Copenhagen is a breeding ground for sartorial creativity, with the city’s fashion week always offering up a host of exciting new brands to discover. You’ll be pleased to hear this season was no exception.
In and among a schedule brimming with familiar favorites like OperaSport and Rotate, there was plenty of new names serving up style to suit every taste — whether you’re a streetwear devotee, a whimsical vintage lover, or a die-hard minimalist.
Read on for ELLE’s pick of the best new Scandi brands from Copenhagen Fashion Week SS25. (You can thank us later.)
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Stel
Many will remember Astrid Andersen’s namesake sportswear-inspired menswear brand, which was a key highlight of the London Fashion Week Men’s calendar and was beloved by the likes of Nas, Drake and A$AP Rocky. Now, after a three-year hiatus from the fashion industry, the Danish designer is back with a new womenswear label, Stel, which made its debut at Copenhagen this season.
Andersen chose a former industrial coal crane by the harbour on the outskirts of the city centre to reveal her new collection to buyers and journalists (who returned to the location after dark for a boiler-room-style rave, co-hosted by Andersen’s good friend A$AP Nast). The setting instantly set the tone for her brand’s mix of ‘skate-ailoring’ (tailoring you can skate in, of course), classic-with-a-twist denim and outerwear pieces, and sportswear-inflected shirting.
For those seeking functional clothes with a distinct streetwear-esque, Scandi cool about them, Stel will become a trusty go-to, no doubt.
Caro Editions
For those that like to embrace a sense of quirky playfulness when getting dressed, Caro Editions is the brand you need on your radar. Founded by former model Caroline Bille Brahe, the two-year-old brand made its Copenhagen Fashion Week debut this season with a free-spirited showcase of characterful clothing that couldn’t help but spark joy.
The collection was catnip for vintage lovers: a mishmash of eclectic prints and rich, varied textures, styled together with a ‘more-is-more’ kind of attitude — a Caro signature; different pieces were adorned with embroidery, stones, sequins, bows… the works. For the show, each outfit was finished off with a quirky hat, made using leftover fabrics or dead stock to match a specific look.
The vast majority of pieces are one-offs, available to buy now. 'Every piece feels special,' Caroline Bille Brahe said. 'Right now, I’m inspired by all things sparkly, how something like a rhinestone diamond button can change an outfit, give it this vintage feeling that I love.'
Birrot
Scandi-minimalism meets Korean design heritage is how Kyeongmin Kim and Seyoung Hong describe the aesthetic of Birrot, the Copenhagen-based label they founded in 2018, which staged an intimate show in a small gallery space situated in the heart of the city for its first fashion week presentation.
For the debut, the design duo chose a cast of models who all had Korean heritage: some were adopted by Danish families when they were young; others migrated to Scandinavia more recently. ‘Each of them comes from different backgrounds and has fascinating stories,’ Kim and Hong said. ‘[They represent] Korean heritage across ages, generations, genders, and life stories, showcasing Korea's often-overlooked diversity.’
The clothes themselves were a minimalist's dream: timeless, elegant, uncomplicated; pieces you’d reach for time and time again. The collection was made by hand in Copenhagen, with technical fabrics and Japanese pattern-cutting techniques elevating straightforward silhouettes. Shout outs go to the crimson red cardigan-esque blazer and capri-trouser set, styled with tights and kitten heels; and a wide-leg pant and jacket, worn with nothing underneath.
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