There’s such a wide range of fashion design coming out of Denmark at the moment. Henrik Vibskov’s artistry with a sense of humor, Freya Dalsjø’s take on Mondrian-meets-watercolor and Barbara i Gongini’s punk rock haunted house are all vital parts of the Danish fashion landscape.
That’s why I was so excited to see the VIA University College Teko Graduate Show: “We Do Fashion.” It showcased twelve graduating designers who could display three looks each. A booklet on our seats at the show explained the background of each mini-collection.
While some of the pieces were overwrought (I mean, if I was presenting three pieces that were meant to define my “brand” to a room full of professionals, I would go into a complete tailspin), I left the show with a huge smile on my face. Denmark is a country that draws heavily on its own design history, so seeing the ways in which that history is reupholstered by the next generation is like experiencing accelerated evolution.
Favorites included Mette Merrild Johannesen for her voluminous but well-proportioned simplicity and Henriette Jurgensen for her pointedly androgynous layers and draping.
I thought the work of Lærke Olesen, with her flowing peach fabrics and inspiration drawn from breast amputation, was ambitious and beautiful. Mathilde Kofod Eskildsen’s use of seashells in one dress, and recreation of the sea in another, was strong conceptually and fascinating to watch come down the runway.
There were no men among the 12 designers; I don’t know if that’s representative of the school in general or just a coincidence, but it was lovely to see a group of women being recognized for their work, and designing for both men and women. Almost all of the shows we saw this season were designed by men, so it was a nice note to end our Copenhagen Fashion Week AW15.
Thank you to Teko for having us and thank you to all 12 designers who worked so very hard. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Find out more about Teko here.