END. PRESENTS: CPHFW FIELD NOTES WITH GEORGIA FREEMAN

The fashion calendar is punctuated by a handful of important events every season. For most of fashion history, Paris, Milan, and London were the only trips that mattered. Now, it can be hard to keep up. Alongside a rolling stream of activation events year-round, a younger breed of fashion week has emerged. Among these, some are worth your attention, and if you ask the END. buyers, Copenhagen Fashion Week is one of them. 

This year, Womenswear Buyer Georgia was our boots on the ground in the Danish capital. Hopping from show to showroom, Georgia sifted through everything that CPHFW had to offer, putting an imaginary pin in anything that caught her eye. From puppies on the runway to a retrospective of 50 years of C.P. Company, catch up on the highlights below.

Collina Strada at the Copenhagen Opera House

For its 20th anniversary, CPHFW introduced a new International Guest Slot and handed the first invitation to Collina Strada. It was Hillary Taymour's first show in Europe. We were out on the water at Operaparken with the Opera House behind us, watching a collection called "Delirium in Bloom". The collection reimagined existing garments through upcycling and transformation, with circularity and creative experimentation at its core. And, MY FAVOURITE PART, puppies joined the models on the runway for the finale walk.

Atelier visit at Cecilie Bahnsen

Cecilie Bahnsen has been one of my favourite womenswear brands for years, so getting into the Copenhagen atelier felt like a bit of a pilgrimage. She came home from London and Paris to launch the label in 2015, and it's still a proper working studio rather than anything precious. Stepping into her enchanting world for an hour was very special.

A preview of the C.P. Company exhibition

We got a preview of a C.P. Company exhibition which marked 50 years of Italian sportswear innovation with "People Make The Clothes, Clothes Make The People" at Other Circle. One room is given over entirely to the brand’s pioneering garment-dyeing and the craftsmanship behind its iconic functional clothing with a cylindrical installation showing the same jacket through a progression of colours. 

Paolina Russo SS27

So much fun. Paolina Russo took over Nørrebrohallen for "Lone Star", following a girl spending the summer at her grandparents', quilting by day, skating by night. There were models skateboarding down the runway and a live performance by Grace Ives. Everyone was invited, with the show open to the public outside. I can’t wait for this collection to launch in our London & Milan stores soon.

Gabi Gamél Showroom

Gabi Gamél is a brand that should be on your radar. She's really taken off on Instagram and Iris Law loves it already which is usually a good sign. There's a little atelier with a rainbow chandelier on the ceiling and she makes all her sampling there. We saw these amazing coats made from deadstock Chanel boucle in bright colours which were a standout of the week. I also loved the cute frilly take on sweats.

Showroom visit at AF Agger

I finished with an appointment at AF Agger, founded in Copenhagen by Kathrine Agger. Katherine wants us to buy less, buy better, and pass it on. The outerwear is gorgeous, and it’s such a key category for us, so this was one I'd pencilled in early. I wasn’t disappointed.