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Over the years, Copenhagen has cultivated a reputation for seamlessly blending diverse styles, with its hallmark minimalism being delightfully disrupted by vibrant brands such as like Ganni, Stine Goya and Saks Potts. While it may not have the same standing as the “Big Four” of New York, London, Milan and Paris, in fashion, the emerging can often be more exciting than the established — and this is something that certainly rings true for the Danish city.
Keep reading for our breakdown of Scandi fashion and our favourite looks from Copenhagen Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Week.
What is Scandi fashion?
What’s considered Scandi fashion has changed considerably over the last few decades, shifting from functional minimalism to big silhouettes, bold colours and excessive layering. Gone are the days where unembellished button-ups and straight-cut skirts were the only things seen on the streets. Whilst Scandi simplicity lives on in the clean designs and neutral hues of brands like Toteme, BITE Studios and ATP Atelier, they’re now balanced with the maximalism of Baum Und Pferdgarten, Ganni and Stine Goya.
These brands, emerging around the 2000s and seeing even newer iterations in labels like Saks Potts and Cecilie Bahnsen, have championed a new design language of block colours, vivid prints and voluminous silhouettes.
Scandi fashion is notorious for deliberate style clashing, encapsulating the Pinterest aesthetic before it became a Y2K trend. Frills and lace are worn with boyish sports shorts, men’s work shirts paired with ruched full-length skirts and all-white ensembles are broken up by pops of blue or red. It’s a city whose fashion identity thrives off contradiction and duality.
Scandi girls today still retain their love of white and beige from the minimalist days, but what we see now is a complete amalgamation the city’s historical styles. “Scandi fashion is so many things at once,” expressed designer Stine Goya to George V Magazine in 2023. “It’s really about feeling good, pairing comfort and practicality with self-expression and individuality.”