Cobbled pedestrianized streets are lined with chairs and small round tables under awnings. Along the square just outside of my apartment-hotel, they have seemingly sprung up from the emptiness of last winter. Waiters thread through the crowd, their trays loaded with glasses of wine or steaming cups of coffee. Both habitués and tourists are angled toward the central fountain, where an older gentleman with a saxophone has taken it upon himself to provide musical entertainment for the afternoon. The sun is shining — ah, finally, a beautiful Copenhagen Fashion Week summer! 

This is the weather we’ve been hoping for — OK, the weather I’ve been hoping for, given my lack of know-how on dressing for incessant rain (last summer) and strategically bundling against the cold (last winter, any winter). But this? This is Copenhagen at its finest — the ideal environment for fashion crowds wanting to peacock their carefully planned looks and of course, for fashion-week planners not to worry about keeping attendees dry at outdoor venues. 

Good weather aside, there’s so much more to be excited about. For starters, I’m fascinated by the promising new names on the schedule; there are so many talented independent designers to discover. Also, it didn’t go unnoticed that the Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule is packed with presentations this season — a more intimate, low-keyed format that lasts longer than a typical fashion show. (If you’ve been following this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of presentations.) In short, fashion week is in full swing, and I’m eager to take you along for the ride. Read along for a day-by-day breakdown of highlights and watch this space for updates.

OpéraSPORT: A Garden of Elegance

On a sun-dappled Monday, we arrived at Operaparken — a beautifully landscaped public park by the glittering harbor — for OpéraSPORT’s spring-summer show, which was inspired by another Danish oasis: the Exillion Garden in Søllerød. Taking cues from the garden’s baroque architecture, founders and creative directors Awa Malina Stelter and Stephanie Gundelach sent a romantic lineup of floral-quilted outerwear, embroidered designs, and a much-welcomed expanded selection of dresses. What made this collection work so well — brilliantly, memorably — is that OpéraSPORT applied its sporty-but-elegant design lexicon across the board.

Rolf Ekroth: “Lavatanssit”

Across town in the steely, industrial enclave of Refshaleøen, Rolf Ekroth prepared to open his third runway show in a pared-back warehouse-like space — his “most Finnish collection” yet. The opening look, a floral-printed dress with an inflated, life-jacket-inspired bodice, was a knockout. Not only was it visually impactful, it also got to the crux of the collection’s inspiration right off the bat — a yearning for connection. A connection through dance, romance, and game. With a nostalgic soundtrack chock-full of folk songs, the designer reminisced on a decades-old tradition known as “lavatanssit,” or open-air dance halls in the Finnish countryside. There were humorous-but-melancholic undertones; we saw some lovely dandelion prints, oversized outerwear, exceptional handiwork, and more life-saving-equipment-inspired silhouettes — a commentary on accidental, drunken drownings in Finland. Dark, but moving. All in all, it was a quietly spectacular showing.

Alectra Rothschild / Masculina: “You are wasted here, you are a star”

Just a hop and a skip away, on a wide-open parking lot, it was Alectra Rothschild / Masculina’s turn to take the stage. The roar of a motorcycle engine signaled the start of the show, as the first model whizzed past a large crowd of attendees. (It’s worth noting that the show was open to the public.) The presentation was something else. I knew this as soon as I saw the scaffolding, which models began to ascend one by one, dancing and performing, hanging upside down, and curling around poles decked out in latex, lace, and leather. “My first instinct right after showing [the previous season’s collection] was that I wanted the models to be lifted — to be on a sort of pedestal to make a quite literal societal power shift as the majority cast are trans and otherwise at the margins of society,” designer Alectra Rothschild wrote in the show notes. “I want everyone at the show to look up at us — where we truly deserve to be.”

Stem: The Pulling Collection

After pinballing around the city all day, I came to my last stop — Stem, helmed by British-born textile designer, Sarah Brunnhuber, who spent years developing a zero-waste garment production system that she built her brand around. It was an intimate presentation, set inside a small, cozy space in the heart of the city. Separated by a woven curtain, models showcased the brand’s spring-summer collection, which consisted of six standout pieces made with a newly honed method of manipulating fabric, which involves gathering it “to create volume and shape, combining digitally woven material with hand-knotting.” In the corner of the room, a Stem member quietly demonstrated how it’s done. It was insightful — seeing how Sarah creates these textures with extraordinary creased, puckered, and fringed details. 

