Denim was the running theme for my Copenhagen Fashion Week AW23 outfits; each one of my looks was an ode to the everlasting coolness of this versatile fabric. Here’s where to shop every piece. 

Everything I Wore to Copenhagen Fashion Week AW23

Denim was the running theme for my Copenhagen Fashion Week AW23 outfits; each one of my looks was an ode to the everlasting coolness of this versatile fabric. Here’s where to shop every piece. 
February 19, 2023
article by Mari Alexander/

photography by Mari Alexander

It was two a.m., and I was stark awake in my hotel room in Copenhagen. Jet lag had reared its ugly head, and after several tries to lull myself back into sleep, I decided to give up and give into some late-night scrolling.

Totally against everything sleep specialists recommend, I know. But I was secretly hoping I’d doze off anyway. No such luck. Because in the middle of my passive social media consumption, I saw it: myself, in Vogue. What? My brain jolted into maximum consciousness. I remember some light screaming and a few “Oh my Gods” tossed in every direction.

Needless to say, I didn’t get any shut-eye that night. I mean, it was Vogue. Vogue! The excitement of being noticed by street style photography extraordinaire, Acielle Tanbetova, lasts for hours, days, weeks — no, longer. (In fact, I’m still waiting for the feeling to fade.) The next day, I found out I’d made the magazine’s “Best Street Style” list a second time. And a few days later, photos of my outfits began cropping up in publications the likes of Vogue Scandinavia, Teen Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, Elle, L’Officiel, and GQ.

Fashion magazines have always been a portal to all sorts of fantasies — at least for me. In the early 2000’s, when I was a teenager living in Cairo, Egypt, my mom and I would take a cab to a cluttered little kiosk that stood quietly in front of the American Embassy. It was our favorite, and only, purveyor of used print publications. Publications like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, all the good stuff. We’d come back home and spend hours upon hours flipping through these glossies. I was enchanted every time. It was like opening a door to a glamorous world I couldn’t even wrap my head around at the time. I’m sure a lot of fashion folks who spent their adolescent years thumbing through style magazines can relate.

All to say: Seeing my style — the quirky little outfit I put together with a lot of passion and an equal amount of self-doubt — being recognized by such entities was a big moment for me. And this moment was made even more special when people on social media began asking me where to shop my looks. The friendship heart bag, in particular, was pretty popular; a TikToker’s video about the bag has racked up a whopping 700,000-plus views. I feel so grateful. Really. Truly. And I want to share the joy of owning this conversation-starting bag with everyone, so here is exactly where to shop all of my Copenhagen Fashion Week looks.

Day 1: Friendship Bag and Playful Denim

Yes, this bag does split into two! It’s such a cool piece, and I absolutely loved the theatrics of breaking the bag in half and seeing jaws drop. I felt like a bit of a magician. (The only downside? The bag’s awkward shape made it a nightmare to pack.) Another cool piece: This flared denim franken-leggings by Coperni. I saw them months ago, scooped them up during a sweet sale, and waited patiently to debut them at fashion week. The black belt(s) paired nicely with the leather bag and the buckled Senso boots, and the blazer injected some much-needed color into the whole fit. Both the blazer and the shawl (which comes with its own attached belt and can be worn as a vest of sorts) are made by South Korean brand Recto.

Day 2: Ripped Denim and (Another) Heart Bag

This outfit has special meaning to me because it’s designed by Vaska, a made-to-measure label from my hometown of Tbilisi, Georgia. If you haven’t noticed already, I’m drawn to funky denim pieces — and this ensemble was no exception. I fell in love as soon as I saw the distressed rips, the oversized fit, and the edgy silhouettes. It was my first time ordering anything I had to give my measurements for, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The result? Well, no surprise here, but it fit like a glove. As for the accessories, I wanted to play with textures, so I paired the look with Coperni’s fuzzy, faux-fur heart tote. OpéraSPORT’s butter-yellow t-shirt matched perfectly underneath the blazer (I also wore a base layer under that because, well, the weather.) A pair of Marine Serre gloves and boots that peeked through the rips finished off the look.

Day 3: Balaclava and Yeti Boots

You must’ve seen this already on every street style report from the city, but balaclavas/hoods were the accessory of the season. I wore this off-white hood at two evening shows — Saks Potts and Stine Goya — and it was a perfect shield against the night’s wind. Another favorite denim piece, this Guess USA denim coat was a bit of a callback to the colorful fur-trimmed coats that made Saks Potts popular among the style set. The shawl collar, the sleeves, the cinched belt, and the hourglass silhouette reminded me so much of that Saks Potts favorite. But of course, it was rendered in distressed denim — with a trailing skirt for added drama. To complete the look, these MSGM yeti boots provided some much-needed warmth on a really (and I mean, really) cold evening.