Copenhagen can feel like a breath of fresh air compared to older, more traditional fashion weeks like New York or Paris. Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW) is known for its refreshing stance on sustainability and its support for emerging designers – avoiding two of the most common critiques of the fashion industry. Set against the Danish city’s stunning, slightly twee architecture, this year’s Spring/Summer 2027 shows felt playful, bright and optimistic – something all too hard to find at the moment. Here are The Mancunion‘s takeaways.
Sustainability and Emerging Talent
The industry’s Miranda Priestly-style cut-throat reputation is dispelled during CFW. Not only have the organisers led the way with their Sustainability Framework that holds designers to a higher standard than any other fashion week, but they also spotlight up and coming designers.
Their NEWTALENT scheme included designers such as Stem, Studio Constance and Anne Sofie Madsen (my personal favourite). They went a step further and included a NEWTALENT ALUMNI category, demonstrating continued support for growing fashion brands. Copenhagen also had presentation slots for those at the very beginning of their careers in design schools. This included: The Royal Danish Academy, Swedish School of Textiles and the Scandinavian Academy of Fashion Design, bringing fresh ideas and talent to a worldwide platform.
A focus on femininity and joy
After watching a few shows across YouTube and Instagram, a few common threads stood out. From feminine florals and sheer fabrics to playful office-wear trimmed with ruffles, many of the garments felt lively and energetic as they went down the runway.
@payupmag From the front row at #cphfw A closer look at Collina Strada SS27, videography by @A D A #copenhagenfashionweek #fashiontiktok #behindthescenes #payupmag
♬ original sound – Dj Goja – Dj Goja
Much of the clothing on the catwalk felt very feminine, often accentuating the female silhouette. Whether that was Anne Sofie Madsen‘s use of sheer material draped like liquid across the body, or Collina Strada’s more ruched and ruffled approach to translucent fabrics, it felt like the female body was unapologetically on show. This shift hasn’t necessarily come out of nowhere, though: wearing undergarments as clothing has previously been a trend the past couple of years.
@juevesconfefa #annesofiemadsen runway at #cphfw @cphfw
♬ petal – Ariana Grande
Another typically feminine feature showcased by many of the designers was the use of florals. Marimekko’s bright and bold florals caught my eye, the oversized prints almost looked like abstract artwork on the catwalk . Baum und Pfterdgarten’s show felt slightly more grounded with oversized suit jackets and trousers, office-like at first glance, until you look closer and see the floral patterns and ruffles poking out under blazer hems, which add fun detailing to the collection.
@baumundpferdgarten Seconds before the show 🎀 And a little blue accessory that luckily didn’t make it to the runway 😳 #BPFamily #BaumundPferdgarten
♬ Say It Right – Nelly Furtado
One overarching theme I felt across so many of the shows I saw was a feeling of positivity, particularly from Caro Editions. I love how over-the-top their clothing felt, patterns never typically paired together worked so cohesively with each other, making it feel like something I really hadn’t seen before. The maximalist style meant the collection touched on so many of the trends I mentioned earlier, sheer fabrics, florals and fun. Their show epitomised how I felt about Copenhagen’s Spring/Summer 27 Fashion Week – it was colourful and unapologetic, almost like fashion was taking itself less seriously.
A rejection of the ‘clean girl aesthetic’
It feels like the 2020s have so far been dominated by the ‘clean girl aesthetic’, encompassing trends like the slick-back bun and natural makeup tutorials using Hailey Bieber’s Rhode lip tints and blush sticks. The uniform of the ‘clean girl’ typically involves a plain, neutral T-shirt with jeans or leggings, simple gold jewellery and accessorising with a Stanley cup. Whilst you wouldn’t have seen this on the runway, it certainly took over TikTok feeds.
The ‘quiet luxury’ trend follows a similar style, just slightly more elevated. It arose in 2023, favouring minimalist, high-end brands and monochrome outfits on the catwalk. Celebrities and off-duty models adorned brands like The Row, Calvin Klein and Max Mara. Regardless of the name, both aesthetics lean into a more simplistic side of fashion, favouring put-togetherness and elegance.
In Copenhagen, the shows felt like a rejection of ‘quiet’ and ‘clean’, instead the garments were vibrant and expressive. It could signal that people want an escape. As we live in a world of increasing conflict and political turmoil, consumers are yearning to feel carefree and inject some colour into their lives, even if it’s just through their clothes. I hope CFW encourages more people to experiment with their style, rather than follow trends.
An uncertain future for sustainability
I’d love for this optimism to last but, unfortunately, CFW signals a feeling of indecisiveness across the industry in regards to sustainability, despite the fashion week’s best efforts to champion it. When fashion brands apply to CFW, their application is assessed by the organisers to ensure they meet the minimum standards. These standards for sustainability apply across the business, including Strategic Direction, Design, Smart Material Choices, Working Conditions, Consumer Engagement and Showcase. For this season, the organisers behind CFW had to drop the application of Standards 6 and 7.
Standards 6 and 7 fall under the Smart Material Choices section and revolve around what, exactly, the definition of ‘Preferred Materials’ should be. The term Preferred Materials has previously been updated by the Textile Exchange but it appears that more clarity is still needed.
A great example of this is the debate around synthetic materials versus natural fibres. When using faux leather, you may not be harming an animal, but ultimately, it’s made from plastic and will not biodegrade, a huge issue for the planet. On the other hand real leather requires leather tanneries which often use harsh chemicals that are bad for the environment and could harm the workers, another big dilemma for the planet, animals and people involved. Sometimes it can seem like a lose-lose. But ultimately, sustainability can’t be successful without clear regulations.
