On a bitterly cold Copenhagen night, 150 journalists, buyers and fashion workers are packed into the store and headquarters of Danish brand Saks Potts. Models in festival minidresses and fringe boots roam the building that was once the city’s royal apothecary, while editors and photographers elbow each other for the right shot.
“We like to do things in unconventional ways,” says Barbara Potts, who co-founded the womenswear label with Catherine Sachs in 2014, right after graduating from high school. “We never think linearly.” Best known for its signature fur-trimmed foxy coats (€1,330), Sachs Potts has become one of Denmark’s biggest fashion exports, with 50 stockists around the world and fans including Leandra Medine Cohen, Alexa Chung and Bella Hadid. Clothes like eyelet-embellished leather pants (€695) and a reversible shearling jacket (€1,800) combine playful design with thoughtful details; jeans come with a removable leather coin purse and a jacket has a D-ring where you can clip an AirPods case. “We’re very influenced by the Copenhagen lifestyle and riding bikes everywhere,” Sachs says. “Our design philosophy is based on practicality.”
Saks Potts AW24 show in Copenhagen © Lasse Dearman
With a focus on staples with unexpected twists and a social media savvy, Saks Potts represents much of the appeal of Copenhagen’s fashion scene, which has outsized global influence for a city of just 1.4 million people. If you’ve noticed an abundance of oversized collars and whimsical, floaty dresses around town, it’s largely due to the influence of brands like Ganni, Cecilie Bahnsen and Steen Goya, pioneers of a spirited, maximalist approach to dressing. According to Danish fashion and textile association DM&T, industry revenues have grown more than 30 percent since 2014, from €5.8 billion to €7.6 billion last year, with clothing and footwear exports up by almost 50 percent (contrasting with a 5 percent increase in domestic sales).
Behind the scenes at Stine Goya AW24 © Tonya Matyu
Practical doesn’t have to be boring
“I remember walking around fashion fairs presenting my collections in the early days, and everything was grey or off-white,” says Steen Goya. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in London, she launched her eponymous label in 2006 as a “venture into the Danish fashion scene.” Inspired by the art world and the colorful hues of Copenhagen harbour, Goya’s vibrant, hand-painted designs are now stocked in 400 retailers, and sales have grown 30% in the past five years, with the UK and the US being the biggest markets. Part of the reason for its success is its affordable price point (knitwear starts at £155, best-selling dresses at £190).
“Our clients tell us they like it because it’s ambitious and they still have to think about it, but it’s accessible,” Goya says. “Most of us [designers] Copenhagen falls into that category.”
Payton dress in recycled polyester by Steen Goya, £455; Aneta coat in recycled polyester by Steen Goya, £400; Julius bag in recycled polyester blend, £130
“What the Danes have succeeded at is taking a unique point of view and combining it with affordable prices and a strong community-building strategy,” says Ida Petersson, former buying director at Browns and founder of creative agency Browns, who has been involved in Copenhagen Fashion Week for the past eight years. “This trinity has allowed the Danes to stand out in a very busy industry.”
Behind the scenes of Nicklas Skovgaard AW24 © Tonya Matyu
A focus on sustainability also unites these brands, thanks to Copenhagen Fashion Week’s sustainability standards, which require participants to adhere to strict standards in all areas, including show production and materials. Peterson marks the appointment of Cecilie Thorsmark as CEO of the fashion week in 2018 as a turning point, as she has promoted “social and environmental responsibility,” he says. “Even Paris, which has always been a leader in that regard, is taking a leaf out of Copenhagen and starting to adopt some of these practices.”
Ganni is phasing out virgin leather, while Steen Goya favors plant-based alternatives, while Niklas Skovgaard, a trending newcomer who creates romantic, Renaissance-inspired pompon dresses and skirts, prioritizes minimizing waste by using fabrics he buys from thrift stores and flea markets, and weaving his own fabric as he needs it. “It’s a very time-consuming process,” says Skovgaard, who worked as a stylist before founding his own label in 2020. “It takes me two or three days to make a jacket, but I feel it should be done the right way.”
Another Aspect Organic Cotton Another Jacket 2.0, £357, Organic Cotton Another Trousers 5.0, £201 © Alexander J Rotondo
Other brands are updating the classic, minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic. Co-ed brands like Another Aspect, Mfpen, and Mark Kenly Domino Tan are pioneering a new kind of Danish minimalism, with an emphasis on well-made, easy-to-wear staples and simple shapes. “Growing up in Denmark, with architects and furniture designers like Arne Jacobsen and Poul Henningsen, there’s always this idea of good taste,” says Sigurd Bank, who founded Mfpen in 2016 after working as a fashion buyer. “I don’t want clothes that show off too much. I think having simple but good things is very Danish.”
Mark Kenley Domino tan cotton Jake jacket, 700 euros, cotton and wool blend Caspi jumper, 570 euros, cotton and wool blend Catro trousers, 540 euros Mark Kenley Domino tan wool Karlina dress, 515 euros
Mfpen, which is seeing a 30 percent increase in revenue in 2023 compared to last year, has a loyal following for its casual tailored pieces and shirts made from high-quality deadstock fabrics (trousers start at 240 euros, blazers from 450 euros). The designs evoke Scandinavian classicism, but with raw-cut trousers and shapeless shoulders, and blazers, there’s a countercultural informality to them. “Most men don’t want to come across as dodgy when they’re wearing a suit,” says Bank. “We offer suits that are 100 percent tropical wool and have a slightly looser fit, and I think we’ve hit that sweet balance of being able to get a very high-quality suit and still be comfortable to wear.”
Mfpen recycled wool Accession coat, 740 euros, organic cotton Priority shirt, 260 euros, denim jeans, 250 euros © Sigurd Bank
Striking a balance between modern and classic is also behind the success of jewellery and accessories brands such as Lie Studio, whose elegant sterling silver and gold-plated designs, such as the best-selling Ellie necklace (from £295), reflect the style of its founders, twin sisters and models, Cecilie and Amalie Mosgaard. Launched in 2021, the brand is already a multi-million euro business, generating revenue of €2.5 million last year and expecting to double that this year.
“In Scandinavia, we’re very practical, but that doesn’t mean we have to look boring,” says Amalie. “Sometimes I’ll wear kitten heels instead of high heels because I don’t want my heels to get caught in the bars.”
Sophie Bille Brahe recycled gold and diamond Embrassé de Diamant single earring, £11,500
And Sophie Ville Brahe, whose understated approach to classic pearl-and-diamond jewellery has made her one of the world’s most exciting luxury jewellers (revenues up 259% between 2019 and 2022, with 35% of sales in the US). Her clean, sculptural pieces, like her Embrasse de Diamant earrings (£11,500) and a delicate diamond necklace in graduated sizes (£44,000), take inspiration from the city’s starry skies.
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“In Denmark, everyone is close to the sea and the sky. It’s a very clean place,” says Bille Brahe, who trained as a goldsmith before founding his eponymous brand in 2011. “I think that’s what defines my aesthetic. Whenever I want to work with diamonds, I think about how clean I can make this diamond look, how can I show off the beauty of the pearl itself? We grew up with Georg Jensen and this very clean Danish design, so I feel like it’s in our blood. It’s in the air we breathe.”
