Copenhagen Fashion Week opened its presentation for the SS23 collections on Tuesday and announced a partnership with Ukraine Fashion Week to “support a friendly fashion organization in times of war”.
To support Ukrainian fashion designers in the face of the ongoing war with Russia, Copenhagen Fashion Week will show a digital fashion film by Coat by Katya Silchenko and host a physical presentation of sustainable brand TG Botanical Brands as part of the official programme.
“Given the atrocities we have witnessed in Ukraine, any support we can give to the Ukrainian fashion industry is vital in preserving its own creative ecosystem, which is so horribly threatened,” said Cecilie Thorsmark, Managing Director of the Copenhagen fashion week. “We are excited to feature The Coat and TG Botanical as part of our fashion week and to welcome their brands and creative expressions as one of our own. This partnership we have built with Ukraine Fashion Week is based on the idea that all fashion organizations must show respect and support to one another in times of darkness and the unknown.”
25th anniversary of Ukrainian fashion week is celebrated internationally
In 2022, Ukrainian Fashion Week celebrates its 25th anniversary and although numerous projects were planned to celebrate the day, these were halted due to the war erupted by the Russian invasion. To support designers in these difficult times, the fashion organization has launched the “Support Ukrainian Fashion” initiative to empower Ukrainian designers and ensure the presentation of their new collections on the international catwalks.
“Currently, fashion weeks in 9 countries are supporting Ukrainian designers and Ukrainian Fashion Week during this extremely difficult and tragic time. The 51st UFW season will go international,” said Iryna Danylevska, Founder and Executive Director of Ukrainian Fashion Week. “We are very grateful to Copenhagen Fashion Week for their support of Ukrainian brands The Coat by Katya Silchenko and TG Botanical this season. We hope that your kind gesture of support now will also lay the foundation for our future fruitful partnerships. Fashion has one extraordinary power to stand for human rights, diversity and freedom. Today, fashion shows humanity and support.”
Kick-off of Copenhagen Fashion Week SS23
Copenhagen Fashion Week’s SS23 season runs until August 12 and features 36 designers with a focus on emerging talent, menswear, sustainability and Nordic brands. These include the new incubator for emerging designers, CPHFW NewTalent, which will showcase A. Roege Hove, Latimmier and PLN, as well as Finnish label Latimmier and OperaSport making their debuts.
There are also a number of designers in menswear: Berner Kühl and Sunflower are returning, as are Soulland, Martin Asbjørn, Schnayderman’s and Wood Wood, as well as last season’s Zalando Sustainability Award winner, Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen.
The new winner of the Zalando Sustainability Award will be announced on August 11, when the finalists – British fashion brand Raeburn, Paris-based Mworks and London/Reykjavík-based design studio Ranra – present their latest collections. The winning label receives 20,000 euros and the chance to create a capsule with the Berlin online retailer.
Other highlights include the best Nordic designers: Ganni, Saks Potts, Helmstedt, Rotate, Skall Studio, Stine Goya, Hope, Baum und Pferdgarten, Lovechild 1979, Gestuz, Munthe, Rabens Saloner, Samsøe Samsøe, Remain and Rotate are all present at as part of the official program.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.