Copenhagen Fashion Week unveils new 'hybrid' format

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 11, 2020

Copenhagen Fashion Week has released more details of what the event will look like on its new dates of August 9-12 with news that it will be in a "hybrid" format this time. The new format will mix digital experiences with physical events.

This stops short of the fully digital approach being taken by events such as London Fashion Week this weekend, but also recognises that a completely physical fashion week isn't possible in the immediate post-coronavirus world.

“Although convinced that digital solutions can never replace the emotional and sensorial experience of seeing collections physically, this edition marks the kick-off of a new era for Copenhagen Fashion Week, where presenting and distributing shows digitally is now more crucial than ever,” said event CEO Cecilie Thorsmark. “We're extremely excited to see how this development can foster original creative material and cultivate new relationships with editors, buyers and consumers”.

There will be both live and pre-recorded content from brands, with the revamped digital platform designed to “ensure that editors, buyers and consumers can access all material no matter where they are across the globe”.

“Over the past years we've put Copenhagen on the global fashion week map by giving our international guests an authentic Scandinavian fashion experience — right here in the capital city of Denmark,” Thorsmark added. “Now we're expanding our digital universe to share this experience using a hybrid format that allows access to Copenhagen Fashion Week despite travel restrictions — and we hope to reach many new audiences”.

To make the digital aspect work as well as it can, CFW has established a digital advisory board consisting of Ganni's founder Nicolaj Reffstrup; Stine Goya's CEO Thomas Hertz; Holzweiler's creative director Susanne Holzweiler; Hope's creative director Frida Bard; and creative agency Moon's CEO Martin Gjesing.

Meanwhile, the physical aspects of the event will have a centrally located physical hub, called CPHFW Hub, "to bring the industry together for social events, presentations, talks, interviews and more”. Plus, as usual, there will be physical shows and presentations on the official schedule at unique venues selected by the individual brands.

The event is timed just after the Danish government on August 8 lifts the ban on gatherings of 200+ people. But CFW said this doesn’t mean returning to “business as usual for live shows and presentations, as precautions must be adhered to concerning, for example, social distancing”. 

Thorsmark said “brands with live showcases need to be flexible and adaptable in their planning”.