JOANNE Watkinson
FASHION IS BACK AND SCANDI STYLE LEADS THE WAY
Many moons ago I worked for an online fashion business whose brand mix straddled the line between the luxury e-tailer Net-a-porter, and ASOS, who 15 years ago were firm leaders at the cheaper end of the market.
As newcomers, many well-known designers were hesitant to sell to us until we were more established. Online shopping wasn’t as prolific as it is today and, hard to believe, but some designers (or rather their directors of sale) were snooty about selling their collections online, even after the early success of Net-aporter.
It still tickles me when I think about the people we approached who thought the internet “wouldn’t take off”.
There was a time when brands only sold to one online store on each continent, particularly the British, French and American brands.
Undeterred and in search of independent brands that were not yet monopolised, we headed to Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Then, not part of the official schedule and not attended by celebrities and prominent figures in the business, they held a rota of catwalks shows, presentations as well as the trade fairs. It was a relatively quiet affair but it was the start of my love affair with all things Nordic. Their fashion, style, interiors and way of life just captured my attention in a big way, plus the Scandinavians are ahead of the curve as usual, with sustainability and ethical practices having long been on their radar. Stockholm culled their physical fashion week in 2019 due to its impact on the environment and took the whole thing online. Fast forward to 2021 and everyone wants the Scandi aesthetic. This month’s CPH Fashion Week was officially on the list alongside London, Paris, Milan and New York and their street style is the most exciting around – aspirational but fun and full of colour. After such a long hiatus the influencers were were there in abundance, strutting through the Danish streets with gusto, wearing trends we don’t even know exist yet.
It struck me, after 18 months of uncertainty, fashion is officially back.