Trendy Trend Report: Scandinavian Fashion Weeks SS18

We can usually count on the Spring/Summer season to bring florals, light colors and whimsical silhouettes. This season in Scandinavia, however, the clothes felt a bit heavier than what we’re used to. Perhaps that’s because the Scandinavian summer isn’t quite as hot as, well, anywhere else, but whatever the reason, we loved that almost every collection can be worn straight into fall.

These were the trends we saw popping up on runway after runway in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm:

Shades of Blue

Blue was all over the runways of Scandinavia and every shade was represented.Saks Potts‘s senior-lady retired-to Miami-meets-Malibu-Barbie vibe meant the perfect fluffy light blue, both on the clothes and the faces of the models. The silk florals at Astrid Andersen were rendered in a sky blue, as were the pretty patterns at Lovechild 1979.

Lovechild 1979	Saks Potts

At Oslo Runway, IBEN showcased 1970s silhouettes with navy pants and light blue knits. Moods of Norway‘s shiny deep blue was a day-to-night look that actually lives up to the name. The 90s extravaganza at Tom Wood hit its peak with oversized chambray.

Tom Wood	Iben

Swedish minimalist masters Rodebjer and Whyred both came through with serious navy offerings while injecting layers of pastel blue. Dancing Queen Jennifer Bloom showed bright, flouncy dresses every color but we couldn’t take our eyes off the shimmering-water-blue.

Vertical Stripes

Thank goodness it’s not all black and white referee-chic, which can result in a Beetljuice disaster. Heartmade by Julie Fagerholt introduced flowing ensembles with wide, colorful stripes that looked both chic and comfortable. Munthe’s red/white and blue/white stripe pieces looked elegant on frilled dresses and casual on separates.

Heartmade / Julie Fagerholt	Munthe

The subtle pinstripe from Tom Wood stayed young and modern thanks to an oversize fit.
Veronic B Vallenes also worked with a pin-stripe; her silky pyjama silhoutte, and cream and navy palette kept the look minimalist and chic.

TomWood	Veronic B Vallenes

The striped knit from Valerie is the piece we need in our wardrobes this fall; the color, cut and texture are all perfect.

Pink!

Saks Potts kicked it off with a Barbie pink that can’t be beat. This is the pink of our dreams, and occasionally our nightmares.

Saks Potts

Fam Irvoll‘s pink was fun, funky and very in-your-face. There were a range of pinks showcased at the iiS Woodling show, but the showstopper was a deep pinky-magenta dress with yellow sleeves. The subtle pink at Valerie B Vallenes was made more dramatic by the strong silhouettes; a trench with a cape?! Yes please.

Fam Irvoll

Valerie B Vallenes	iiS Woodling

Berggren Studio showcased a spectrum of pink shades from deep magenta to the lightest blush. Designer Tove Berggren’s ability to combine colors in beautiful, modern ways is unparalleled on the Scandinavian scene right now and we are loving everything that comes out of her studio.
Pared-down Swedes Busnel often use a subtle pastel pink and this season brought it back with matching separates.

Suits with a Twist

Uniforms for the Dedicated are always taking minimalism to another level, and their sharp-cut suits are both casual and professional. Nobody does suits like Henrik Vibskov. Nobody does anything like Henrik Vibskov, much to his credit. The clean lines of his suits blended with outrageous patterns make for a cool, unexpected take on the traditional ensemble. Master of Scandi-style Bitte Kai Rand‘s soft silhouettes are in pyjama territory, but with enough structure to keep them fresh and chic.

Uniforms for the Dedicated

Henrik Vibskov

Moods of Norway brought it to a new level with disco workwear: suits that are fitted, shiny and make you look like you’re about to break into a rendition of Stayin’ Alive (without the lapels).
IBEN‘s white, blue and red tweed with an oversize silhouette was the power suit-meets-laid-back-outfits of dreams.

Moods of Norway

IBEN

Swedish visionary brand Lazloschmidl is making suits for people who have never heard of suits before: athletic, velour, cropped and totally out there. True love.

A modern(ish) take on the 90s

It was 90s gone wild. More 90s than the actual 90s; like Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead styled by Tommy Hilfiger.

Han Kjøbenhavn‘s oversize silhouettes and strong shoulders were a mix of textural athletic-wear and near-cartoonish professionalism. Holzweiler opened and closed their show with Erin Wasson: it doesn’t get more 90s than that. But the clothes were on-decade as well, with oversized hoodies, mixed plaid (tied around the waist, no less) and boxy cuts. The genderless layers of Martin Asbjørn were modern with strong call-backs to the 90s, particularly the button-down shirts opened over t-shirts – a real Cobain moment – and gold thin chains.

Han Kjøbenhavn

Martin Asbjørn

Tom Wood went all-in on 90s nostalgia, with Girbaud-style jeans (anyone who gets that reference is old enough to be my friend: call me), matchy-matchy ensembles and denim to the max. The 90s were reimagined as a raver wonderland at Fam Irvoll’s fun, candy-coated show.

Tom Wood	Fam Irvoll

Leather mavens Stand went minimalist-drama with a leather slip dress that is probably too hot for summer and too cold for winter, but it looks like art. The Signature Collection from Björn Borg was the terry cloth-reminiscent (anyone else remember people wearing those wristbands to punk shows? Hello Warped Tour ’97!), high-end athletic wear that looks like it came right outta the 70s by way of 1992. There was a pretty wide berth of trends in the 90s, and they all got callbacks (well, almost; was anyone wearing a necklace with his/her name written on a grain of rice?) this season in Scandinavia.

Copenhagen Fashion Week photos by Chloé Ðe Nombel
Oslo Runway photos by Freya McOmish