Joao Maraschin: Road Trip

The sun climbed through the late morning as we gathered at the Copenhagen Skatepark — an indoor skateboarding venue — for Joao Maraschin’s first Copenhagen Fashion Week showing. The Brazilian-born London-based designer described his brand as a “hybrid of Brazilian vibrant tropical origins and European experiences” to WWD a few years ago. Not surprisingly then, his garments thus far have been heavily rooted in traditional Brazilian craftsmanship and handmade techniques. This collection, called “Road Trip,” was no exception. The first look was an instant scene-stealer: a floor-sweeping feathered knit gown that elicited audible gasps from the audience — myself included. Joao is big on texture, and it showed through loose knits, flying fringe, and bouncing trains of shaggy strands. (I was particularly swept away by the spate of red-hued looks that came out in rapid-fire succession.) The collection built on the theme of holding on to treasured items from Joao’s travels, pulling familiar ideas from his previous body of work and riffing on them — most noticeably, his paint-like print, inspired by the lights of the Amazon. Everything was beautifully and knowledgeably executed.

The Royal Danish Academy: Graduation Show

A (very) short gap later, I was back on the road and off to see The Royal Danish Academy. Every spring season, the master’s degree candidates of the Royal Danish Academy — a 250-year-old institution focusing on the arts — showcase their unfettered imagination at Copenhagen Fashion Week. There’s something exciting about viewing graduate collections — a different kind of exciting. In a business where growth can squelch creative ways of doing things, it’s interesting to witness what can come of design when it’s a wholly fluid, instinctive process. And these students didn’t disappoint. Inside a cavernous space at the Østerbro Stadium, illuminated by a heavenly light filtering through the high-ceiling windows, 14 designers broke into bloom. Some leaned into the weird and wonderful with a cacophony of color, shape, and volume. Others took a less oblique approach to fashion with more subdued silhouettes. Each explored an important theme. “Creating garments rooted in emotional and cultural understanding points to a more responsible future for the fashion industry,” said Else Skjold, an associate professor, PhD, at the academy.

Lovechild 1979: WOrking Perspective

It was mid-afternoon when guests took their seats along the pi-shaped runway, under the blistering, unrelenting heat, for Lovechild 1979’s spring-summer 2025 show. The venue? The Amalie Garden — a small-but-scenic park sandwiched between Amalienborg Palace and the waterfront. As I attempted to ward off the sun, I took in this spectacular location: the geometrical layout, the bubbling water features, the greenery. Gorgeous. And then there were the clothes. First came a sand-colored layered look, featuring side-fringed pants, vest, and a jacket that’s about as close to timeless as an article of clothing can get. Next, a collection that was expressively minimalist both in palette and texture, long on sheer tencel, linen blends, and supple leather. There’s an “aha” moment when you realize that everything was informed by the works of German-born American sculptor Eva Hesse. Lovechild 1979 is known for taking cues from a different creative in other disciplines every season, translating their work into the kind of easy wardrobe pieces that women are always looking for.

Stamm: Best Wishes

Later, I headed a little outside of the city center to a rooftop basketball court for Stamm. In the prelude to the show, a group of children — including designer Elisabet Stamm’s son — released a flock of pigeons into the sky. It was a dramatic start to the event — and a symbolic one at that. Homing pigeons were bred to carry letters; fittingly, the show centers around delivering a positive message. “I want to bring my best wishes to all,” Elisabet wrote in her heartfelt show notes. The uplifting energy was felt throughout. Elisabet showed a number of youthful, energetic separates, in her slouchy, oversized style. But this season was also one of balance. Contrasting body-swallowing silhouettes, there were tight, abbreviated tops and most surprisingly, “janties.” (That’s jean panties.) Other highlights: thunderously big white boots, statement-making hooded pieces, and a floor-length coat with a strong sense of personality. Fantastic — and I think the audience agreed. The whoops and cheers were some of the loudest of the day. 

MLGA: Exorior

A substantial crowd gathered in front of Bien Contemporary — a small, artist-run gallery space that played host to MLGA’s spring-summer 2025 presentation. A former ALPHA Award recipient and Royal Danish Academy alumni, creative director Marie-Louise Guldbæk Andersen cut her teeth at Cecilie Bahnsen before founding her own brand in 2023. She defines it as a “neo-menswear brand,” one that flouts the conventions of menswear and brazenly embraces a softer, more feminine side. For a label that’s a year old, it’s startlingly mature. Case in point: this collection. It’s called “Exorior,” which is Latin for “come forth” — a message that flies the flag for authenticity and fragility. Displayed on a mannequin, a loose-knitted thigh-length hoodie was layered on top of a wispy, turtleneck knit dress. And hanging on the other side of the room, denim pants were inverted and cut wide to mimic a full skirt. Marie-Louise crossed gender boundaries with tailored skirts, patches of lace on a blazer, and dainty knit tops — showing us how masculinity and femininity can comfortably coexist within the same garment.

