Ganni hosts a dinner to celebrate emerging talents at CPHFW - see all the exclusive snapshots

In a shocking move, Ganni opted not to show at this season’s Copenhagen Fashion Week for the first time in a decade. The Danish brand’s presence was still felt, however, and we’re not just talking about the cowboy boots that continue to grace the feet of the street style set. Yesterday evening, at the church-turned-gallery Nikolaj Kunsthal, Ganni played host to a dinner not to celebrate itself, but to shine a spotlight on seven emerging Scandinavian designers and artists.

“For me, it was about switching up the energy,” says Ganni creative director Ditte Reffstrup, noting that Ganni has been on the CPHFW calendar “consistently for 10 years”. “We wanted to take a pause to reconsider what our shows of the future would look like.” Instead, the brand invited designers Nicklas Skovgaard and Masculina (both showing on the official calendar as part of the fashion week’s NEWTALENT programme) as well as A. Roege Hove (who has showed in the very space the dinner took place), Sarah Stem, Jens Ole, Sahar Jamili and Sisse Bjerre to stage an exhibition of their extraordinary work. “In the past ten years of showing in Copenhagen, we have received so much love, and we wanted to give some of that love back by supporting and elevating the new generation of creative talent and designers,” says Reffstrup.

Related: The best street style from Copenhagen Fashion Week AW24

Ganni loves a good party, and the exhibition served as the perfect excuse to throw a raucous dinner for over 100 of the brand’s closest friends. Danish model Chili Dia, a mainstay on the Ganni runway and a former Vogue Scandinavia cover girl, was there, as was artist and Ganni collaborator Esben Weile Kjær. Reffstrup met her aim to host a dinner that “feels like one of those parties that a good friend would throw”. “You might only know half of the guest list, but the vibe is friendly and loose,” she says. One of her favourite DJ duos of late, Flady, helmed the decks after dinner and, true to form, Reffstrup was among the first on the dance floor.

But it was more than just a good party. The evening doubled down on Ganni’s commitment to supporting young talent, not only by giving them a platform but financially as well – Ganni is a patron of CPHFW’s NEWTALENT programme. “The current landscape is so tough for rising talent, with financial uncertainty, the wholesale model under a lot of pressure, and supply chain and logistics in total disruption, just to name a few things,” says Reffstrup. That’s a lot for a small business.” In addition to financial grants, the NEWTALENT programme offers mentorship and guidance, helping young designers find innovative and sustainable ways to bring their visions to life.

Related: Vogue Scandinavia kicks off CPHFW at Soho House: See all the party photos

When it came to inviting talents to participate in the evening’s exhibition, Reffstrup looked for authenticity – artists who feel “unique in their own style”. “For me, it’s easy to spot that thirst and passion for the work,” she says. “Our industry demands a lot of grit, and I think that all the talents we have chosen, as well as those we have previously worked with, have that.” In many ways, the evening felt like a passing of the torch. We’ll have to wait with bated breath to see what’s next for Ganni, but in the meantime, if this is the future of Danish fashion, it certainly looks bright.