The Places, People, and Pieces That Defined the Style Set's Copenhagen Fashion Week
There are certain weeks on the fashion calendar that you look forward to, and then there's Copenhagen Fashion Week. This August, I found myself back in the Danish capital for the spring/summer 2027 shows, and the timing couldn't have been more fitting: CPHFW was celebrating its 20th anniversary, and the entire city seemed to be celebrating along with it. Copenhagen has spent the past two decades quietly—and then not so quietly—cementing itself as one of fashion's most exciting cities, and this season, you could feel just how much the event has grown. The shows were packed, the streets were buzzing, and everywhere you looked, there seemed to be an editor, buyer, designer, or exceptionally well-dressed Dane biking past you.
Of course, Copenhagen is also Copenhagen, which means the week extends well beyond the clothes. There were cardamom buns eaten between appointments, dinners that ran later than planned, more outfit photos than I care to admit, and plenty of time spent studying the street style while pretending I wasn't. Even after several seasons, I always leave with a slightly different idea of how I want to dress and an even longer list of Scandinavian brands I want in my closet.
Consider this my Copenhagen Fashion Week and CIFF diary for spring/summer 2027: the shows I loved, the things I wore, the places I ate, the designers I discovered, and all the little moments in between that made this season feel particularly exciting.
8 a.m.: I woke up early with severe jet lag to work ahead of New York hours. I stayed at the CitizenM Copenhagen Radhuspladsen in the heart of the city center, where stylish Scandinavian design meets a tech-forward room (everything was controlled with my iPad!) and a social-first design that encouraged conversation and connection. It was almost like a hostel. I went upstairs to get a coffee before quickly changing into my trend-forward outfit and heading out to CIFF, the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair.
9:45 a.m.: The annual buyer's breakfast for CIFF is here. The trade show is one of Europe's most influential events and brings together hundreds of established and emerging brands and the buyers, editors, and industry insiders who decide what you'll actually see in stores next season. I've attended CIFF for several seasons now, and spending a few hours walking the floor has become one of my favorite ways to start the week. This morning was mostly about catching up with familiar faces and hearing from CIFF CEO Sofie Dolva about what's next, including the organization's growing international presence and collaborations in Paris, Milan, and Miami. Copenhagen may be home base, but CIFF's world is getting considerably bigger.
11 a.m.: Conveniently, I didn't have to go far for my next appointment. I stopped by the Paraiso Miami Swim Week x CIFF kickoff event cohosted with Elle Denmark to learn more about the new partnership bringing Miami's swimwear world to Scandinavia. Paraiso has become a major platform for swim and resort designers during Miami Swim Week, and seeing that perspective brought into CIFF felt like an interesting meeting of two very different fashion cities. The best part of any trade show, though, is stumbling across a brand you weren't looking for at all. This time, that discovery came courtesy of Sigal, a Miami-based brand helmed by a Venezuelan designer whose pieces immediately caught my eye and, as tends to happen at CIFF, gave me another name to add to my ever-growing list of brands to watch.
What I Wore
12 p.m.: From CIFF, I rushed back into the city to make the OpéraSport show with zero time to spare. The collection was quintessentially Danish cool girl, with lots of clever unlayering, pieces worn half-buttoned or slightly undone, and that perfectly imperfect summer styling Copenhagen does so well. It felt less like getting dressed according to a formula and more like throwing on your favorite pieces and somehow looking infinitely cooler because of it. Naturally, I took notes and countless pictures for my Instagram story.
3 p.m.: With a few hours left before dinner, I headed back to my hotel, CitizenM, for the rarest fashion week activity of all: sitting down. I posted up at the hotel's rooftop lounge with my laptop and a cocktail, caught up on some work, and took in the view before heading back out for the evening.
6 p.m.: In perhaps my most controversial Copenhagen Fashion Week decision, I had an extremely early dinner at Olise and ordered a salad. If you've been following the ongoing lettuce-related virus situation in the U.S., you'll understand why eating a giant plate of raw vegetables abroad felt like a luxury. Afterward, I did something even more shocking during fashion week. I went straight to bed. With an early morning ahead, day one was officially over.
9:30 a.m.: Day two was, without question, my busiest day of the week. My calendar was essentially one very long game of Tetris, with appointments, shows, and dinners stacked on top of one another. There was very little room for Copenhagen traffic, sudden downpours, or my tendency to lose track of time when there's jewelry involved. Naturally, the day started at Lié Studio, one of my favorite Danish jewelry brands, founded by twin sisters and former models Amalie and Cecilie Moosgaard. The jewelry is minimalist without ever feeling boring, which is a balance the Danes seem particularly good at striking. I've been a fan for years and stopped by to see what the sisters have coming for spring. There was plenty to add to my mental wish list, including a new handbag that I haven't stopped thinking about since.
