Over the last few years, there's been a real rise in the attention being given to Scandinavia when it comes to fashion. The clean lines, high quality and overall aesthetic used by designers from the region means that their clothes can slot into anyone's wardrobe, and as such, they've been getting a lot of love. They're also pretty damn good at throwing a Fashion Week, and this season we headed to Copenhagen to see what we could find at Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) during Fashion Week.
CIFF is more than just a trade show. Taking place on the outskirts of the city, the scale of the fair is something unimaginable unless you've been. Every Inch of the Bella Centre is filled with quality labels and brands, and they're not stopping there. Plans from the people behind CIFF include a proposed city, in which they will foster creative talents and artists by providing housing free of charge, along with creative spaces, and that is something we could really get behind.
For now though, let's focus on what we saw at the show this season, so scroll to see our highlights, and keep up to date with everything CIFF on their site.
Over the last few years, there's been a real rise in the attention being given to Scandinavia when it comes to fashion. The clean lines, high quality and overall aesthetic used by designers from the region means that their clothes can slot into anyone's wardrobe, and as such, they've been getting a lot of love. They're also pretty damn good at throwing a Fashion Week, and this season we headed to Copenhagen to see what we could find at Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) during Fashion Week.
CIFF is more than just a trade show. Taking place on the outskirts of the city, the scale of the fair is something unimaginable unless you've been. Every Inch of the Bella Centre is filled with quality labels and brands, and they're not stopping there. Plans from the people behind CIFF include a proposed city, in which they will foster creative talents and artists by providing housing free of charge, along with creative spaces, and that is something we could really get behind.
For now though, let's focus on what we saw at the show this season, so scroll to see our highlights, and keep up to date with everything CIFF on their site.
STORY mfg
STORY mfg are all about creating sustainable clothes. They're constantly working on finding a more authentic, fulfilling and kind approach to fashion—one that wouldn't involve a trade-off between aesthetic and sustainability. That's something to be admired, and it's something they're absolutely achieving.
At CIFF they were showing clothes dyed with natural dyes (with live demonstrations of the dying process), and that then had a rain pattern lasered onto them. That's right, lasered. The laser removes the natural dye from the material it hits without damaging it, meaning what you're left with is a dope pattern and a sick story behind it.
Willy Chavarria
Willy Chavarria established himself during his time as a designer at Ralph Lauren, and then when he set up Palmer Trading Company with life partner David Ramirez. He has since refocused himself on his eponymous label, which debuted for Fall/Winter 2015 and has gone from strength to strength. What he was showing at CIFF was largely workwear inspired silhouettes, perfectly executed and insanely wearable. He was even showing his forthcoming collaboration with the kings of workwear, Dickies, which is definitely on our must-buy list for this year.
Craig Green x Björn Borg
Craig Green has been a huge name in British Fashion since his graduate collection. His shows—which are smooth, flowing and calm, much like his clothes—have often proved to be a highlight of London Collections: Men, and even brought people to tears. For his collaboration with Björn Borg's activewear section, Green has expanded beyond menswear, to include unisex and womens pieces. The whole collection bears his his utilitarian, military signature, with the quilted ponchos and lightweight trousers the standout pieces. Keep ane ye out for when this collaboration drops.
Common Projects
Common Projects are synonymous with luxury sneakers to those who love them. Their clean aesthetic is a trademark, and has spread to other labels like wildfire, and for good reason. There's no denying these kicks look fantastic, and are some of the very few you can get away with wearing to an office job. That's priceless. The offerings on show were more of the same; strong, clean silhouettes presented in premium materials. Everyone should have at least one pair in their rotation.
424
Founded out of the store 424 on Fairfax, the 424 label is rooted in streetwear, with hints of Americana, politics and Japanese influences thrown in for good measure. This season is more of the same, as the denim selection widens, and more and more silhouettes are adjusted and reinterpreted by the labels designers. Can you really go wrong with a label this good?
Champion
Champion are responsible for creating what is essentially the perfect sweatshirt with its reverse weave—invented in 1952—and they always come correct with their collections, so there's not much to say here, beyond advising you to buy some, you won't look back. Oh, and keep an eye out for their collaboration with Beams, too. That's guaranteed to be fantastic.
Black Rabbit
Mainly producing outerwear, Japanese label Black Rabbit don't subscribe to seasons, they produce their work in "tranches" that fall when the collections are ready. But that's totally cool when you're making outerwear as good as this. Now, a good piece of outerwear can make or break your wardrobe, and there's no way any of the pieces from Black Rabbit are going to anything other than wrap up just about any fit in a neat bow. Classical and technical meet in their utilitarian, military-inspired work, and their Cyrillic logo is the perfect finishing touch.
Grace Wales Bonner
Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014, Grace Wales Bonner has gained plaudits of her work really quickly. Her graduate collection Afrique won the L’Oréal Professionnel Talent Award and she debuted Ebonics F/W15 with Fashion East at London Collections: Men to critical acclaim. After her first season, she was invited to the V&A’s prestigious Fashion in Motion programme, which is HUGE. It's all rightfully gained though; her work is incredibly strong, and her exploration of representations of black male sexuality and identity has taken the industry in London by storm. This collection pushes the boundaries of luxury, with seventies-inspired silhouettes infused with modern streetwear sensibility.
Martin Asbjørn
Martin Asbjørn founded his eponymous label in Copenhagen in 2012, and since then he's been creating clothes that combine military influences with streetwear and sportswear silhouettes. Combine the clothes with the muted, lowkey colour palette chosen for the collection, and what Asbjørn has coming with this collection should definitely be on your want-to-cop list.