The state of

Scandinavian Fashion

A Dialogue with the New Generation of Emerging Designers

For years, Scandinavian fashion has been associated with minimalism—a simple elegance that doesn’t need frills to fully express itself. Instagram feeds featured pristine sidewalks and outfits in neutral tones alongside elaborate baked goods and flower-filled bicycle baskets. But now Copenhagen has emerged as a leading fashion capital, a hub and storefront for a diverse range of brands from the other side of Europe. After brands like Our Legacy and Acne Studios took their vision to Milan, Paris, and then the world, others such as Division, Han Kjøbenhavn, Henrik Vibskov, and Vain redefined a style that would be hard to call minimalistic. It’s time to ask what has become of Scandinavian aesthetics. To witness this remarkable evolution, we dedicated a digital cover to the true treasure of any city aspiring to be a new fashion capital: the emerging designers. Five new brands from Copenhagen Fashion Week share their stories: from Another Aspect’s everyday menswear to NICKLAS SKOVGAARD’s 80s influences, the new scene balances sustainability, inclusivity, and the desire to push boundaries.

Nicklas Skovgaard

NICKLAS SKOVGAARD

Balloon skirts, drapes, and sequins; dreamlike silhouettes and vinyl details: fashion according to Nicklas Skovgaard blends contemporary and past in an oxymoron that seemed unachievable yet lives in the Danish designer’s garments. Skovgaard’s fascination with fashion, which led him to start his eponymous brand, began at an early age: «I fell in love with fashion around 10 years old, inspired by my mother’s personal style. As a child, she would always tell me stories about her youth, about when she lived in the city and did aerobics every week,» recalls the designer. This maternal influence shaped the designer’s career and is evident in every piece of the brand, from voluminous helmets and theatrical dresses interspersed with lycra details to the expressive power of the 80s.

«My process very much centers around using references of a certain decade and then seeing them in a new perspective that feels more like today. I reference a lot of silhouettes, fabrications and feelings of the 1980’s but I’m still living and seeing the world as it is today and I believe that is what makes my pieces contemporary and relevant»

«I believe that today sustainability is fundamental in building a brand as an emerging designer. That said, I must also admit that sometimes it can be difficult to navigate, to understand what you can and can’t do»

With only two collections a year, Skovgaard’s work develops progressively, each creation adding a new piece to the narrative. From the beginning, the designer knew he didn’t want to create a large brand - preferring to manage small-scale production and working with a few retailers. When creating samples for his collections, he uses fabrics from thrift stores and local markets and, most importantly, tries to make only what will actually be sold. Nicklas’s vision merges various influences, from baroque aristocratic portraits to Madonna’s music videos, all with a sustainable twist.

Kristoffer Kongshaug

FORZA COLLECTIVE

When asked about his greatest style influences, Kristoffer Kongshaug, founder and creative director of Forza Collective, gives a response we might have predicted: «Raf Simons, for his use of colors and composition; Martin Margiela for his surgical precision in details.» This is evident in his design approach: the linearity of the campaigns, and details that break with the general minimalism, capturing attention with cutouts, ruffled hems, and unexpected colours.

«For an emerging brand, it is a lot when your foundation is fragile, and every penny counts. But I love the challenge because your way to grow is simply through products that people fall in love with. These days everyone is a designer, and you will only stand out and ultimately survive if you have something authentic and new to offer»

«Ever since the beginning, Copenhagen has had optimal conditions for emerging creatives, thanks to CPHFW and their ability to promote talent. It is also giving the industry and visitors a different perspective of Danish fashion»

Each Kongshaug piece is made with constant consideration of its intended use and the end customer. «Where and how will it be used? Is it for daily wear, editorial services, or the red carpet? Once this is determined, the rules of the game are already set,» explains the designer. But functionality isn’t the only determining principle. According to Kongshaug, «The only possible future for fashion is through sustainable thinking»: the care with which Forza Collective engages with the production chain determines the choice of local partners to reduce the carbon footprint of each garment.

Anna & Yoko

BONNETJE

A brand entirely dedicated to circular fashion: BONNETJE repurposes old garments to create new silhouettes. Blue shirts reborn as ruffled tube tops, fabric scraps combined to form 3D floral bodysuits, futuristic cut little black dresses, micro bras, and maxi skirts. Anna & Yoko’s brand actively protests against contemporary society and the culture of waste by giving new life to clothes that, as the designers would say, would otherwise remain «defunct.» At BONNETJE, what is considered masculine becomes feminine, and genders blend. «It seemed natural to dive into deconstruction because breaking things down to see how they are made is the only way to improve and come up with new ideas,» the designers comment on their creative process.