10 a.m.: Conveniently, my next appointment was right next door at Tekla, where it was Christmas in August. I got an early look at the Copenhagen-based brand's holiday collection and spent a not-insignificant amount of time convincing myself that I did not need a dozen new towels for my apartment. If you've ever stepped inside a Tekla store, you'll understand the temptation. The brand has a way of making something as mundane as bath linens feel like a very necessary design purchase.
10:30 a.m.: Then it was on to Ragbag for my second jewelry appointment of the morning. The Copenhagen-based studio takes inspiration from art, architecture, and nature, working with everything from freshwater pearls to natural stones, and every piece I own from the brand feels like a tiny work of art. I left with a few new additions—including a very fun toe ring—that immediately became part of my fashion week wardrobe. By the end of the trip, I had worn them with practically everything.
1 p.m.: Somewhere between attending jewelry appointments and answering emails, I completely lost track of time and realized I was going to be very late to the Skall Studio show. Cue me frantically calling an Uber in the middle of a Copenhagen downpour and pulling up just as the show was starting. Founded by sisters Julie and Marie Skall, the brand always occupies this dreamy little corner of Scandinavian fashion that's romantic, whimsical, and slightly transported from another era. If a character from Pride and Prejudice suddenly developed impeccable Danish taste, I imagine she'd wear Skall Studio. I arrived damp and mildly frazzled; the clothes were considerably more composed.
2 p.m.: After the show, I stopped at 7-Eleven for snacks and squeezed in some much-needed laptop time. (A word of advice: If you're ever in Denmark, get a træstamme. Just trust me.) I'm working on a few big, top-secret projects at the moment, so any open hour on my fashion week schedule quickly became an opportunity to open my laptop, answer approximately 400 emails, and attempt to make a dent in my actual work.
What I Wore
5 p.m.: Next up was Gestuz, my first truly massive show of the week and always one of my favorites for trendspotting and people-watching. The crowd alone is worth studying—editors, buyers, influencers, and seemingly every exceptionally well-dressed person in Copenhagen packed into one space. Then the lights went down, the phones came out, and it was time to see what we'd all be talking about next season.
7 p.m.: After Gestuz, I hopped onto a shuttle headed roughly 40 minutes outside the city for By Malene Birger's return to the Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule. The brand was one of several major names returning for CPHFW's 20th-anniversary season, so this one felt particularly special. Normally, being trapped on a bus during fashion week would send me into a mild panic about everything I should be doing. This time, I welcomed it. Forty uninterrupted minutes meant catching up on work, charging my phone, and yapping with friends without feeling remotely guilty about any of the above.
8 p.m.: Showtime! The collection was everything I want from By Malene Birger: polished, sophisticated, and distinctly Scandinavian. The pieces will make you want to immediately reconsider your entire wardrobe. There were also some very familiar faces making their way down the runway (hi, Mona Tougaard!), which only added to the feeling that this was one of those capital-F fashion moments of the week.
10 p.m.: Back in Copenhagen, I headed straight to the Royal Danish Playhouse for dinner with CIFF. After spending so much of the week looking at clothes, one of my favorite things about these dinners is getting to sit next to the people who are actually deciding what ends up in stores. I was surrounded by some incredible buyers from Turkey, comparing notes on the collections we'd seen and, more importantly, hearing about the trends they're already placing orders on ahead of next season. It's essentially fashion week market research, just with better food and wine.
11:30 p.m.: Against all odds—and my rapidly declining energy levels—I made it to a Havaianas party, where the brand was celebrating its new kitten-heel flip-flops. Yes, Havaianas made kitten heels, and yes, they were one of the buzziest styles of Copenhagen Fashion Week! By this point, however, my primary thought was sleep. Momma needed to go to bed. I grabbed a Diet Coke, took in the scene, promptly called my Uber, and crashed into my big, fluffy hotel bed. Fashion week would resume in approximately eight hours.
9 a.m.: I kicked off day three at the Sophie Bille Brahe showroom, which is basically my version of a candy store. As Who What Wear's resident jewelry snob—I say that with love and a frightening amount of conviction—I'm a huge fan of Bille Brahe's work, particularly her slightly unexpected takes on pearls and diamonds. Getting to see the new collection up close only confirmed that obsession. There are several pieces I haven't stopped thinking about since, which is becoming a dangerous theme of this trip.
11 a.m.: From there, I booked it to Stine Goya, which made its very welcome return to the Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule this season after three seasons away. I've always loved the brand and have a few pieces in my own closet, so seeing it back on the runway felt particularly exciting. The label has never been afraid of color or a great print, and in a city known for a minimalist approach to getting dressed, that unabashed sense of fun feels like a breath of fresh air.
