In truth, trend cycles are slowing down – what was big last year is still more or less dominating the runway a few seasons later. This is true of Copenhagen’s signature look – a feminine dress in a bright color with a snappy hair clip and sneakers – which shows no sign of stopping. But also of refined basics, classic silhouettes, and timeless tailoring, of which we saw plenty. Collections featured plenty of hardworking items, often made from sustainable fabrics, that won’t go “out” of style in a mere six months. This is great news of course, as rampant consumption and a constant redefining of what’s “in” is awful for the planet and bank accounts alike.
With this in mind, the trends that we did see aren’t impossible to adopt without rebuying an entirely new wardrobe: they’re trends that help us to see old pieces with fresh eyes, encourage us to go back into our wardrobe and discover forgotten gems, and help us to refresh a capsule wardrobe with a singular key piece.
There are the trends we saw at Copenhagen Fashion Week for SS21:
Tailoring
Say what you want about the lockdown leisurewear boom, but tailoring isn’t going anywhere. Blazers, waistcoats, tailored trousers, and two-piece suits acted as a red thread throughout the week, as almost every show featured them in some iteration. Some of the best included Mark Kenly Domino Tan‘s waistcoat with chiffon dress, Brøgger‘s ruffled ballgown peeping out from under an 80s power jacket, and Rain‘s waterproof two-piece.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
Leather
For summer. No, really. This was a trend that was present on the streets and the runways, as more than one guest opted for a midi leather skirt with a colorful t-shirt. On the runway, Remain Birger Christensen used leather for shirts, shorts, trousers, and jackets in deep burgundy, burnt orange, and a two-tone black and white; Lovechild 1979 stuck to gunpowder gray for its vintage-style dress; Gestuz crafted a longline jacket with contrasting leather panels and matching skirt; Soulland cut a double-breasted jacket and wide-leg trousers from snakeskin – even in leather, the suit isn’t budging.
 |  |
 |  |
Feminine maximalism
It’s a style of dressing that’s most effectively executed in Copenhagen, a city famed for floaty dresses with inexplicable volume – just think Cecilie Bahnsen – and this season continued in that vein. Even at their softest and most minimal, the oversized, voluminous silhouettes of SS21 have been born from the “more is more” school of thought. At Brøgger, tiered skirts and ruffled sleeves adorned baby doll dresses; Soeren le Schmidt opted for a structured mullet skirts with exaggerated trains; Stine Goya has its usual draped dresses cut from recycled-polyester jacquard; Custommade stuck to Victoriana ruffles and protruding shoulders for its Heathers-appropriate collection. Basically, bodycon isn’t coming back anytime soon.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
Statement collars
In this post-coronavirus world where calls no longer suffice and everyone is expected to exist on Zoom 24/7, it should come as no surprise that the collar is getting super-sized – it’s the only part of your outfit visible onscreen. From GANNI‘s oversized pilgrim collar, seen in their film “202020 Dance Film – Threshold”, to Soeren le Schmidt‘s 70s inspired lapels, it seems that bigger is better when it comes to your neckline.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/446391430
 |  |
 |  |
Purple and green reign supreme
Although some brands opted for an absence of color, with Skall Studio and Mark Kenley Domino Tan show almost all-white collections, SS21 was mostly full of the neon pastel colors Copenhagen has come to be known for. Pinks, oranges, yellows, and blues all made an appeared, but there were two colors in particular that stood out this season.
 | |
 |  |
 | |
But purple and green were the MVP – so much so that Stine Goya even repainted their studio to reflect their significance.
At Rixo, lime green with faint touches of lilac was used for a vintage-inspire floral print; Henrik Vibskov used a textured mint green with a graphic pastel purple print; Lovechild 1979 favored a pastel with violet undertones for its show-stopping coat, worn by the delightful Anna Von Rueden; Brøgger had a sheer, acerbic take for its floaty summer dresses; as ever, Stine Goya drew with every color in the crayon box in reiterating their commitment to a more inclusive and representational narrative, but used mints, lavenders, and acid brights heavily to capture its Fauvist movement-inspired collection.
 |  |
 | |
See our Trendy Trend reports from previous seasons here.
Header image: Stine Goya SS21.