that we return to again and again. Highlighting the best quality of make and fabrication we saw all week, this soft, unstructured suit is just dreamy as is the boxy cropped jacket worn with shorts. There were quite a few gorgeous coats but this women’s version was stunning. Don’t think we’ll be wearing the ballerina shoes though.
Wood Wood
A brand that has seen more than its fair share of internal drama recently, Wood Wood’s collection was a little unfocussed (perhaps two designers and two creative directors might have a little something to do with that) but the menswear showed some good pieces. The proportions of this orange shirt are great and we very much like the pairing with pale grey and white.
