Inside Copenhagen Fashion Week
Photography by Maria Rogersdotter.
Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) kicked off the start of the global fashion calendar for 2026, running from 27-29 January in Denmark’s capital.
Marking the 20th anniversary, this fashion week delivered a mix of celebration and thoughtful curation, with a focus on emerging talent, creativity, and expression.
Here’s everything you need to know about the first major fashion event of the year.
Curation and a Community-first Drive
Unlike the “big four” fashion weeks in New York, Milan, Paris, and London, Copenhagen’s showcase offers a unique blend of runways, presentations, and trade events, with this year also featuring a 400-person anniversary dinner. All of this is set within a short three-day window which encourages a more compact and highly intentional approach, ensuring every aspect is purposeful.
Rather than relying on a star-studded guest list and being surrounded by the hype of celebrity culture, CPHFW has built its reputation around community and craftsmanship.
Many designers mention that they feel highly supported in the long-term through this platform as it offers a global stage for Nordic expression. This year, brands reflected on how the fashion week has shaped their creative journey, helped to fuel their future growth, and demonstrated that Copenhagen has become not only a fashion event but a meaningful place for people to connect and advance.
This Year’s Emphasis
2026’s showcase reflected the inclusiveness that Copenhagen is known for, incorporating a diverse range of established brands and rising talent, giving space for all levels of designers to shine.
Extending beyond fashion, meaningful dialogue remains an important sector of CPHFW, with this year’s conversations surrounding sustainability, innovation, and the future of fashion at the forefront. Driving the desire for positive changes within the industry continues to reflect the highly ethical values that are associated with the Copenhagen Fashion Week brand.
Runway and street style trends
While Copenhagen’s fashion week isn’t built around the same celebrity status and spectacle as others, it is still endearingly referred to as the ‘fifth fashion week’ due to being a major trend incubator, not only for what is on the actual runway, but the streets too.
On the catwalk, we saw names such as the highly influential Anne Sofie Madsen, often spotlighted for imaginative tailoring, reinforcing Copenhagen’s reputation for boundary-pushing design. Newer brands, like the innovative SSON, proved why fresh ideas are so important with their uniquely structured exhibition that left a lasting impression.
With Scandinavian style being known for its polished minimalism and clean silhouettes, Copenhagen’s streetwear looks gave us a fresh edition and clear look into winter styles that feel effortless but are still intentional and modern. Think statement pieces such as bold coats, oversized layers, and brightly coloured accessories. Gloves, faux-fur collars, scarves, and sculptural hats were a main focus for many looks, proving that while Copenhagen may be cold this time of year, its wardrobes are anything but muted.
Why CPHFW Matters
What makes CPHFW distinctive and the perfect way to kick off the fashion calendar for 2026 is that the true significance of the event isn’t fully encompassed by what happens on the runway. Instead, the entire ecosystem and philosophy of the event, from the networking events, panels, and designers who push boundaries, becomes a space that champions sustainability, encourages emerging talent, and favours forward thinking. Copenhagen Fashion Week achieves all of this and more through a uniquely Scandinavian lens that continues to raise the bar for global fashion culture and set the standard for all of the other highly anticipated shows to come for the rest of 2026.
