Copenhagen, DENMARK –
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This season saw many returning faces as well as new Danish and international brands.
Since 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week has required brands to conform to the Sustainability Requirements framework, consisting of 19 minimum standards that must be disclosed. This framework has now been picked up by other fashion weeks, including Berlin and the British Fashion Council.
Another scheme here is the New Talent program which is way to support emerging brands with less than five years in business.
Stem, a brand focusing on craftsmanship and sustainability founded by Sarah Bruunhuber, joined the New Talent scheme during last January’s fashion week.
This season Stem showcased their debut show “Re.”
In a former factory building which was part of the large industrial area around Refshaleøen and Holmen in Copenhagen, models clad in woven pieces in neutral colors with touches of reds descended old factory stairs before taking a lap around showgoers down below.
The fabric used came from unused material, known as deadstock, from fashion brand Ganni, known for shaping Copenhagen style. It was upcycled by Bruunhuber, who works by a strict set of ethics and ethos.
Stem describes the center of their ethos as “transparency, collaboration, slowness, and the fundamental belief that fabric holds memory, structure, and meaning.”
This collection worked through processes of unravelling, felting and pleating and reconstruction, which took the print and fabric from Ganni while not losing any material.
Re was Bruunhuber’s first time using synthetics in her collection. She said it was not to endorse the production of synthetic fabrics but instead to explore “how existing ones might be rethought and remain in use.”
Another new brand is INSTITUTION by Galib Gassanoff, who won the Zalando Visionary Award 2026. INSTITUTION said it is committed to “empower the next generation of designers who are actively redefining industry standards and driving meaningful progress within the fashion landscape.”
INSTITUTION’s show was held in the National Art Gallery of Denmark, SMK, in a high-ceilinged atrium, with sculptures spanning the last 150 years.
Designer Gassanoff is a native Azerbaijani who grew up in Georgia and connected to his roots by covering the runway in carpets from the Caucasus, Anatolia, Northern Iran and Central Asia.
Models walked barefoot in handmade socks called jorabs, as in Caucasus culture, people often remove their shoes before entering the home. The jorabs were made by Azerbaijani artisans in Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region, according to INSTITUTION.
The looks featured pieces made from a collection of different materials ranging from silk to stainless steel. The majority of the collection is made of natural fibers from deadstock from high-end Italian designers.
The last looks included stainless steel coins, Tetri, from Georgia which were introduced in 1995 and are used in the collection to show freedom from oppression, according to the company.
In promotional materials, INSTITUTION said Gassanoff treats the brand “as a social-artistic organization with an ethical foundation” focusing beyond fashion.
The collection shows the intersection between Scandinavian minimalism and the designer’s own roots and pushes the boundaries of social-artistic fashion.
Not all brands were new this time.
One of the returning faces was that of designer Henrik Vibskov, who is known for being creative with his show production and design. This season was no different.
Vibskov’s show was held in the garden of the Danish Design Museum, including his artistic installation, “The Umbrico Spirals,” which was unveiled during a recent design festival in Copenhagen.
The show was something of a performance, which Vibskov is known for. At the last Copenhagen Fashion Week in January, Vibskov held his show in a large theater with actors lifting boxes into the air to signify shared weight.
“For as long as Henrik Vibskov can remember, there has been a tube of the same cream somewhere within reach,” explained the designer’s show material.
When he doesn’t have it, he feels oddly out of place, it said, as it is a small daily ritual for him that he wanted to bring alive in his show.
Textures and silhouettes reflect the surface of cream, as Vibskov describes cream as not having a certain texture but instead changing based on how it is handled, extruded, whipped or stirred.
Some pieces are more uneven, such as a checked boiled wool group, which leans into irregularity and others, such as a layered knit, represent melting ice cream.
The music left the audience buzzing. A hard bass with parts of a strong melody allowed for a full body experience during the performance.
Noah Haynes is a Correspondent with Youth Journalism International.
