Twice a year, the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) runs alongside Copenhagen Fashion Week, bringing together buyers and brands to showcase emerging trends, sustainable innovations, and new design. This year, CIFF got bigger – 25% bigger, to be precise – showcasing over 1,200 brands across a sprawling 34,000 square meters. Among this vast maze of a marketplace, a select group of young designers stood out, not just for their interesting designs but also for their ability to do something a bit different and hint at where the future of fashion might be headed.

While the fair primarily caters to commercial interests, with countless stalls vying for the attention of buyers, an exciting corner of newness that caught our attention. Often, the hardest thing for young designers in the current climate is bridging the gap between creativity and commerciality. CIFF’s “Innovators” area sets out to platform the exciting new brands that are shaping the city’s dynamic fashion scene and secure them some much-needed endorsement. 

Nadia Wire

Situated on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Nadia Wire's eponymous brand handles everything in-house – from design and development to production. With experience working for designers like Stine Goya and Iris Van Herpen, Nadia was always determined to do things a little differently. When the Central Saint Martins graduate couldn’t find a local factory capable of producing her complex, made-to-order pieces, she took the ambitious step of building one herself. It was a steep learning curve, but the result is a brand known globally for its intricate, machine-knitted textiles that combine traditional methods with new technologies. 

"My focus on textiles drives the technical aspects of my designs," Nadia explains. "Everything is knitted – nothing is cut into. Even the labels are integrated into the waistbands to minimise waste." With growing demand in Japan and Korea, her designs are a study in modern femininity, offering a tactile, meticulously crafted alternative to what's already out there.

Fine Chaos

Fine Chaos is not your typical Scandi brand. With a penchant for deconstruction and a narrative steeped in dystopian themes, the brand's name, "Fine Chaos," reflects its design philosophy: a deliberate fusion of opposites that results in what can best be described as "a Beautiful Madness.” Founded in 2021 by March C. Møllerskov, the Copenhagen-based label has quickly gained traction, securing placements with international retailers like HBX and Opener in Korea. 

Rooted in an underground aesthetic, far removed from the neat minimalism or colourful prints synonymous with Scandinavian fashion, the brand’s collections are likely to feature raw edges, hand-painting, and latex. Their latest offering, seen on the runway during Copenhagen Fashion Week is based on a 30-page manuscript set 50 years in the future. “It's important for us to scale the brand consciously, finding the right retailers that share the same values as we do,” says Ludvig Isaksen, co-founder of the brand. “CIFF has helped us find contacts in new markets that are as experimental as we are.”

Kernemilk

Founded in 2019 by Marie Mark, Kernemilk has become a Copenhagen favourite, known for its clean lines, neutral tones, and unwavering commitment to sustainability – qualities that define what we love the most about fashion in the Danish capital. Marie’s vision is clear: to create timeless, ethically produced pieces that prioritise quality over quantity. Starting from humble beginnings in Marie’s apartment, Kernemilk gained attention on social media during lockdown. Since then, the brand has opened a store in Copenhagen and is set to debut in London at Goodhood this season. With retailers in Sweden, Amsterdam, Iceland, South Korea, and Melbourne, Kernemilk is expanding, though Marie is careful not to grow too quickly. "As a small team, events like CIFF are super helpful for our growth," says a representative from the brand. "We’re well-known in Copenhagen, but CIFF gives us the chance to engage with a broader audience." 

Neudeutsch

This year, CIFF introduced a new collaboration with Berlin-based creatives, leading to the "Neudeutsch" area, dedicated to showcasing German fashion. Featuring around thirty = brands across fashion, jewellery, design and beauty, this section underscores the growing synergy between Berlin and Copenhagen. The two cities, both known for their commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge design, have formed a strategic alliance, further strengthened by Berlin Fashion Week’s recent adoption of sustainability standards aligned with those at Copenhagen Fashion Week. At CIFF, this collaboration brought a distinct German presence to the fair, highlighting the mutual benefits of cross-border cooperation in an increasingly globalised industry.