Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) Autumn/Winter 2025 is in full swing. And already, we’ve seen an energetic runway return from Nicklas Skovgaard, a large-scale presentation and dinner from Icelandic outerwear label 66North and a well-received runway debut from New Talent programme designers Bonnetje.
Despite the excitement, the schedule at CPHFW this season looks very different compared to a year ago. In the summer, Copenhagen’s crown jewel, megabrand Ganni, followed Danish export Cecilie Bahnsen and moved to Paris Fashion Week for SS25. Then, in November, Danish label Saks Potts permanently closed after 10 years of doing business. (Founders Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts said it wasn’t financially motivated and that sales had never been better, but acknowledged that wholesale is “having a hard time right now”.) Weeks later, contemporary label (Di)vision, perhaps most famous globally for its viral table cloth dress show moment for AW23, announced it had filed for bankruptcy, citing a failure to scale “beyond Denmark’s borders” as the cause.
“I’m not too hung up on the size of the brand, rather than what their world is,” says Laird Borrelli-Persson, who has been covering Nordic fashion for Vogue Runway for many years. “Yes, Ganni’s CPHFW shows were dazzling, Cecilie Bahnsen’s dreamy, Saks Potts had the best locations, and (Di)vision delivered genuine community spirit, but my focus is on appreciating what remains.”
She’s right. As some doors close, others open. Taking up some of the space, Icelandic outerwear brand 66North joined the schedule for the first time this season, to celebrate its 99th anniversary with a large-scale exhibition, a gifting suite for influencers and press, and a 40-person dinner on Tuesday night. Swedish label Filippa K also hopped on board, with a debut on-schedule presentation on Thursday.
As the tectonic plates of CPHFW shift, Nordic fashion is left in a state of flux. But with challenge comes opportunity, and via new exciting formats, fresh brands, investing in young talent and keeping in touch with its most famous exports, CPHFW is adapting to what Scandi fashion is in 2025.
Nordic fashion’s unique challenges
Nordic fashion is facing specific challenges as the global retail market falters, which has caused some of the shifts we’ve seen at CPHFW, says Tina Svoldgaard, founder of PR firm TS-AGCY, which represents many of the city’s top talents. “We have so many small independent brands and a very small home market. This makes us highly dependent on the global market — both in terms of the economic climate and buying trends. There are only a limited number of Danish consumers to cater to, so even for successful Danish brands, a stable global market is necessary to secure a solid business,” she says.
