Copenhagen fashion week kicks off 20th anniversary, hailed for sustainability
Copenhagen fashion week (CPHFW) kicked off the start of its 20th‑anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, a biannual showcase that has been described as the industry’s emerging “fifth fashion week” and a leader in sustainability initiatives. The event began in 2006 as the merging of two small trade fairs and has grown into a calendar highlight that attracts editors, buyers and influencers.
Cecilie Thorsmark, CPHFW’s chief executive, described founder Eva Kruse as “a visionary” who set out from the start to make it the fifth fashion week, despite early scepticism. The Danish fashion industry has expanded markedly since CPHFW’s inception: fashion is now Denmark’s third‑largest export commodity, international demand from countries including the US and Germany are up 84%, and fashion represents 5% of Denmark’s total merchandise exports.
Retailers such as Nordstrom say Danish brands “embody principles of the Scandinavian lifestyle”, citing designers like Cecilie Bahnsen and Lié Studio. CPHFW has pushed sustainability rules: in 2020 it gave brands three years to meet 18 minimum standards — from banning plastic hangers to regulating textile types — or face exclusion.
Several brands initially failed to meet the requirements, but today more than 30 brands comply and fashion councils in Britain and Germany are following its lead. Thorsmark says the framework has “really underlined the potential of taking a fashion week and transforming it from a showcase event to a catalyst for change”.
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