«The layers, the hidden details, everything intrigued us: one of the first dresses we deconstructed had a ‘bonnetje’ in the pocket. Bonnetje means ‘receipt’ in Dutch; we liked the idea of being able to trace a geographical clue to the previous owner, giving the garment a story to tell»

«When we have suit materials in our hands, the shapes seem to emerge organically. The tactile experience of working with the fabric often leads to the final volume. We drape on ourselves—one is wearing the piece while the other pins. This allows us to discuss the designs together as they come to life whilst feeling how they are to wear»

With training in Margiela’s ateliers under John Galliano, Yoko learned the art of deconstruction from one of the fashion industry’s best - an experience that taught him «the beauty of breaking things down and reimagining them in new ways.» They collaborate on every garment, trying on and draping the recovered fabrics over each other to experience their work firsthand. Alongside experimental design, sustainability remains a key element guiding BONNETJE’s artistic direction. «Because we work exclusively with suits and deadstock, the fabric itself often dictates some design choices for us. This limitation is both a challenge and a beauty of working with ‘leftovers’.»

Marie-Louise Guldbæk Andersen

MLGA

Marie-Louise Guldbæk Andersen designs for the man of the future. With a design approach strongly focused on the client’s needs, MLGA creates garments that precisely meet their function so each piece can withstand the challenges of time. In Guldbæk Andersen’s designs, the male silhouette is reinterpreted through aesthetics, shapes, and materials found in a middle ground between menswear and womenswear. Trench coats turn into wide evening dresses, men’s suits with deep necklines exposing the back, and vinyl finishes revealing a strong sensuality.

«I actually find that the new generation of designers is very helpful and respectful to each other, so in that way I find the industry open and inclusive. But being a new brand becomes difficult when you are met with the same expectations as the big and well-established brands. And of course every new brand wishes we had more funds and resources thrown at us»

«I work closely with customers to make garments that will be loved and cherished for many years. Moreover, I only produce what I sell. Eighty to 90 per cent of our fabrics are deadstock materials: our leather goods come from old pieces or upcycled items, we unravel our knitwear prototypes to make new ones»

Before launching her brand, Guldbæk Andersen interned with designer Cecile Bahnsen: a formative experience that allowed her to access her more romantic side, even though «Cecile’s brand represents a lighter and more playful universe,» she tells us. Indeed, MLGA’s artistic direction draws from a fantastical, almost fairy-tale world, but the brand’s palette adheres to the strict colour rules of brutalism. As with colours, Guldbæk Andersen’s approach to sustainability is radical: «We only produce what is sold,» explains the designer, and «80-90% of our fabrics are reclaimed materials; the leather comes from old models, and we dismantle our knitwear prototypes to make new ones.» Working in a city like Copenhagen has allowed her to access a community rich in creatives eager to innovate the fashion industry and support each other, she says. She adds that every time she designs a garment for Danes, she must pay attention to one big detail, which she finds amusing: «Here, everyone rides bikes, so you always have to ensure that it’s possible to do so while wearing my designs.»

Daniel Brøndt and Anders Poulsen

Another Aspect

Encountering Another Aspect’s designs is almost like opening your wardrobe. One finds a reassuring sense of intimacy and comfort, which is precisely the core of Daniel Brøndt’s brand. «We try to create pieces that support and enhance the daily journey, wherever it takes us,» says the designer. «Our collections are a tribute to the everyday situations that can surprise us throughout the day.»

«Starting as a small brand with minimal means, tight margins, and small orders, we know these conditions did not allow us to become the leading responsible menswear brand. However, we firmly believe that we as a brand can reach that point through a continuous emphasis on getting better at doing better, day by day, product by product, order by order, to care for the planet that we inhabit by creating items that’ll be interesting today, tomorrow and in ten years»

«Each collection extends our appreciation for the everyday routine and reminds us to create space for adventure. By adding elements and redefining archetypal silhouettes, we seek to create garments that support and enhance the daily journey, wherever it takes us»

Like his designs, Another Aspect’s productions draw inspiration from human warmth through collaborations with Florentine family businesses for knitwear, and a particular focus on responsible material sourcing, both ethically and environmentally. What Danes do best, according to Brøndt, is an audacious approach to design, knowing «how to merge aesthetics with function,» removing the superfluous and focusing on what truly matters. In the case of Another Aspect, this means designing garments that best combine everyday wear and quality. «We believe in creating pieces that last, helping our customers buy better and less,» adds Brøndt. You’ll never find the latest fashion trends at Another Aspect, but this is precisely what makes it a special brand destined to become a cornerstone of Danish fashion.

CREDITS

Photographer
ESENIIA ARASLANOVA
@eseniyaa

Videomaker
FREDERIK FUGLSANG
@frederik_fuglsang_

Managing editor
MARIA STANCHIERI
@vervemarie

Art Direction
EMANUELE GHEBAUR
@iamghebs

In addition to dedicating a digital cover to the most promising voices in Scandinavian fashion, nss is heading to Copenhagen with nssedicola from August 5th to 9th, 2024. Together with NIKO JUNE, the brand that has shaped the new era of Scandinavian minimalism in design over the years, nss presents "I left my <3 in Copenhagen," a pop-up in the Creator Hub of Copenhagen Fashion Week. You will find merchandise, a fanzine capturing the evolution of Scandinavian street style, and a new concept of an Italian newsstand. Come to say hi, and don't forget to pick up a souvenir.