It was busy in Copenhagen during Fashion Week; there wasn’t a hotel room to be found and all the restaurants were fully booked. Fashion people colonised the streets, and they weren’t just Danes either. With its three fashion trade fairs the Copenhagen Fashion Week is the ultimate place to do business in Scandinavia (comprising 1100 exhibitors and 2300 brands in total) and forty fashion shows at fantastic locations (including museums, workshops and Copenhagen Zoo). Last winter visitor numbers exceeded 55,000, of which more than half were foreigners and this fashion week (6th-10th August) shall equal these figures at the very least.

At first there was only the CIFF (Copenhagen International Fashion Fair) trade fair. Subsequent demand for another spot for new, hip labels resulted in a second fashion trade fair, and in 1998 CPH Vision started. An exclusive fair covering both streetwear and fashion labels. Ten years on and brands vary from Lee, WESC (a hot Swedish streetwear label) and Dr. Denim to the fashionable Naja Lauf, Margit Brandt and Hoff by Hoff.

The Danish fashion industry didn’t remain idle however and where CPH Vision was the first visionary fair (for that matter many new, upcoming designers are to be found at this fair, and a large department has even been set up for Scandinavian fashion academy students), a third group of labels came forward requesting their own spot. In the meantime the Danish Fashion Institute (the equivalent of the Dutch Fashion Foundation) was also set up; its objective being to increase recognition of Danish fashion. It was successful too – the time had come for a new trade fair. As such two years ago a third fashion trade fair was set up by CIFF, one which continues to grow. Gallery, which celebrated its fourth edition last weekend, presented over forty brands more than during the previous edition. This aside from the eight shows presented in a tent outside of the actual trade fair building. Exclusive brands such as By Malene Birger, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Designers Remix, Filippa K and BZR switched over from Vision to Gallery, and it was these labels which also presented shows.

This proves to be the immediate criticism of the present as it stands. What CIFF has to offer – at one time the ultimate spot to do business – is, according to some, regressing. “Fashion Week is killing itself” asserts Kate Lindner of the Jameson men’s label; this despite having scored well herself. Lindner finds it unfortunate that fashion is spread out as it is across the city, due to the splitting off by brands in the higher segment. Indeed it is nigh on impossible to logistically visit all three trade fairs in a short period of time. Another much-heard complaint is voiced by the young, new designer who believes they would have been better off at a different trade fair (at Gallery instead of Vision or at Vision instead of CIFF). Karin Säby, who stood at Vision with her Säby label, expounds this by the fact that she received more attention from the press than from potential clients. This indicates that perhaps she would have been better off at Gallery. Craig de Groot, of the new Noir label, notices the large amount of Dutch press, yet does believe he’s at the right trade fair. He says about Vision: “there is a good representation of brands here, a good lay out and mix of accessories and apparel. Which all draws the right kind of person”. Indeed, this reflects the general trend: Denmark is still a good place to do business despite the quiet, relaxed impression the trade fair floors give off.