Colourwaves to CopenHill: our style review from the much anticipated CPHFW SS22

With a handful of guests lucky enough to make the cut of Covid regulations, and over 80,000 views on CPHFW’s live YouTube channel throughout the week, designers upheld the highest industry standards of conscious creativity…

We were eased back into the whirlwind wonder of fashion week with the kick off of Vanessa Hong’s second collection at Lot#29, featuring coffee bean dyed garments and glass bottled organic cocktail potions. Cameras flashed as we walked in and our peripherals re-adapted to the accompanying paparazzi to a ‘normal’ fashion outing. Then back to the official hotel of CPHFW, screaming ‘sustainable luxury,’ the Skt. Petri graciously hosted our fashion editor for a few hours of shut eye before the 38 shows to come.

Beginning the first official day of CPHFW – one had to want it and want it bad, as the slew of press and influencers alike marched up to the sixth story garage roof setting one may remember from SS21’s Saks Potts closing barbecue.  

This season, the fold out seat littered parking deck featured a new designer to the schedule, (di)vision, to set things off. The rock and roll gone Nordic experience was filled with body-conscious patchwork off-cuts, markered tattoos, and a fortuitous curtain call for the week to come, featuring Danish Somalian model Mona Tougaard.  

Next up featured the ‘phygital’ show courtesy of Nikolaj Storm, winner of this year’s Zalando x CPHFW Sustainability Award. His play on the ‘techno tea time’ featured lemon embossed floppy hats, play-suits, and patterned logo shirts with conscious fabric. Eye-catching colour combos reawakened the fashion lover from hibernation.

Then onto Nynne, one of Stockholm’s feature designers umbrella-ing – quite literally-  hues of magenta, orange, and versatile linens in relaxed fitting ensembles. The afternoon featured German designer, Malaika Raiss in beautifully and airy Statens Museum for Kunst. The live DJ to bodice flattering silhouettes, and fabrics with a sparkle… made this season’s sans masks cocktail hours feel closer to reality. 

The Royal Danish Academy next invited inside for a show, featuring its leading graduates against an impressive cello performance. The range of talent reminiscing Mary Katranzou on steroids to more gothic off-cut ensembles came with an important message for the art of revenge dressing. Scarves that donned a message ‘stop fucking burning clothes’ as the accessory to steal the show struck home.

Gestuz carried on with the immersive phygital experiences, featuring a warehouse setting catwalk set against a nature filled, dynamic green screen. Taking the audience from the forest to horseback in SS22, denim on denim, bold green hues, and horse bit accessorizing proved trend worthy investments.  

Lovechild 1979 transported the audience to coastal Italian side streets with Negronis and gelato proving the attendees favourite accessory of the day. Boys in pastel play-suits, girls in scarves tied at the neck, and straw totes to go around took a Nordic spin on effortless holiday packing.   

Next onto The Garment, the first collection from Danish influencer Sophie Roe and Charlotte Eskildsen, resembled a conscious Scandi take on the less accessible NYC-based Khaite collection. Focussing on simple designs, clean stitching, and quality fabric proved to impress the international audience.  

Rodebjer brought us all where we were supposed to be with their under-the-bridge golden hour show, featuring tasteful garments and organic wine alike. Sun catching, ombre fringe, peachy gauze layered dressing, and a touch of painted metallic proved the refreshing party wear solution to a body used to months in active wear.  

Closing out day one with Soeren Le Schmidt, and the first rendition of live music in a long while, brought the audience back to School of Rock : electric guitar, green strobe lights, and an equally electric collection.

Day 2 kicked off atop pick up trucks, movie drive-in style for the Samsøe & Samsøe show. With honks of anticipation and approval in the old Chevy’s, scarves tied Brigitte Bardot style blowing in the wind, and bagels with vegan cream cheese to go around… no one was complaining about the schlep out of central CPH first thing. Pastel hues to relaxed yet finely tailored blazer and short ensembles proved the art of dressing up could remain equally playful in the season to come.  

