Copenhagen fashion students say ‘Scandi style’ is “performative”

By Rosie Leishman and Emma McGrath

Being named the ‘World’s Stylist City’ did not surprise the masters in fashion students at Copenhagen’s Design School, as ‘Copenhagen style’ dominates fashion trends overseas. Photo: Rosie Leishman

“Everyone is trying to copy Copenhagen,” says Josephine Dahl, a worker at Ganni, the Danish brand dominating international fashion. She is not wrong, Copenhagen style is trending. 

However, Amanda Gleerup, a Master’s student at Copenhagen’s Design School believes Scandinavian style is “curated and superficial, a shell everyone hides behind.”

Being named the ‘World’s Most Stylish City’ did not surprise the students as they know Copenhagen is the trend overseas. 

Ganni (pictured above) is one Danish brand flourishing in the overseas fashion market. “Everyone is trying to copy Copenhagen,” says Josephine Dahl, a worker from one of their Copenhagen stores. Photo: Rosie Leishman

“It’s beautiful but I feel like people should see through it. It’s an illusion,” said Gleerup. 

Especially in Nøberro, Copenhagen’s catwalk. “Nøberro is the hotspot. All the fashionistas are out to be seen,” said Emma Aagaard. 

“Nøberro is the fashion hotspot,” says Emma Aagaard, who explains that if Copenhagen-ers know they are going to the Nøberro area (pictured above), they will dress for it. The girls describe the local supermarket is like a Copenhagen catwalk. Photo: Rosie Leishman

The students define Copenhagen style as experimental, colourful and environmentally influenced. Due to Denmark’s extreme weather, quality is prioritised and care for what you wear is inherited. 

“The wonderful thing about Danish style is the attentiveness to craft, detail, and function, but the quality of Danish design is slipping away,” said Gleerup. 

This explains why Design School pushes students to focus on the process and lifecycle of designs, rather than the product.

 

Copenhagen’s Design School (pictured above) ensures students work extremely hard to prove the value of adding their products and designs into the world with sustainability as the main focus. Photo: Rosie Leishman

“It’s a responsibility as a student to craft in a way that’s suitable for the future” said Aagaard, “designing for sustainability, we are trying to avoid the word trend.”

The fashion students want to be liberated from trends and hope Copenhagen style will be less “trendy” and become the industry’s hub for more circular fashion practices. 

This story is for an international audience interested in Copenhagen style and fashion trends. This could be published on e.g –  https://fq.co.nz/