Copenhagen Fashion Week: From Nordic Showcase to Global Influence

Copenhagen Fashion Week has steadily evolved from a regional trade show into a strategic global platform, shaping trends across sustainable and minimalist fashion. With its biannual schedule – Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter editions – the event now hosts runway shows, off-calendar presentations, and trade fairs like Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) and Gallery International Fashion Fair under one banner.

A major milestone came in June 2025, when CPHFW and CIFF formed a strategic alliance to strengthen the CPHFW NEW TALENT programme, offering emerging Nordic designers press visibility, mentorship, and permanent showrooms year‑round. This institutional support is fuelling new growth in Nordic fashion exports and brand development.

Copenhagen Fashion Week SS/26, August 4th to 8th, opened with expanded programming and a renewed focus on cultural reach: Zalando, continuing its strategic partnership and is spotlighting Nigerian label Iamisigo, winner of the 2025 Zalando Visionary Award, with a sponsored runway show. Additionally, Cecilie Bahnsen returned from Paris to mark her brand’s 10-year anniversary with a guest show slot.
The programming also incorporates brand-led events by brands like Stine Goya, Pandora and Ray‑Ban, weaving fashion with hospitality and community moments across cafés and dinner venues, further enhancing the cultural experience and proving its relevance amongst brand partnerships as well.

CPHFW’s influence is now felt well beyond Denmark. Its sustainability standards – requiring at least 50% of collections to use certified, upcycled or recycled materials – have been adopted by other fashion weeks, including London’s. The ethical emphasis, combined with a distinctive aesthetic, has elevated CPHFW into a fashion capital with conscience.

Why Scandinavian Fashion Resonates Globally

1. Minimalism with Purpose

Scandinavian fashion reflects a long-standing tradition of functional, democratic design rooted in Scandinavian modernism. Clean lines, neutral palettes and pared-back tailoring carry forward the ethos of utility married with beauty – a legacy extending from architecture and interiors to clothing.

Staples like wide-leg trousers, slip dresses, oversized coats, quality denim and colourful knitwear are layered to create outfits that feel both relaxed and refined.

2. Sustainability as Core Value

Scandi brands have taken early leadership in ethical production and slow fashion. Labels such as Filippa K and Another Aspect focus on recycled fabrics, phasing out virgin leather, minimising waste, and prioritising supply-chain transparency. These values are deeply embedded – integral to brand identity, not temporary marketing tactics.

3. Community and Accessibility

Scandinavian brands often strike a rare balance between elevated design and accessibility. Labels like Stine Goya and Saks Potts are aspirational yet democratic – wool dresses, for example, might start under £200 – broadening appeal without sacrificing creativity.

CPHFW fosters community by naming TikTok ambassadors and welcoming a diverse mix of stylists, editors, creators and street-style voices to amplify reach beyond traditional media.
This year, Copenhagen Fashion Week’s TikTok account will be guest-hosted by four standout creators – Moyo J. Ajibade (@yourboymoyo), Jessi Regina (@by.regiina), Imane Asry (@fashionwithfaith), and Hana Mai (@hanmai)- who will document the event in real time. From street style and backstage moments to front-row views and event highlights, these ambassadors will vlog, review, and share content across CPHFW’s social channels, offering an immersive, creator-led perspective throughout the SS/26 edition.
This approach marks CPHFW’s intentional fusion of editorial authority with creator-led authenticity and a social-first strategy, benefiting their own brand and relevance, as well as those of designers and creators.

By inviting these influencers to “host” the week, the event expanded its local relevance and reach into global Gen Z and millennial-affluent audiences, leveraging TikTok’s native language – quick visual narratives, humour, authenticity – to create immersive access points that traditional fashion press alone cannot deliver. In doing so, CPHFW positioned itself not just as a runway event, but as a living, breathing cultural moment enacted in real time.

4. A Broader, Evolving Aesthetic

Where Scandinavian fashion was once synonymous with neutral minimalism, it is now diversifying. Recent collections show bolder silhouettes, playful patterns and romantic details. Yet the underlying values – wearability, quality, and understated confidence – remain intact.

CPHFW CEO Cecilie Thorsmark has noted that there is no longer one definition of ‘Scandi style’. It now encompasses a range of expressions across Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland.

What is #ScandiStyle?

1. Simplicity and Functionality: Clean silhouettes and multipurpose garments designed for longevity.
2. High-Quality Materials: Wool, linen, deadstock fabrics and recycled fibres that prioritise comfort and durability.
3. Neutral Foundations with Colour Accents: A palette of whites, greys, and beige, punctuated by tones like trendy butter yellow, rust or pastels.
4. Layering as a Signature: Combining core basics with statement outerwear or knitwear for both practicality and style.

Cultural Appeal

Scandinavian fashion resonates globally not just because of how it looks, but because of what it stands for. At its core is a democratic design ethos that aligns with a growing consumer shift toward ethics, transparency, and longevity in fashion. As buyers increasingly question the pace and wastefulness of fast fashion, the Scandinavian model – focused on quality over quantity – offers a compelling alternative.

This appeal is also rooted in timelessness. Where other fashion cultures may be driven by novelty, the Scandinavian approach values pieces that endure: well-cut trousers, durable knitwear, functional outerwear. These are garments designed to be worn season after season, aging gracefully rather than becoming obsolete with the next drop.

What further distinguishes Scandinavian fashion is its ability to communicate across platforms and generations. Copenhagen Fashion Week, in particular, blends traditional media coverage with creator-led storytelling and real-time social content. It doesn’t rely solely on runway press releases or legacy fashion editors – it invites TikTok stylists, sustainability influencers, and street-style photographers into the narrative. This openness has helped Scandinavian fashion maintain cultural relevance while expanding its reach.

Finally, there’s the structural support behind the scene. Copenhagen Fashion Week operates as a non-profit with substantial public funding, allowing it to make bold, long-term commitments to sustainability, inclusivity, and emerging talent. This public–private cooperation gives the Nordic fashion system a level of stability – and credibility – that many other fashion capitals are struggling to maintain.

In short, the cultural appeal of Scandinavian fashion lies in its clarity of purpose, its understated elegance, and its refusal to separate aesthetics from ethics. As fashion’s global consumers seek substance as much as style, the Scandinavian model continues to lead by quiet, consistent example.

Strategic Takeaways for Brands and Marketers

• Elevate Consistency Over Hype: Brands with coherent storytelling and credible values outperform short-term trend chasers.
• Leverage Cross-Tier Influencers: Blend established fashion voices with niche creators for authenticity and reach.
• Invest in Infrastructure: Programmes like NEW TALENT show that year-round visibility and mentorship can cultivate scalable brand growth.
• Mix Timeless with Distinctive: Use minimalist foundations as canvases for bolder, more expressive seasonal statements.

In Summary

Copenhagen Fashion Week is no longer a niche Nordic event – it is a global design compass, directing attention to where fashion meets ethics, and where minimalism meets meaning. Scandinavian style’s cultural influence lies in its clarity, values and ability to evolve without losing its core. As the appetite for thoughtful consumption grows, Copenhagen is not just watching the trend – it’s setting it.