Busy Copenhagen shows heat up chilly Denmark

As long-term attendees of the Danish trade shows and fashion week, it has been fascinating to witness the evolution of the city’s fashion offering, growing from strength to strength and, over recent seasons, establishing itself as a true destination within the fashion calendar.

Two large trade shows dominate: CIFF and Revolver, whose autumn 19 editions ran concurrently from 30 January to 1 February as freezing temperatures took hold of the city.

CIFF, located just outside of the city centre at the vast Bella Sky convention centre, packed in nearly 2,000 brands across 60,000 sq m, and continued to offer a smorgasbord of brands for almost every buyer.

Well-curated areas such as Raven and Lab featured a large number of international menswear brands, and this season included many new launches or brands exhibiting for the first time. CIFF’s Sleek section was filled with a strong selection of design-driven premium and contemporary – mostly Scandinavian – womenswear names.

Spacious stands, designer fixtures and fittings and an engaging, unconventional layout continued to give CIFF a unique dynamism, creating an atmosphere unlike most other trade shows.

Revolving door

In the city centre, Revolver follows a more classic trade show format and, at its core, focuses on the big names in Danish fashion across women’s and men’s wear.

More and more new names from international locations are being drawn to the show, and Drapers found a good number of fresh brands, from Denmark and further afield, for autumn 19.

Both shows got off to bustling starts with busy aisles on the first and second days that petered out by day three. Exhibitors at both praised the quality of buyers in attendance, from local Scandi stores from across the region to international teams eager to write orders. UK buyers were spotted, including Browns, Harvey Nichols, Matchesfashion and Fenwick, through to a spread of independents such as London’s Goodhood and Jules B from the north-east of England.

The city’s fashion week also boasted an impressive catwalk schedule for autumn 19. Ganni, arguably Copenhagen’s headline act, stood out, alongside strong showings from  rising star Cecilie Bahnsen and Stine Goya. The menswear catwalks were also particularly strong this season: Heliot Emil, up-and-comer Mfpen and a debut from Sunflower caught Drapers’ eye.

While Copenhagen’s dates do fall late for some menswear buyers, one influential London store told Drapers it had extended its budget to include the Danish shows, as it becomes more and more worthwhile taking the trip to Denmark.