No, I am not talking about a football game. I am talking about the concerted and successful effort Denmark has made to host the premier fashion event on the European continent. Multi-colored flowers, lush green forests and shimmering waters off sandy beaches are not he only beautiful sites in Denmark during the summer. August heralds the four-day long Copenhagen International Fashion Fair and it is a sight to behold.
Opening August 11, and lasting through August 14, the 2005 theme is "The Battle of Europe".
Why such a title? There is a history of a great number of fashion shows across Europe. But in the last decade of so, Copenhagen has been pulling more and more weight with a dramatic increase in attendance and a reputation for discrete glamour. In the late 1990s both Sweden and Norway closed their fashion fairs. Attendance at the previously market leading fair in Europe, Kind & Jugend in Cologne, has been dropped considerably.
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The five shooting stars of Denmark's fashion avant-garde, however, have made the time to socialize during their brief stop-over in the city to participate in the Copenhagen Fashion Fair: Peter Jensen, Camilla Staerk, Jens Laugesen, Henrik Vibskov and Stine Goya. However, they find it hard to describe what they expect to find on the city's catwalks. Designer Jens Laugesen thinks Danish media's declarations that Copenhagen has become 'the fashion capital of the north' are somewhat embellished.
Laugensen recently launched Generic Sen's, his new collection and expects to make his mark with the series of black and white unisex designs. He has already earned international kudos and critical acclaim for his creations.
Danish designer Camilla Staerk is also on hand this year, returning with a tailored and elegant collection of daring black creations inspired by US musician Stevie Nicks and ballet dancer Natalia Makarova as well as designer Stine Goya's colorful print and designer Henrik Vibskov's mirrors and beards integration. She thinks the increasingly international focus of the CIFF is a boost for the country and widens its artistic range.
"I do feel that there's a lot of focus on Copenhagen, and there's definitely respect. It's great that fashion is the focus and not just furniture anymore. It feels like there are a lot of nationalities for the fashion week now, which is really great," she said.
But how does high couture fare in Copenhagen? Danish designer Peter Jensen thinks Danes are too provincial in their dress and have gone away from their strong sense of style.
