Is Copenhagen Europe’s most stylish city? 5 fashion insiders weigh in

It’s January. It’s -3 degrees. And it’s snowing. But in one European city, the stilettos, the scarves and sequinned skirts still roam the cobblestone streets. I am, of course, in Copenhagen. And it is, of course, fashion week.

This year, Copenhagen Fashion Week celebrates its 20th birthday. In just two decades, CPHFW has firmly secured its spot as the ‘fifth fashion capital’, after New York, London, Milan and Paris. Known for its commitment to emerging designers, and working towards a more sustainable fashion industry, the two weeks (the first in January, the second in August) are essential RSVPs for any fashion editor, stylist, designer, influencer – or anyone who loves the best of Scandinavian fashion.

Street style at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS26Getty Images

But even without its influential fashion week, Copenhagen is a place renowned for its stylish street style. The city is a 24 hour catwalk that showcases the down-to-earth, effortlessly cool nature of Scandi fashion. It’s a place where practicality meets sparkle, where minimalism meets maximalism. But what exactly is it that makes Copenhagen the ultimate fashion destination? We caught up with designers and editors from this year’s CPHFW (Stine Goya, Ganni, Costume Magazine, Celia B, Samsøe Samsøe and Annukka Havukumpu) to find out exactly why the city carries such influence in the global fashion agenda – and where we should be heading on our next visit.

Colourful houses along the waterfront in Copenhagen

Getty Images

Stine Goya

Founder and designer of Stine Goya

When did Copenhagen become a place that people look to for fashion and style?

Denmark has always been known for our heritage of furniture design and architecture – the fashion came later for us. I think there was a turning point in 2018, when people started looking at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Our bold Scandi style started to get more attention and went more viral, and people started to take notice. Copenhagen has a very accessible kind of fashion – it’s more democratic and the price points of the brands here are more affordable. Of course, we have expensive pieces, but we do a lot outside the luxury segment, which makes our style easier to dream about and recreate.

Why does Copenhagen carry such status in the fashion world?