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Emerging Danish designer Nicklas Skovgaard’s debut Copenhagen Fashion Week show started with little ceremony. In a large warehouse space, performer Britt Liberg silently stepped out in front of the audience in a grey, full-length studded coat. Suddenly, two men pulled back curtains to reveal 16 mannequins, in sequined, feathered and sculptural Skovgaard looks. Liberg then dressed herself in a series of outfits from a rail, doing up buttons and zips while dancing between the mannequins or moving languidly along the front row.
It was a standout debut from Skovgaard, the 28-year-old designer who is part of the CPHFW New Talent programme and a finalist for the Scandinavian Wessel Vett prize for emerging and mid-size designers. This type of show “moment” is increasingly common in London or Paris, but less so in the other fashion capitals. And, while some of Copehagen’s growing labels like A Roege Hove or Division have created viral or performative show elements in recent seasons, it’s rare for a new talent to break from catwalk tradition. For emerging designers, it is a relatively low-cost way to cut through the growing hype around fashion weeks, versus high-budget moving sets or extravagant venues — though there’s a risk when relying on a performance or stunt going to plan.
After the performance, the applause was deafening. “I’m feeling so overwhelmed and happy,” Skovgaard said backstage. “It’s going to take a while to come down.”
Nicklas took a risk in eschewing a traditional runway formula, says Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of CPHFW. “When it comes down to a brand’s first show there are so many risks already, that playing with the formula of a show format is often one that is avoided,” she says. “I congratulate Nicklas Skovgaard for seeing things differently in this context and choosing to show in a format that was very true to himself and his vision.”
Skovgaard launched his eponymous womenswear brand in 2021 almost by accident, after he discovered a children’s loom in a thrift shop on holiday three years ago and began making swatches of textiles, then skirts and trousers for adults, sharing his work on Instagram. People started to respond and his Instagram following grew, prompting the designer to create his first ready-to-wear collection two years ago. “I was going to thrift stores and buying fabric, buying yarn and trying things out,” he says. “It’s grown very organically. I didn’t have a business plan, I’ve just funded it myself over time.”
“What is so special about Nicklas is his courageous ability to not only cultivate unique textile combinations and in turn new silhouettes, but also for his debut showcase he interpreted the purpose of a fashion show in a whole new way,” Thorsmark says. “This was an exceptional introduction of Nicklas’s universe to our show schedule this season.
Prior to starting his label, Skovsgaard worked in store design for Danish homeware label Hay, which has given him an eye for commercial retail, he says. He left Hay just before Covid-19 and spent lockdown working on his brand in a small studio, using his savings. Today, Skovgaard’s annual revenues are six figures (in Danish Krone), with 70 per cent of revenues coming from stockists Copenhagen store Holly Golightly and New York concept store Café Forgot, and 30 per cent direct-to-consumer online.
The brand is launching with a “major online retailer” this autumn, the name of which for now remains a secret. With the Spring/Summer 2024 show, he hopes to boost business even further.
“I really wanted to do my take on the fashion show and I knew I wanted to do a collaboration [on a performance] with Britt,” said Skovgaard. Unlike the viral moments that some brands create during fashion week in order to be shared across social media, Skovgaard’s focus was on the audience. “It gives a new language to clothes to watch them be put on,” the designer says, particularly when they are quite intricate, structural party gowns. “You see how easy it can be to put on a dress that might look quite complicated in a picture.”
Copenhagen megabrand Ganni did a small collaboration with Skovgaard as part of its Ganni Lab initiative in June this year. The designer created a dress for the label made from Ganni’s plant-based faux fur “Bio Fluff”. “I think [Nicklas] is a superstar,” says Ganni creative director Ditte Reffstrup. “I hope to see him internationally soon because I think he has the talent.”
“It’s hard to say what the next phase will be right now,” said Skovgaard after the show. “I need to digest. But I want to use this momentum.”
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
Update: The story was updated to include comment from Ditte Reffstrup and extra comment from Cecilie Thorsmark.
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