Somewhat sorry to say it, dear Stockholm, but Copenhagen Fashion Week is where all the buzz is right now for Spring/Summer 2019. Despite being a mixed week, there is plenty of men’s fashion around and here are my favourites. The shows are not presented in any particular order, but you’ll probably figure out which one I liked the most!
Copenhagen is always a pleasure to visit. It is a beautiful city with lots to offer, especially when it comes to fashion. The street fashion surrounding Copenhagen Fashion Week was at times even more intriguing than the shows themselves, but luckily I found some gems along the way amongst the shows.
Han Kjøbenhavn
Set in the attic of an industrial building in the middle of nowhere we met Han Kjøbenhavn who this year had a lot of international focus as they are going to show in Paris from January onwards. For now we’ll focus on the Spring/Summer 2019 collection however.
The show itself was a somewhat post-apocalyptic journey into a world where technology seems to have become more or less roadkill, whereas the clothes seemed to spring from the seed of hope for a better future.
Hues of brown and floral make these survivors of whatever disaster occurred earlier flow sweetly on the scorched earth they are inhabiting. Parallels to the Danish TV show The Rain undoubtedly came to mind when sitting in front of a greenhouse of some sort and despite, or maybe due to, it being hot as a sauna in there, the chanting rhythm made me believe in a better future.
With obvious inspiration from fellow Danish designer, Henrik Vibskov, who also shows his collections in Paris, I am sure Han Kjøbenhavn will do well, as long as they keep their creative and characteristic shows the same when moving, as well as adding some spice with the help of collaborators, Puma.
Heliot Emil
Photo Credit: Victor Jones
Heliot Emil’s SS19 collection is titled Referential Transparency. Referring to a computer programming expression, a function is said to be referentially transparent if it is replaceable. The collection explores how much of our personalities are replaceable, how much is transparent and experiments with the balance of form and functionality.
Photo Credit: Victor Jones
Shown at the Lokomotivværkstedet (an old train factory of sorts) due to its important role in the industrial history of Copenhagen, the collection took me back to my childhood in the 90s gasping with equal amounts of both horror as well as delight and excitement.
Photo Credit: Victor Jones
Yes, back in the day I actually looked like this, believing I was one of the Backstreet Boys, but let us put my personal experiences from that decade aside and focus on the awesomeness of what was actually shown. Ranging from a semi-transparent white to heat-sensitive thermo greys to deep black, the collection was a welcomed update to the beautiful 90s which I’ve longed for a long time to show up on the runways looking like this.
Photo Credit: Victor Jones
The garments featured reflecting fabrics and functionality truly came across in this abundance of nostalgic fashion porn. The black bag is an accessory must-have, completing, as well as updating, the looks, and will be copped by me for sure.
Martin Asbjørn
Speaking of fashion porn, the guys at the Martin Asbjørn show were carrying around issues of Playboy in their backpacks, echoing the collection itself: a playful collection for boys. The collection pretty much features everything and is one of the reasons I love my job. Set on the top floor of Copenhagen Towers with a sunset view over the entire city, the models entered with the last rays of light hitting the room, making the entire setting golden.
I’m not going to try to suppress my emotions here. I honestly have loved Martin Asbjørn’s style ever since I first saw his show in Copenhagen a few seasons back and am glad he stays true to it. The beautiful shades of purple, which are ever-so-hard to pull off, seem to effortlessly blend with other pastels and give us a sporty and boyish vibe.
The vibe also takes us back to an innocent decade, whichever that might be, and friskily finds inspiration from other cultures as well as years past, still making it an up-to-date if not futuristic collection. With that said, it’s not one of those dystopian ones, but a bright, almost utopian future.
Martin continues on the fairytale he introduced to us in his first collection and doesn’t let us down. This saga will go on for a long time and I already look forward to it being SS19.
mfpen
Compared to Asbjørn, mfpen takes quite a different, yet alluring turn. The collection is inspired by the solitary artist working in his studio whilst dressed in relaxed clothing of light fabrics. mfpen explores the depths of textures, silhouettes and materials through a concurrent modern approach towards design, fused with a touch of relaxed tailoring. Checks and stripes enter the studio alongside eccentric and refined textures.
For the presentation of the Spring/Summer 2019 collection, mfpen explores the narrative of an exhibition in its build-up phase. Just as a collection is shown before being available to the public, the artist’s work rests in his studio before going off to exhibition.
Unwrapped artworks and naked scaffolding add to the references of the space with subtle nods towards the likes of Christo and Jean-Claude. An air of preppy-meets-grunge-meets-the-70s is upon us with broader collars, legs and the overall silhouette. I adore the homage to the artist in solitude and applaud mfpen.
In conclusion, Copenhagen Fashion Week has risen to be the most important fashion week in northern Europe. Some of the designs sail up as contenders for best of show, all shows. It’s not as ‘Scandi’ as one would expect, but that’s the thrill when it comes to Copenhagen: it is a meeting point between Scandinavia and the continent and works as a melting pot for the two. Alluring, fun and seductive – just like the fashion it presents.
