Copenhagen FW Day 2: Scandinavian Promises
Everyday wear to detailed pearl embroideries, joyful colour dashes to super simplicity – day number two at Copenhagen Fashion Week offered contrasts. Always within the format of the Scandinavian vision but where the ‘One-To-Watch’, Anne Sofie Madsen, was the one who invited to dance on the international floor, proving that the time spent working for John Galliano & Alexander McQueen was not a waste.
Noa Noa was neither a surprise, nor a disappointment. In Vision’s beautiful show venue they brought out fresh, simple and natural models dressed in what the brand does best – everyday wear. Having developed into a brand pleasing a chic, younger audience as well as a confident woman who knows her choices, Noa Noa’s S/S 2013 collection gave it all. Comfortable and loose fitted in a balanced mix between detailing, patterns and uncomplicated colours, topping off the look with masculine shoes. As expected, the contrast to next attending at Anne Sofie Madsen’s show was big. One year after being the opening act of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Madsen was back at the official show venue. If we yesterday were looking for someone to push the boundaries, this was the show, today. A faded poster of various deserted holiday paradises – melted ice creams, candy crystals – those are the designer’s own words about the collection.
“This collection has been a great challenge; we have worked with much more detailed and really small scale embroideries, and we have tried to change the look from previous seasons a little bit,” Madsen told The Blogazine when we met backstage few minutes after the show. When talking about the brand’s international presence, the designer mentioned the previous London shows, the upcoming show in Milan and also revealed that she will do a show in New York this year. “We’re really starting to spread around! I’m really happy about showing in Copenhagen and I think I will always do one show here, but it’s important for me to get out and around!”
Two other designers who wanted to spread out and try the ground on new markets were Petter Hollström and Gorjan Lauseger, behind the Stockholm based brand Odeur. Yesterday evening in Copenhagen they showed a collection in all simplicity. The Blogazine met both designers after the shows to get the story behind, and to pick their brains about the future. “When starting to work on this collection, we were in the discussion about what our inspiration always is, the stories, and worlds, we build up around a collection. We really felt a need of going back to the essence of what we like; which shapes and silhouettes, materials, and just really wanted it as simple as possible. There’s a reason why the collection is called Plain!”
About why after three shows at Stockholm Fashion Week they chose to come to Copenhagen they said, “It’s both time and fun to show for a new audience and try out a new market. It’s a part of growing and it’s a part of having a goal. Also, we worked with a lot of Danish people for this season so in one way it wasn’t a choice, it just came natural to come here.” The future for Odeur holds further expansion. “We are working on new projects and new products; shoes, leather accessories and complete silhouettes. We want to be able to show what the brand is breathing. Actually we are looking for locations for our first concept store which we hope to open within a near future!”
The colours and the variety in show came first from Peter Jensen and later in the evening, DAY Birger et Mikkelsen. Jensen showed preppy looks where the few black outfits got forgotten and lost fast among the joyful colours. DAY showed just as many outfits in complete variety that one could expect out of the Danish family company. Breaking down the regular runway, the brand had instead chosen a well rehearsed choreography for the show, creating a live show room of mannequins, bringing out look, after look, after look, giving the audience time and thoughts of the complete collection.