The runner up for this year’s sustainability award, London-based Mother of Pearl showed next. Conscious seams embossed with sustainability harvested pearls added an element of femininity to a stiff denim or a black tie element to a classic shirt.  ‍

Brøgger showed next upon a rooftop garden, featuring ruched detailing upon a mixture of light and airy fabrics. Bandanas like a train to a wedding dress in playful blues and yellows delivered the runway hippie home. 

Out to Reffen, Copenhagen’s coastal food and drink shack hangout for the teens, held Hemlstedt’s lost at sea capsule. Beginning with a poem read aloud the very Emilia-like climbable ship installation sailed the audience away genie-in-a-bottle style out of the city. Providing a playful oasis with printed swimwear and matching berets alike sent an energy along reminiscing a beauty of getting lost in a less isolating, more fantastical way than the last year had to offer.    

Soulland took to the arena for their immersive collection that resounded among all of us that fashion week – with all its bells and whistles – was back. Consciously filling a fraction of the seats in the stadium, the mix of trendy gauze printed fabrics, stenciled shirts, and gilet adaptations embodied the spectrum of designer Silas’s vision. The red – lit curtain call flooding the audience to the vibrational music made us all feel a little more alive. 

By Malene Birger opted for an in store installation featuring a DJ and wine combination, which left the audience happily popping in and out of the storefront as they cheered a glass with old and new friends. The tasteful fringed leather and textured summer knit ensembles proved equally refreshing to the experience.

Baum und Pferdgarten showed next on a central square in the city with a collection titled ‘Love und Understanding.’ A publicly accessible venue made the show a democratic experience, as were the designers’ use of colourwaves. Mixing prints, fabrics, and formality proved to have something cheery to offer us all.

Saks Potts commenced Day 3 with a collection seeming to mature with their very own Barbara and Cathrine. Though known for their fluorescent and fur numbers, the tailored neutral jackets, wool knits, and micro purses to accompany that which shines and glitters proved a tasteful transition. Stine Goya impressed viewers next with her off-schedule, respectfully mask-donned presentation in the studio. With complimentary patterns in monochrome and colourwave from headscarf to sock, her collection titled “How much can we grow” rang home in delivering her vision of inclusive expressionism.

Our editor next tuned in for Berner Kühl, impressing us with graceful yet casual suiting ensembles. Neutrals proved far from boring with effortless monochrome layering.

MKDT was next on our on the ground agenda, as the designer took over the Frederiksberg Town Hall. Models rotated through grand french doors donning khaki sun hats and chocolate-y leather accessories, hues proving just as tasteful as dulce de leche itself.

In the afternoon, a selected number travelled to the famous ‘Copenhill’ rooftop ski slope that out of season appeared to host Ganni’s surreal cityscaping show. Nikolaj and Ditte impressed their followers once again with the second installment of their ‘Higher Love’ series. A striking array of models on a rainbow logo-printed catwalk electrified us all. From beaded layering ensembles to pale pink clogs, playful yet accessible garments were at no shortage. 

Our editor next tuned in for Rotate, bringing the audience back to the rugged parking lot atmosphere of Day 2’s Samsøe show. With stripes and glitter, quilted cargo, and love-handle peeping floral … the blonde duo have done it again in making the funky sexy.

Next, a central screening of Louise Lyngh Bjerregaard’s debut collection from Paris. An upcycled, gothic romanticism caught the attention of even the most tired of eyes from the day’s race arounds. The hand-made quality and precision in each number left viewers wanting more.

For the grand finale, Henrik Vibskov‘s larger than life show on stilts took us home. Giving the essence of an adult candyland from bubblegum pink piping to ombre plaid, he brought back the rush of putting on an unquestionably original garment. With white circular sunglasses accessorising each look, one awaited Willy Wonka himself to appear offering a golden ticket for pre-release.

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Isabel Froemming is a contributing fashion sustainability writer, model, and activist based in London. Her research focuses on transparent supply chains and gender equity in Indonesia. Isabel ran communications for Copenhagen Fashion Week for SS21 and prior to that acted as an editorial associate at sustainable e-tailer Rêve en Vert.

Runway images courtesy of VOCAST

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