Everything you need to know about Copenhagen Fashion Week SS26

In the fashion system, there are a couple of months each year when everything goes quiet. It might seem like a break, but it’s simply a moment when the entire industry is preparing—both behind the scenes and in the front row—for the fashion month. Yet, the SS26 calendar clearly shows how the traditional system is going through a phase of adjustment: the June menswear section has been halved by co-ed shows or cancelled altogether, as in the case of London. While tradition is struggling, new hubs—more agile and less bound by the hierarchies of the Big Four—continue to strengthen. Among them, Copenhagen once again proves to be one of the most relevant and closely watched events of the entire circuit, also for the SS26 season. Scheduled from 4 to 8 August 2025, Copenhagen Fashion Week has announced a line-up of 45 brands and institutions selected by the official committee, including long-awaited returns, new entries, and structured scouting projects. The calendar reflects the dual identity of the Danish week: rooted in the Nordic creative fabric but increasingly projected onto an international stage.

Among the most relevant novelties is the entry of Anne Sofie Madsen into the CPHFW NEWTALENT programme, joining Berner Kühl and Bonnetje, while returning names include Sunflower, Henrik Vibskov, Freya Dalsjø, Marimekko, Ranra, and Rave Review. Added to these are new entries selected to reflect the emerging scene, including the three brands that received the One to Watch mention: Kettel Atelier, Stem, and Taus. The NEWTALENT programme, designed to support emerging designers through mentorship, financial contributions, visibility, and inclusion in the official calendar, is establishing itself as one of the most structured scouting projects on the European scene. Each selected designer is supported for three consecutive seasons, after which they join the alumni network. On the awards front, SS26 will be the season of IAMISIGO, winner of the Zalando Visionary Award 2025—now in its third edition—created to support creatives who stand out for innovation, vision, and social impact. In addition to a €50,000 prize, the platform offers production support and access to a personalised mentoring programme.

Another strategic development is the introduction of the CPHFW Guest Slot, a special calendar slot created to celebrate key figures in the Nordic and global scene. The first to inaugurate it will be Cecilie Bahnsen, who returns to Copenhagen for the brand’s tenth anniversary after several seasons in Paris. Bahnsen represents one of the most successful stories of contemporary Danish design, already winner of the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize, finalist of the LVMH Prize in 2017, and recipient of the DANSK Design Talent Award in 2016. “SS26 will be our most impactful season to date,” said CEO Cecilie Thorsmark, highlighting how, in a time of turbulence for the fashion system, Copenhagen Fashion Week continues to consolidate its position as the fifth global fashion week, proving that innovation—both creative and structural—can offer a concrete alternative to the crisis of the dominant model. Among the 45 confirmed names on the schedule are: 66°North, A. Roege Hove (NEWTALENT Alumni), Aiayu, Alis, Anne Sofie Madsen (NEWTALENT), Baum und Pferdgarten, Berner Kühl (NEWTALENT), Birrot, Bonnetje (NEWTALENT), Caro Editions, Cecilie Bahnsen (Guest Slot), CMMN SWDN, Deadwood, Filippa K, Fine Chaos, Forza Collective, Freya Dalsjø, Gestuz, Han Kjøbenhavn, Henrik Vibskov, Herskind, IAMISIGO, Kamo, Kettel Atelier (One to Watch), Marimekko, Martin Quad, MKDT Studio, Munthe, Nicklas Skovgaard (Alumni), OpéraSport, P.L.N. (Alumni), Rabens Saloner, Ranra, Rave Review, Rolf Ekroth (Alumni), Rotate, Skall Studio, Stel, Stem (One to Watch), Sunflower, Swedish School of Textiles, Taus (One to Watch), TG Botanical, The Garment, The Royal Danish Academy.