COPENHAGEN — Copenhagen Fashion Week has built a reputation as the fifth fashion capital — the sustainable one — but even it is not immune to brand closures and the decline in luxury.
The country’s oldest clothing brand, Brandtex, founded in 1935, went bankrupt this year and was quickly rescued by Godske Group A/S. Two other major Danish fashion companies — Ganni and Birger Christensen Collective — have also stepped in to rescue or lend a helping hand to struggling local brands.
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Still, the overall mood in the city remained optimistic through the spring of 2025, as some companies reported continued strong growth.
For the jewelry brands, all that glittered was gold or diamonds.
Sophie Bille Brahe, famous for her cluster of diamonds, enchanted guests in her showroom with a collection that emphasized minimalism and the beauty of pearls.
“Our channels are going from strength to strength. We are seeing more and more customers wanting to invest in special pieces, jewelry that can tell a story and be passed down from generation to generation,” she said in an interview, hinting at the prospect of overseas expansion, to be unveiled later this year.
Tom Wood’s striking silver and gold rings were softened by rows of diamonds this season, while bracelets and necklaces became thicker and heavier.
“We have been profitable every year since our founding in 2013 and we are proud to say that we have never needed loans or credit. We are experiencing significant growth in our own retail and e-commerce business,” says Creative Director Mona Jensen.
The brand suffered a setback in the wholesale market in 2023, but the situation is improving.
“Therefore, we estimate revenue growth of approximately 25 percent in 2024,” Jensen said.
She strongly believes in staying in a price range that doesn’t become too ambitious for her clients. Tom Wood jewellery ranges from £69 for a silver ear cuff to £9,939 for a recycled 9 carat gold ring handset with diamonds.
Tom Wood is also experiencing a boon in the Japanese market, like many other luxury and designer brands. The brand is available at over 70 retailers in the region.
The company opened a retail space at Dover Street Market in Ginza last week, following the success of its flagship store in Aoyama.
Pandora added a touch of silver or gold to Copenhagen’s sunny outdoor catwalks. The Danish jewelry company teamed up with Rotate, the brand synonymous with flirty pieces — and has thrown the best fashion week party for seasons now.
Pandora Ambassador Pamela Anderson had a front-row seat to witness a dress featuring 2,000 silver tennis bracelets and handcrafted belts made from more than 300 strands of Pandora’s 14-karat gold chains.
There is much to celebrate for Rotate designers Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimarsdottir.
“Despite the slowdown in luxury retail, we have seen Rotate maintain its growth momentum. While certain markets have been impacted by the current challenges in the retail landscape, others have grown, such as the Middle East, where the brand continues to build a strong customer base,” Madsen said.
“We are delighted to have opened our first flagship store in Copenhagen [coinciding with fashion week]“It’s a huge moment for the brand,” Valdimarsdottir added.
In a city as small as Copenhagen, retail is not just an exercise in brand positioning, but rather an organic growth of a community. This also applies to airports, as most Danes travel regularly to neighbouring countries.
That’s one of the reasons why sustainable Icelandic outerwear brand 66°North has opened a second store at Copenhagen Airport.
The brand is putting a lot of effort into Copenhagen. They have just moved into their first headquarters outside of Iceland in Copenhagen, which will partly be used as an office for 66°North’s international teams, as well as a showroom and space to host events and activations.
“We ended 2023 with 18 percent growth, which I am pleased with given the challenging environment. During the first six months of 2024, we experienced slower growth but picked up again, with strong double-digit sales growth in July,” said Helgi Oskarsson, the brand’s CEO.
His next goal is to enhance 66°North’s global wholesale operations.
Even though many brands continue to grow, there is an open attitude when it comes to business conversations at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Brands big and small are willing to share their problems, offer solutions and lend a helping hand.
For example, Stockholm-based brand Deadwood has seen its first decline in years. “We saw a 13 percent drop in sales year-on-year,” said Felix von Bahder, the brand’s co-founder and creative director.
“We had put too many eggs in too few baskets when it came to wholesale, betting on a handful of online giants. When their sales started to decline, it immediately resulted in cutbacks and cancelled orders,” he added.
The brand’s direct-to-consumer sales absorbed some of the blow, but it wasn’t enough to turn the company around.
In March, things looked even bleaker than before.
“But to channel my inner Tony Robbins, ingenuity is the ultimate resource. We mustered the last of our energy and with the help of a community-led investment round, we pulled Deadwood out of the ditch and turned the tide,” von Bahder said.
Helle Hestehave, who designs Baum und Pferdgarten together with Rikke Baumgarten, revealed that the brand saw a decline in 2022 due to rising inflation and interest rates. This affected the 2023 results, which totaled 11 million Danish kroner, or 1.47 million euros.
And then there’s Copenhagen star Ganni, who stayed out for another season and instead financially supported the city’s talent, along with Birger Christensen Collective, the parent company of Rotate and Remain.
According to Denise Christensen, CEO of Birger Christensen Collective, Remain is in a state of change as creative director Martin Asbjørn amplifies the brand’s voice and message.
“Of course, the luxury slowdown has had an effect on global businesses. However, by 2024, Remain has expanded its retail partner base to 120 partners in total. While we currently have no plans to open a permanent retail space, this is certainly something we are looking at in the future,” she added.
It was a comeback season for rebellious Danish sister designers Nana and Simon Wick of (Di)vision, who have been pausing their runway shows for the past two seasons.
“We are doing better and better every month, but have a decline in sales from 2023 to 2024. This is a result of us focusing on direct-to-consumer and stopping wholesale sales to focus on our core business and community,” Simon said.
Their show this season was made possible by a collaboration with The Ordinary, with the design duo showcasing a dress made entirely from the beauty brand’s packaging.
Despite the demanding market, some brands have matured quickly and are now determining how they want to move forward.
Another Aspect is one of them, specializing in modernizing the 9-to-5 uniform. The company has been around for almost five years.
“We are better than ever with a well-functioning physical store and online and retail network. We have grown by 60 percent in the first seven months of 2024. We are on the cusp of adulthood and are no longer in the early stages. The past year has been a wild ride and we have felt a completely insane demand in Denmark and the rest of the world,” says Daniel Brøndt, co-founder of the brand.
Eyewear designer Vincent Catani has seen the luxury slowdown as an opportunity to slow down and carefully consider his next steps. Since launching his first collection two years ago, the brand has “grown exponentially,” the designer says, building a core customer base in Denmark and Finland.
“We have doubled the number of retail partners in the past year and sales this spring and summer have been the best yet,” said Catani, who sells her products at the Studio Stars concept store in Copenhagen.
Another newcomer to the scene was Kristoffer Kongshaug from Forza Collective, who presented his second act, an ode to the 60s, the haute couture of the ready-to-wear of the 70s and 90s.
A former designer at Raf Simons, Christian Dior Couture, Balmain and Lanvin, he is not surprised by the decline in the luxury market and has “strategically set his prices to be more affordable than many of the very premium luxury brands.”
A Forza Collective nylon T-shirt dress costs 6,060 Danish kroner (or 812 euros), while a cotton canvas cocoon coat costs 9,700 Danish kroner, or 1,300 euros.
“We’re off to a great start and I’m extremely motivated to work on more wholesale and online channels over the next one to two years, particularly expanding our customer base in the US,” said Kongshaug.
The brand will open a pop-up store at Printemps in Paris in October and plans to expand into the knitwear category next fall.
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