In recent years, Copenhagen Fashion Week has developed into a leading platform for Scandinavian brands to reach an international audience. So much that some of their regular guests have switched to more global stages. This year, the autumn/winter 2025 calendar took almost completely new forms from January 27th to 31st. While growth was unprecedented for a handful of participants, others could not completely escape the difficulties of the entire industry.
The Danish labels Ganni and Cecilie Bahnsen were able to make a name for the Paris Fashion Week, where they both presented them during the F/S 25 season. But the general uncertainty in the fashion industry forced some of the regular guests of the Copenhagen fashion week. As early as November 2024, the founders of Saks Potts, Catherine Saks and Barbara Potts, announced that they would finally close the company after ten years. The duo said that the label’s closure was not financially due to, but they admitted to Vogue Business that the industry is going through a “difficult time” – especially in wholesale. Weeks later, another Danish brand, (di) vision, reported bankruptcy, which again illustrated the difficulties of independent brands.
Such events have apparently reinforced the motivation of the more established names of promoting and supporting their younger college: inside. Rotate, for example, was appointed the new sponsor of the Newtalent program of the Copenhagen fashion week for H/W 25 and undertook to support and look after aspiring talents financially. This season, the Labels Bonnetje, Alectra Rothschild / Masculina, Stamm and Berner Kühl joined the initiative and promotion.
Despite industry challenges, emerging brands are anchored in the current reality
From the beginning it is clear why Bonnetje was selected as the latest member of this group. His collection entitled “Doublages” (French for doubling) is rooted in the current reality. The message, which is supposed to indicate the lack of work-life balance, similar to the psychology behind the television series Severance, is reflected in the zorn-filled and deconstructed interpretation of traditional office clothing. Suits are no longer a uniform uniform, but take two or many forms, which leads to designs that aim to “manifest different self -images” and thus to promote dialogue through self -expression and balance between the work of work and personal identity.
Not only the overarching message of Bonnetje is relevant in the current context, its more comprehensive values in relation to sustainability also fit perfectly with those of the fashion week itself. The brand based in Copenhagen uses so -called “exhausted materials” to counter and fashion in a disposable company and To introduce yesterday’s fashion back into today’s cycle.
The position of the Copenhagen fashion week cannot be denied in this regard. In fact, their influence extends not only on the brands presented, but also to their sustainability values, which will soon be anchored in the London Fashion Week. This struggles to assert their relevance and thus their position in the face of a challenging local market. The sustainability requirements of the Copenhagen fashion week were revised this season. They apply to all participating brands. Among other things, brands must share their sustainability strategies and guidelines for diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging and present evidence of circular design principles in their process. H/W 25 was determined as a test season for these changes.
Guidelines manifest themselves in different forms of expression
At first glance, such strict measures may appear as obstacles for independent brands in the line-up, but from the point of view of tree and horses, for example, this is not the case. “It is not an obstacle, but it opens the eyes for things that we have not thought about before,” said the founders Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hesthave in an interview with Fashionunited. While this assumes the label for more responsible and circular processes within the company, the values behind the guidelines can also be reflected in the collections of some brands.
The artistic director of Han Kjøbenhavn, Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen, presented models with hearing aids to underline the concept of “authentic self -expression”. Elsewhere, articles such as a selection of retro soccer items that testify to the brand of personal relationships-as a means of promoting the community-became an idea that focused on in the entire “Concrete Born” collection. The Newtalent brand Berner Kühl sees itself in a rather educational role and offers a modular wardrobe that is designed for longevity and thus informs the next generation of consumers: inside about “quality products”.
Under the 34 names in the line-up, established brands were not completely missing. Marimekko, Stine Goya and Filippa K, who chose a presentation format for the first time, expanded the calendar, in addition to long -term regular guests such as Henrik Vibskov and Won Hundred. Copenhagen included more his Scandinavian neighbors and strengthened the connections to Nordic organizations for the benefit of the entire industry. The partnership with the fashion event Fashion in Helsinki has been expanded, the Finnish fashion week was co -established this year as a knowledge partner of the event and the opening reception. The Copenhagen Fashion Week also cooperates with the Alpha talent promotion platform, which brought the Danish brand Frederik Taus to the Newtalent Showroom this season.
In the further program, newcomers such as the Icelandic brand 66 ° North and the Swedish men’s fashion brand CMMN SWDN underlined the commitment of the fashion week to integrate more Nordic design. For Copenhagen, the admission of “renowned Nordic names compared to international avant -gardists” underlines “continues to be the international positioning of the Copenhagen Fashion Week in the global fashion calendar”. The focus is on hope that parallel to the increased global position of the Copenhagen fashion week, the participating brands will find similar recognition.