Bonnetje: High Haste

The runway? A security lane created with retractable belt stanchions. Models filtered down the line, as though waiting to check in for a flight. Dubbed “High Haste,” Bonnetje’s spring-summer collection examines the act of getting dressed while in transit. “[It’s about] how you dress when you have to get out of the door rushed, and how different types of people are acting in waiting or on their way, or in the bus or in waiting queues, in the airport area, or in the metro,” Anna Myntekær told me after the presentation. Anna co-founded the brand along with Yoko Maja Hansen, with a distinct focus on dissecting and reimagining a perennial staple: the humble suit. In their hands, suits are transformed into a dainty slip dress, patchworked into show-stopping gowns, and pieced together into asymmetrical skirts. It’s absolutely fantastic work that shows Anna and Yoko’s intimate knowledge of the suit’s anatomy. 

Baum und Pferdgarten: Office Olympics

It was the last show of the day — and a pretty exciting one at that. Østerbro Stadium’s cobalt-blue running track was turned into a scenic runway well-suited for the collection’s theme. “‘Office Olympics’ is all about merging the elegance of corporate wear with the dynamism of athletic aesthetics, creating a collection that is both functional and fashionable,” founders and creative directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave said in the press release. “We wanted to encapsulate the energy and excitement of the sports world and bring it into the office environment.” This translated to a bevy of sportswear-inspired jerseys paired with office-appropriate skirts, pants, and jorts. The brand wielded stripes — a variety of them — to draw a parallel between preppy polos and crisp office button-downs. Elsewhere, we saw lovely blazers, sheer lace skirts, and colorful sequins. Diamanté soccer-ball bags finished off many looks. It was a celebration of the Olympic spirit, capped off with an afterparty where both conversation and beer flowed freely. 

Jade Cropper: Serpentine Transformation

Outside a steely gray sky was beginning to release a fresh wave of rain. But inside a warehouse-like space, we were transported somewhere else: a warm, dark, and mythical desert seemingly lit by a blood moon. A sinewy path strewn with red sand snaked through the crowd — a makeshift runway the models slowly walked before making their way up a small sand-covered stage. It was no surprise to find out that, for her spring-summer 2025 presentation, Swedish designer Jade Cropper pulled inspiration from the age-old symbolism connected to snakes: transformation and rebirth. Fittingly, every piece of the designer’s tightly edited collection is designed to morph to something else. A floor-grazing skirt, made from upcycled leather scraps that mimic rough-scaled snakeskin, can be transformed into a dress. Ditto the top it was paired with. Pants as skinny as a tapered tail can be reversed. Jackets can be converted into bags, bags can be uncoiled into skirts. A scene-stealing sculptural black dress can shapeshift into a coat. Everything was brilliantly, deceptively clever — enough that it made me stay for a second viewing of the presentation.

Han Kjøbenhavn: Royals

Across town on the industrial island of Refshaleøen, the sky was a looming ceiling of menacing, dark gray. The rain was coming — there was no escaping it. Or was there? When guests seated themselves along the long outdoor runway, the raindrops stopped, as if on command. Still, the somber landscape formed a cinematic, almost post-apocalyptic, backdrop to Han Kjøbenhavn’s spring-summer 2025 show, dubbed “Royals.” Artistic director Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen (who launched the brand along with Tim Faith Hancock in 2008) described the collection as “a tribute to his upbringing and how youth shaped relationships and friendships back then,” according to the press release. “It is a tale about the kids — the royals of the concrete.” The brand delivered on the theme from the very first look: a sculptural faux-fur gown with sharp shoulders and a neckline that plunged to the belly button. Throughout the show, we were treated to heaps of drama: exaggerated, elongated creations, wrought into a style that’s equal parts gritty and otherworldly. We saw lots of denim and leather, and constructions that were both angular and bulbous. (The through line: padded, pillowy lapels that appeared on coats, jackets, and dresses.) Overall, it was a wow-worthy spectacle, with several striking showpieces we won’t soon forget.

Rotate Birger Christensen: A Summer Romance

The high, high honor of closing out fashion week was bestowed upon Danish fashion darling Rotate Birger Christensen. Of course, I was excited — giddy, even — when I arrived at Christiansborg Palace and made my way through the archway into a verdant little oasis. Anchored by a central fountain scattered with pastel-colored roses, the Royal Library Garden became Rotate’s playground for the evening. Inspired by the summer season, creative directors Thora Valdimars and Jeanette Friis Madsen sent a buoyant, romantic collection down the runway. Garments were sequined, embroidered, and beaded with floral details. Dresses were cut into billowy shapes, suggesting movement and fluidity. Hemlines and waistlines were gathered into bubble-like shapes, giving fresh proportion to mini shorts, easy-breezy frocks, and delicate slips. (Also noteworthy this season: the bespoke jewelry pieces, created in partnership with famed Danish jewelry brand, Pandora.) With its mood-lifting color palette and joyous spirit, the show sparked pure fashion escapism. When the models emerged for the final walk around the runway, I didn’t want the fantasy to end.