The Scandinavian Fashion Weeks SS11 | Modem Mag

The show schedule for Copenhagen Fashion Week SS11 contained no less than 43 catwalk shows held over a period of 4 intense days. In addition to that you found a long list of events, 4 int. fashion fairs and quite a few private- and multi label showrooms. Among those, the new initiative Moshroom Showroom, an alternative to the bigger fairs and the private showrooms, created by the team behind fashion brand, Wood Wood.

Cph Vision presented, true to the tradition, their famous Award – and catwalk show Designers' Nest, a platform created with the aim of promoting up-and-coming Nordic designers to international buyers, press and trendsetters. The event has over the years become an integrated part of Copenhagen Fashion Week. The Award show was again this season judged by a panel of internationally acclaimed fashion experts, lead by Senior Fashion Writer for the Sunday Times, Colin McDowell.

At it’s only seventh edition, Gallery int. Fashion Fair presented an ultra sharp line up of the leading designer driven fashion brands from Scandinavia as well as a very precise selection of allied from abroad. A list of exhibitors that from Scandinavia included: Bllack Noir, Baum und Pferdgarten, Rodebjer, Yvonne Koné, Uniforms for the Dedicated, Norse Project and Mads Norgaard. And from outside the region: bSTORE, Peter Jensen, Rika, Surface to Air, Maharishi, Linda Farrow and LaLa Berlin and many more.

<sld(SFW1)|left>This season’s “talk of the town” in Copenhagen, was a bunch of younger, but already strong names in the business, lead by: Spon Diogo, Wacherhaus, Vilsbol de Arce and Soulland. Designers, who, together with the two darlings of Danish fashion Stine Goya and Henrik Vibskov have a more avant-garde approach to design, than usually seen in this region and they seem to make enough noise to attract international buyers and press. Where a regular and much appreciated guest from Sweden, Mini Market had once again chosen the Danish capital as show destination, their Norwegian colleague, Veronica B. Vallenes, presented her collection in Copenhagen as for the very first time.
From the more established part of the industry, you found a group of highly celebrated Danish brands - by many considered the backbone of Danish fashion, names such as By Malene Birger, Bruuns Bazaar, Rützou and Ivan Grundahl, who also this season delivered quality shows and collections. Designer Remix, unfortunately weren’t to find at this seasons schedule, as they have chosen to show their collection during London Fashion Week later this month. They were missed.

<sld(SFW2)|right>The Mercedez- Benz Stockholm Fashion Week SS11 presented a line up of 20 of the strongest names in Swedish fashion right now, presenting their collections primarily in the Swedish Capitals main venue: Bern’s Salonger. Some of the absolute highlights of Stockholm Fashion Week was the funky jeans brand, Cheap Monday’s second collection with Sweden’s probably most well-known designer, Ann- Sofie Back as Creative Director.
The new generation of Swedish designers was represented by brands like: The Local Firm, Carin Wester, NAKKNA and Stylein. They all presented some really clean, modern collections. Naturally “the queen of Scandinavian simplicity” Filippa K was there and delivered, as always, a beautiful show.

What is all together so amazing about Scandinavian fashion is how such a relatively young and small fashion scene can offer such a strong and various selection of brands, all with very precise brand identities - so individual and still you feel their Scandinavian heritage.