How Copenhagen Fashion Week is winning the Scandi drive for sustainability

Following the cancellation of both Stockholm Fashion Week and Oslo Runway – the former taking a pause to focus on launching a more sustainable alternative – Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) finds itself the only fashion week in Scandinavia for the SS20 season. Running 6 to 9 August, the platform and biannual event has environmental goals of its own. 

In January 2019, CPHFW established a sustainability advisory board of international fashion industry representatives and, shortly after, it initiated a strategy focusing on four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (10, 12, 13 and 17), resulting in, among other things, the ban of single-use plastic bottles and the development of a guide to producing more responsible fashion shows. “Later this year,” says CPHFW CEO Cecilie Thorsmark, “we’ll reveal our three-year plan where we will dedicate our platform to accelerate the sustainable development of the industry by introducing standards for brands who wish to showcase at Copenhagen Fashion Week.”

Although nascent, these steps feed into Copenhagen’s grander scheme to be a carbon neutral city by 2025, and the government of Denmark’s recent announcement of one of the most ambitious climate policies in the world that includes a 70 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

“While we are not in a position to directly influence brands’ every-day decision making,” Thorsmark adds. “We wish to use our role and our voice to make sustainability more attractive and are dedicated to speeding up the industry’s transition.” With that in mind, spoke to three Scandinavian brands heading to the Danish capital this week to hear about their latest collections and what they are doing to reduce their environmental impact.

Holzweiler, Norway

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Founded by brother and sister, creative director Susanne and CEO Andreas, and swiftly joined by Andreas’s wife Maria as head of design, in seven years Holzweiler has gone from the go-to scarf maker (their “scarf on a roll” concept allows customers to buy scarves by the metre) into one of the largest and most popular brands in Scandinavia. Spring/summer 2020 will be Holzweiler’s fifth time showing at CPHFW.

“When we start designing a collection we take a theme that has been engaging us for the last few months and kick off with a few days outside our office. Sometimes we travel, but often we stay in Norway and find inspiration close by. For spring/summer 2020 we have been super inspired by generation Z, namely [the Swedish climate activist] Gretha Thunberg. And, as always, by architecture – so we went on a tour of the Snøhetta office in Oslo to see how they created everything, from the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet to the Holzweiler flagship store.”

“Corporate social responsibility is a priority for Holzweiler, in the same way as design and quality. We won’t work with anyone who doesn’t comply with our code of conduct set out with the Ethical Trading Initiative Norway. It’s easier to achieve our goals if we create long term relationships with suppliers and factories that share our outlook when it comes to the environment. 

“In terms of fabrication, we are continuously working to improve our practices. For example, our lambswool scarves are made from up to 60 per cent recycled wool, while our swimwear is made using recycled polyester and we are in the process of changing our denim products to organic and recycled materials, without compromising durability. For spring/summer 2020, we have changed almost all the cotton we use to Better Cotton Initiative cotton and we use natural fibres wherever possible. Our goal is to be able to track all our garments down to the fibres and components such as buttons and zippers – which we avoid using unless they fulfil a function – and map out our whole production chain. 

“Our next step is a non-plastic policy for samples in our office, which means that all garments sent to our office before production won’t be wrapped in plastic. For production in Europe, we currently use biodegradable wrapping to protect our garments and we are aiming for all production to be done using biodegradable bags.

“To minimise waste product, this season we have made small phone bags out of leftover lambswool scarves to give away to the audience and they will be sold in our online store too. Backstage we are going plastic-free – everyone will receive a reusable water bottle and coffee cup with their name on it and they will need to use them for drinking for the whole day.”

Rodebjer, Sweden

Carin Rodebjer is returning to the CPHFW schedule for the third time since establishing her eponymous line in 1999. Rodebjer’s signature slouchy suits and draped kaftans have been seen on the likes of Meryl Streep, Alicia Vikander and Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and are stocked in over 250 stores worldwide. 

“I referenced photographs of Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as Gloria Steinem in her offices of – the magazine she co-founded. The silhouettes are long and slouchy with fringing and to add movement. I had a feeling that the clothes should reach for the earth; to listen and connect to it. ”

“When I started my business 20 years ago I took a sustainable approach, even though most people thought I was being naive. I decided at that point to never work with fur or use leather in clothes; we are looking at finding good alternatives for shoes and bags as well and every season we offer styles suitable for vegans. When it comes to fabrics we use a lot of organic and recycled materials and avoid garment washes and bleaches where possible. Having worked with the same manufacturers for quite some time now, we have a close connection, and this helps to ensure our garments are being made as sustainably as possible. I think Copenhagen is unique and forward-looking when it comes to finding better and more conscious ways of living and producing.”

Stand Studio, Sweden

Returning to CPHFW for the second time, Nellie Kamras’s Stockholm-based label’s debut last season was critically acclaimed and saw her garner a raft of international stockists including My Theresa, Le Bon Marché and Barneys.

“This collection is based on the idea of endless city summer and seaside resorts. With leather as the foundation of the collection, we worked with different kinds of materials and treatments like tie-dye and silver foils. The joy of summer is also present in marine rope details, long linen fringe trims and patent outerwear inspired by inflatable sun beds. For this collection we wanted to push the idea of contrasting colours to the maximum, by experimenting with psychedelic snake prints and more subdued pastels.”

“Stand is still a young company, and we are focused on creating high quality products in good materials for a long lifespan. A big part of that has meant creating close relationships with suppliers and manufacturers. These relationships are part of ensuring responsibility throughout the production chain, but they also help us develop our products in a more sustainable way, through ensuring good craftsmanship and constantly introducing innovative materials. For the spring/summer 2020 collection we are offering a capsule collection with material made from pineapple leaves, for example, and for autumn/winter ’19/’20 we will be offering faux furs made from recycled plastics from the sea as well as fabrics made from corn.”