Notes From Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall/Winter '26

Copenhagen winter is a force to be reckoned with. Between the Scandinavian cold front, the rush of wind off its surrounding harbors, and a blanket of grey sky that unrelentingly blocks the sun, the city slips into a slower, quieter rhythm.

 

It feels worlds away from its effervescent summer days of harbor swims and late-night light. Still, Copenhagen is nothing if not adaptable: people keep to their daily track, finding small moments of beauty wherever they can. And if there’s one hub in the city fully committed to beauty, it’s fashion week—now in its 20th year.

Copenhagen Fashion Week, especially during Fall/Winter ’26, feels distinctly for and by Danes. Sustainability isn’t a trend here—it’s woven into the city’s everyday ethos, both on and off the runway. Out-of-towners are few and far between (TEETH aside, of course), yet an unmistakable liveliness still cuts through the cold. Below, find the highlight collections and backstage moments that made the season serve as a reminder of why getting dressed still matters—even in the harshest of conditions.

ANNE SOFIE MADSEN

The Danish designer is known to walk to the beat of her own drum, and during her Fall presentation, models walked to a live band set by Copenhagen band Wedding. Staged inside a space evoking an abandoned Renaissance theatre, the collection unfolded under moody low lighting and grand chandeliers. Coupled with a bold collaboration with Ugg, the show explored the persistence of lost futures through shapewear-led silhouettes, balancing natural curves with constructed form, while skirt suits and reworked duffle coats delivered quiet defiance.

 

NICKLAS SKOVGAARD

The Copenhagen darling and 2025 LVMH Prize finalist found femininity in the subversive. Presented in a stripped-back, standing-room-only space, the collection paired candy-like pops of color with a sharpened focus—think cinched waists, pleated circle skirts, and fit-and-flare forms. Raw, work-in-progress edges introduced an undone feel, countering the polish of the otherwise classic, ladylike silhouettes. Inspired by a 1937 Danish film about one woman moving between multiple identities, the clothes explored the interplay of softness and rebellion.

 

STEM

Artisanal, Danish-born wool was at the heart of Stem’s fashion-show-turned-workshop, To Wool. Staged in an airy industrial space, guests joined a needle-felting session using raw, undyed fleece as 15 looks circulated through the room. Standouts included a checked vest and pleated skirt woven from subtly different brown tones of local wool, while the brand’s elastic wool experiments—woven, not knitted, and made from 100% wool without synthetics.

MKDT STUDIO

In a true ode to function and form, Creative Director Caroline Engelaar is on a mission to refine what she calls the “perfect wardrobe.” Designed for the ever-shifting parts of a Copenhagen woman, the collection emphasizes enduring quality—a principle shaped by the city’s way of living. “[In Denmark], we’re brought up knowing so much about our surroundings,” says Engelaar, and that awareness carries through to one’s fashion philosophy. Here, it’s underscored by hero outerwear, detachable elements, and streamlined silhouettes that both adorn and allow. 

SSON

In The Fortunate Ones, the up-and-coming label chose an art gallery to stage its conceptual, conversation-starting collection. Models lingered throughout the space in delicate separates—upcycled knits and pops of pastel—set against a mound of discarded clothing piled in the corner. With dulled expressions and a somber mood, the presentation asked who truly benefits from excess, holding up a mirror to the apathetic mundanity with which our world’s manifold crises are so often met.