Sapna’s Copenhagen Fashion Week Diary

Monday officially marked the start of CPHFW – and the day kicked off with a boat breakfast hosted by Free People (FP). I wore a floaty embroidered top, pink linen trousers, micro heels and a butter yellow jacket, plus a new beige FP suede bag that held all the essentials. Cruising through the canals was the perfect intro to the city – and a reminder of Copenhagen’s two fashion moods: minimal Scandi chic and bold dopamine dressing. The FP crowd definitely leaned into the latter. After the CPHFW Opening Reception, I changed into my Atelier Ninety Five suit and flat mules before heading to the OpéraSPORT  show.

Set in a retro indoor swimming pool, the OpéraSPORT show fused soft, romantic silks with sculptural, sporty embellishments – plus, a palette of baby blues and yellows. There were bejewelled swim caps, padded flip flops and silky jackets held to look like handbags.

It was then back to the hotel for an afternoon of laptop work before another quick change for dinner with one of my favourite brands, By Malene Birger. I wore a charcoal brown two-piece knit set, gold accessories and a Bottega  Solstice bag. Then it was back to Villa Copenhagen for a good night’s sleep. 

I stopped at Kismet  for a standout cheese toastie (gochujang mayo, pickled banana peppers, elderflower kombucha – an elite combo), then made my way to the Skall Studio show at the Design Museum. Taking place in the venue’s peaceful garden, the setting perfectly matched the mood of ‘La Danse, Act II’ – a soft, romantic collection rooted in ease and femininity. Think flowing silhouettes, delicate floral prints and natural textures, styled with sculptural jewellery and grounded by subtle nods to ballet. The overall vibe was French country with a city-girl twist – loafers and socks with prairie dresses, plus plenty of dress-over-trouser moments.

Afterwards, I made a dash to the 66°North event – a clothing brand now firmly in the cool-girl gorpcore club post-Ganni collab. Held inside an immersive 'room within a room' at Copenhagen Contemporary, the installation marked the start of its centennial celebrations with a behind-the-scenes look at its craftsmanship, from live repairs to a GORE-TEX weather simulation box that recreated Iceland’s famously wild conditions – a play on the brand's tagline of 'Keeping Iceland warm since 1926'. Then I raced back to change for my last event of the day with Rolf Ekroth. Set in a forest outside the city, the smoke-machine-filled runway brought drama to a collection of clashing plaids, gorpcore shapes and horned flat caps. A world away from Skall – but that’s the joy of fashion week.

We wrapped up the day with a glass of red – which I later spilt all over my silk trousers – and croquettes at Apero, followed by vodka pasta and nduja pizza at Cantina  – then straight to bed.

After a morning of filming with Polly at some of her favourite Copenhagen spots – including ANOTHER nué and the department store ILLUM  – we headed to the Rabens Saloner's presentation. I wore navy striped Zara  trousers with sharp pleating, my Baum knit and a Topshop jacket to beat the chill. I was unexpectedly lured in by the collection’s hero shade: a zingy lime-meets-olive green. The Garment also held a show, and while I wasn’t there, having had a look, it was a great one for those looking for elevated workwear pieces with a fashion twist. 

STEM's presentation came next – it’s a zero-waste production brand pioneering a new approach to woven garments – before rolling into ‘Apertivo Hour’ with another favourite, Lié Studios. I wore some of my go-to Lié earrings and, after a quick hotel reset, changed into the set and knit I’d picked up from Baum und Pferdgarten the day before for one of the shows I was most excited about.

Held at a horse track just outside the city, the Baum und Pferdgarten show was a spectacle from the moment we arrived. For SS26, the design duo explored the world of the derby – jockeys’ vibrant uniforms, the movement of the racetrack and the over-the-top glamour of high-society guests all serving as inspiration. Titled ‘Notes from the Grandstand’, the collection embraced contrasts – sporty versus refined, function versus flair – with striped nylon, clashing checks and colour-blocked tailoring bringing the energy. Feminine frills softened technical outerwear, while subtle nods to equestrian silhouettes added a polished finish. It was playful, elegant and totally Baum – a standout of the week.

I then checked out Villa’s Styling Lounge, in collaboration with Social Works – a partnership which has been going for around seven years. While I didn't have time to have a Fenty Beauty makeover, I picked up a chic bag and sunnies from its edit of designers. I then went to the H&M showroom to check out its latest Studio drop, wearing those same cargoes but swapping my vest for a white shirt and my (soon to drop) De Savary Mongolian fur brown bag. At H&M, I fell in love with an incredible lace-y ruffled dress – which, believe me, takes a lot; I’m not a dress girl. Next was the Filippa K presentation. I wore a Fillipa K shirt and blazer with some suit trousers. I then had a couple of hours to join some calls and get some laptop work done before getting ready for the evening’s show.

For ROTATE, I teamed the red sequinned skirt with a cream knit and simple heels. Polly and I went backstage to get a sneak peek at the Caia Cosmetics collab in action – fresh, glowy skin with just a touch of colour on the lips – before heading out front for what turned out to be one of the most feminine collections I’ve seen the brand do. There was a boho lightness to it – chiffons, sheer floor-length gowns and scarf-tied dresses that moved beautifully – but plenty of looks that felt grounded too. I loved a sharp trench worn with red heels and shorts, plus a silky mini playsuit felt like the ultimate holiday piece. This was also ROTATE’s first foray into shoes – a seriously strong debut with punchy colours, sculptural heels and a standout dalmatian-print style I can already see selling out. When catching up with the founders Jeanette  and Thora  post-show, as well as Caia brand founder Bianca Ingrosso, the trio raved about the response to the collection and how incredible it was to work on. Pushing the boundaries of what the brand usually does was a risk they were scared to take – but one that paid off.

Then it was off to the afterparty to celebrate. I kept it short – my 4am airport call time wasn’t going to wait – but it was the perfect way to sign off my first, very successful, CPHFW.

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