7 Emerging Designers You Should Know From Copenhagen Fashion Week FW24
The Fall/Winter 2024 edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week has come to an end, with presentations from local mainstays such as ROTATE and Mark Kenly Domino Tan as well as names like mfpen that were newly introduced to the official runway schedule. Showing alongside these brands were up-and-coming creatives from the Nordic region, which CPHFW supported through its NEWTALENT program. Joining this initiative was GANNI — which sat out from the runway schedule this time around — curating a fashion exhibition highlighting seven rising names including Alectra Rothschild/Masculina, A. Roege Hove and Nicklas Skovgaard. Meanwhile, the wider Danish fashion community celebrated the week with a few off-schedule events such as a performance-format presentation from Sophia Khaled and Solitude Studios.
Below, we've rounded up some exciting, emerging designers that showcased their FW24 collections this season at CPHFW.
Alectra Rothschild/Masculina
Titled "The Rebirth Carry," Alectra Rothschild's first-ever runway was presented as part of the CPHFW NEWTALENT program. DJ g2g took the stage to start a rave-themed show, as models appeared in party-ready outfits complete with corsets, distressed jeans and more. Fully embracing her journey as an openly trans woman and her buzzy career in fashion (the designer is already loved by names like Michèle Lamy), Rothschild wrote the story of "rebirth" through her FW24 show, which featured zero-waste dresses, thongs and low-waisted flared trousers.
Martin Quad
Joining the CPHFW schedule as a "One To Watch" brand, Martin Quad showcased its sophomore collection titled "Too Close, No Comfort." The up-and-coming label presented its FW24 range in a live performance format, with models' bodies intertwined with one another to resemble the Rat King phenomenon in which rats are entangled with their tails due to overcrowding. Quad encouraged viewers to reflect on their consumption behaviors and the consequences that follow, leaving the ultimate question of who the "real rats" are.
Nicklas Skovgaard
Nicklas Skovgaard took to the 1980s for his sophomore show. Models stepped out in voluminous hair to match the exaggerated silhouettes inspired by three muses: his mother Annie (who spent the '80s as an aerobics instructor in London), Tess McGill played by Melanie Griffith in the film Working Girl, and singer Lecia Jønsson. Balloon dresses and bubble skirts stole the show, with exaggerated piping details adding to the drama. The designer once again worked with Britt Liberg (who staged a one-person show last season) to further deliver the excitement of the '80s.
Paolina Russo
While based in London, Paolina Russo brought its sophomore runway show to Copenhagen once again after winning the Zalando Visionary Award last season. The showcase was produced in collaboration with Danish performance artist Esben Weile Kjær, with models dancing on a circular stage decorated with Stonehenge-like monolithic sculptures. Thanks to casting by Emma Matell, the runway was a mix of local models in addition to the Paolina Russo crew and their friends, representing a tight-knit community that they have back home in the UK. The collection comprised knitwear, denim, sweats and more completing fairy, warrior-inspired looks with hints of Y2K spotted throughout.
Rolf Ekroth
FW24 marked Rolf Ekroth's third (and final) runway show under the CPHFW NEWTALENT program. The Finnish designer took design cues from his home and childhood, with pieces made out of reindeer leather resembling his grandmother's couch. With 85% of the collection crafted from deadstock or recycled materials, the season was packed with what Ekroth knows best — the Finnish spirit and the country's dark winters — and fusing it with contemporary silhouettes. The range additionally featured three collaborations, with reworked PUMA football shirts, knitwear created with yarn from Novita, and cushion fabric from Mattocenter that was made into bags.
Solitude Studios
Solitude Studios and its founders Sophia Martinussen and Jonas Sayed Gammal Bruun are some of Denmark's most exciting up-and-coming talents. Having been picked up by APOC Store (where the brand sold some of its bestsellers such as the Seaweed Bag) since its early days, the Copenhagen-based studio uses deadstock fabrics to create designs inspired by nature. This time around, the brand showcased its FW24 collection titled "Hibernating Hopes," an examination of how humans are constantly longing to connect with nature.
Sophia Khaled
Sophia Khaled, who was a finalist for the renowned Wessell & Vett Fashion Prize in 2022, made her runway debut in an off-schedule showcase at CPHFW. The range, featuring cropped knit tops, lace bottoms, and statement gloves, celebrated friendship, love, ghosts and dragons. The designer debuted updated iterations of her knit sweaters (already loved by names like Kiko Mizuhara) with bat and castle motifs.
