Before we enter the whirlwind that’s the AW23 Recent York, Paris, London, and Milan circuit, Copenhagen Fashion Week kicked off the womenswear season with a give attention to slow, responsible fashion. Last week, CPHFW launched its first-ever sustainability-focused strategy, where each showing brand had to satisfy 18 eco-conscious requirements – from ensuring shows are zero waste to using a minimum of 50 per cent preferred materials – resulting in a whole week filled with change-making collections.

As all the time, Peter Lundvald Neilsen’s label PLN traded in Nordic-wear for a darker, punk aesthetic, with two-piece leather lingerie sets, mini camouflage skirts – made out of 100 per cent recylced materials – and ultra-long eyelash extensions all on the line-up. Meanwhile, Latimmier opted for a latest tackle tailoring, with founder Ervin Latimer subverting classic tailoring with swirling artwork and long shirts bearing garters and cock ring ties, as a part of an intimate show dedicated to young designers the world over. 

Like every fashion week, Copenhagen saw just a few major fashion moments, from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna stomping down the runway in nothing but a black bodysuit and leopard coat at Rotate (we wouldn’t have expected anything less from her), to (Di)vision’s models dragging guests’ tablecloths across the ground, Munthe unveiling a photo-ready mirrored runway, and the style crowd piling on to hot Barbie pink Ganni coaches.

Elsewhere, Julie Lundgaard Christophersen dedicated her whimsical collection to the founder’s experiences of overcoming body shame and learning to like her body – leading the best way for plenty of designers who addressed Copenhagen’s lack of body inclusivity over the past few seasons by featuring curve models of their collections. Because the week involves an in depth, we’ve rounded up seven Scandi shows that you must learn about from AW23. Scroll below to seek out out more.

Clattering cutlery, overflowing wine glasses, melted-down candles, and dragging tablecloths – just just a few Insta-worthy moments (Di)vision’s AW23 show dropped at the table. Recreating scenes leftover from a celebration, this season’s collection – titled Dressed for Disaster – saw a solid of models walk the runway in Gen Z’s grungy after-party uniform while Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit covers blared within the background. Based around a DIY, “create from what already is” mindset, the label sent low-waisted skirts with matching leg warmers, graphic baby tees, slouchy hoodies, exposed thongs, zip-off trousers, and leather moto jackets down the runway, all created from irregular, deadstock materials and topped off with Starface pimple patches, under eye glitter, and pink hair streaks. It’s giving Avril Lavigne-meets-Euphoria, and we’re here for it.

Knitwear brand A. Roege Hove kicked off its show with a special moment, paying homage to Bella Hadid’s live, spray-on dress at Coperni’s SS23 show. This time around, a model appeared in underwear and knee-high boots on the dark runway, before two team members draped her in two long, sheer knit pieces to create a dress and jacket in real time. Unlike Coperni’s scientific focus, nevertheless, the display encouraged attendees to pay close attention to the materials and craftsmanship throughout the gathering – which continued on to decorate knits of various textures, shapes, and patterns layered on its models. “I hope it would add to the understanding of the fabric,” Amalie Røge Hove, the brand’s designer, told Vogue. “I believe it’s (about) getting this sense (that) you are feeling such as you touched a knit on the show, regardless that you didn’t.” 

After dreaming up a post-apocalyptic fantasy world for its debut runway show last summer, Peter Lundvald Neilsen’s PLN invited guests right into a smoky venue to view its punky AW23 collection. Here, taking its fantastical designs to the following level, models trudged through the space wearing dark, earthy ensembles, slouching with deconstructed leather, frayed denim, with hand-dyed hair details snaking across the body. Meanwhile, Neilsen – who cut his teeth at Balenciaga and Ottolinger, before launching his own label – leaned into dark, sexy ending touches to go with the looks, from long, draping eyelashes and stringy harnesses, to thick leather, BDSM-esque chokers.

Despite fashion week’s usual jam-packed schedule, Holzweiler offered up a moment of calm for its guests, inviting them inside its soothing, deep sea-meets-Scandinavian-winter world. Circling an icy “coral reef”, models wrapped-up in layers of draped knitwear, pastel yellow and blue puffers, dragging scarves, and zip-on balaclavas. Underneath – inspired by a visit to Denmark’s National Aquarium – models wore floating yellow dresses and airy knits to represent floating jellyfish and seaweed, as a part of a set that screamed that oceancore could surely be coming. 

Despite the actual fact the past few seasons saw Copenhagen Fashion Week backtrack a little bit in terms progress towards body inclusivity, this 12 months appears to be making some positive changes. Actually, emerging designer Julie Lungaard Christophersen modelled her all-white collection around feelings of tension and depression following her own personal experiences of body shame. “As someone who doesn’t have a normal body, I carry around loads of social shame,” the designer told Alpha Fashion. “I feel I even have to cover my body before I can leave my home, and there are social situations where I don’t feel comfortable.” By utilizing over-the-top hoop skirts, drapery, padding, ruching, and tear-stained make-up to represent reclaiming these feelings, Christophersen hopes to convey the enjoyment and love she’s learned to feel towards her body.

Designer Ervin Latimer wasn’t sure if he’d give you the option to make this season occur attributable to burnout and limited resources. For this reason, he dedicated his intimate, 11-look AW23 collection to young designers the world over who may be facing similar struggles in an emotional speech once his guests took their seats. “I hear you. I see you. And this one is for you particularly,” he shouted out to fellow emerging designers. The offering, which began off with a white shirt paired with garters and a cock ring (casual), saw chunky jumpers, long shirts, and crocheted tops, and suiting swiped with a swirling pattern designed by Swiss-Haitian artist Sasha Huber. Elsewhere, models held up three-dimensional sculptures of the pattern, further highlighting his subversive tackle tailoring. 

For Ganni’s AW23 show – titled BUTTERFLIES! – invitees hopped aboard a shiny pink Ganni bus for a journey to the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art, just half-hour outside of Copenhagen. Here, surrounded by an explosion of yellow confetti, the label unveiled a brand latest butterfly logo to suggest its transformation from little-known Danish label to global it-girl obsession. Besides hanging from low-strung, golden belly chains, being imprinted onto denim separates, and appearing on stitched puffer sets made in collaboration with Icelandic outerwear brand 66°North, the brand new logo was stamped onto the brand’s latest Bou bags and cleated boots – made entirely from Ohoskin, a leather-alternative made out of byproducts of oranges and cacti farming and recycled plastics. Following the gathering, artist and friend of the brand Esben Weile Kjær will showcase an exhibition titled “BUTTERFLY!” at the identical museum.