12 p.m.: Next up was Herskind, another CIFF brand and a particularly special one for me. The label is a true family affair, led by founder and designer Birgitte Herskind alongside her daughter, Brand Director Andrea Hess. I've been lucky enough to know the two for a while now, and their designs are genuinely some of my favorites to wear. This season delivered plenty of what Herskind does best: sharp, modern tailoring softened by sheer, fluid fabrics and unexpected styling. I currently have my eye on one particularly gauzy skirt, so please don't be surprised if it makes an appearance in my closet next spring!
What I Wore
2 p.m.: After the shows, I headed to Hotel Bella Grande to meet with the London-based Rixo team, who had taken over a beautiful showroom for the week to preview its new fall collection. As expected, there were plenty of vintage-inspired prints and dresses, but it was the coats that really got me. I've already made mental notes of the ones I'll be buying once September and October roll around. Even better, the showroom was within walking distance of my home-base hotel (the CitizenM Copenhagen), so I managed to sneak back to my room before heading out again. I've stayed 20-plus minutes outside the center during fashion week before, and when you're changing outfits, dropping off bags, and running between appointments all day, location is everything. Trust me.
7 p.m.: After a few much-needed hours off my feet, I headed to King's Garden for Baum und Pferdgarten, where the runway was tucked between the trees in the park. The collection, titled After the Rehearsal, imagined ballerinas after leaving dance practice, which translated into the delightfully undone styling I love seeing in Copenhagen: layers upon layers, leg warmers, headbands, and plenty of ballet references without feeling overly precious. I had gotten a sneak peek at the brand's new ballet shoes a few days earlier, but seeing them styled in the full collection made me want them even more. J'adore!
10 p.m.: My final stop of the night was Rotate's fashion week after-party, which, rather conveniently for someone getting married next month, transformed the venue into a very fabulous wedding chapel. I happily soaked up all the cool-girl bridal inspiration I could before admitting defeat and heading back to my hotel. The best party favor of the entire week also came courtesy of Rotate: custom wedding-themed lighters. Could I pack them in my carry-on to take back home? Probably not. Extremely chic nonetheless? Absolutely.
8 a.m.: There are few things that will convince me to wake up early during fashion week, but apparently, half-marathon training is one of them. I'm currently training with Nike for a half-marathon after my wedding, which meant my final fashion week morning began with a five-mile run through the city. I strategically mapped my route to end at Juno, one of Copenhagen's most beloved bakeries, because if I'm going to run five miles before a full day of shows and appointments, there should at least be a cardamom bun waiting for me at the finish line.
10 a.m.: One run later, I headed to the Rhode pop-up, one of the last stops on the brand's summer tour. Naturally, I used the opportunity to restock my lip treatments—fashion week is basically an endurance sport for both me and my lip products—and tried Rhode's cardamom latte while I was there. It was very Copenhagen, very on-brand, and exactly the caffeine-and-sugar situation I needed to fuel my final day.
12 p.m.: After seeing Herskind on the runway the day before, I went back for a resee of the collection. As much as I love the spectacle of a show, there's something particularly useful about getting to see the clothes again up close. You notice the construction, fabrics, and tiny details that can disappear when a look is walking past you in a matter of seconds. I caught up with the Herskind team about the inspiration behind the season and all the playful details Birgitte has been working into the collections lately. Case in point: an incredible feather skirt that was a showpiece on the runway and, more than two weeks later, is still living rent-free in my head.
What I Wore
7 p.m.: I headed to Collina Strada. The New York–based label was Copenhagen Fashion Week's guest designer for the spring/summer 2027 season, bringing a little NYC chaos to the Scandi fashion scene. I've been lucky enough to see Collina Strada at New York Fashion Week before, so watching Hillary Taymour's wonderfully weird world land in Copenhagen offered an entirely new perspective on a brand I thought I knew. There was plenty of the whimsy you'd expect, from playful accessories to offbeat styling and unexpected details, but against a Copenhagen backdrop, it all felt surprisingly at home.
8 p.m.: From Collina Strada, I headed straight to Caro Editions, which delivered exactly the kind of energy you want from your final show during fashion week. The models walked with attitude, the soundtrack was incredible, and the entire runway felt electric—as Caro Editions shows usually do. I also loved seeing the brand continue to work with deadstock fabric, turning existing materials into pieces that feel entirely fresh and distinctly its own. Between the clothes, the casting, and the music, it was less of a polite sit-and-watch runway and more of a full-on mood. It was the jolt of excitement I needed before dinner.
8:30 p.m.: There was really only one place I wanted to end my week: Esmée. It's my favorite restaurant in Copenhagen and a fashion-crowd favorite for good reason. Everywhere you turn, there's something (or someone!) to look at. After four days of running between shows, showrooms, appointments, and CIFF, sitting down for a long dinner felt like the perfect way to close out the week—one last great meal, one last round of people-watching, and approximately 400 new things saved to my spring wish list. Until next season, Copenhagen!
