What is Copencore? Defining the new Danish aesthetic

There is something happening in Copenhagen. Sartorially, I mean. Among the Danish fashion set, a very specific aesthetic has emerged. You’ll find it at Apollo Bar, Atelier September or perhaps having cocktails in the wee hours of the morning at Babylon. It is a look that prioritises practicality and revels in neutral tones. It is luxurious, yes, but never flashy. It is a look that did not have a name, so we gave it one: Copencore.

For our third issue, we invited Sophia Roe to style a story that celebrates the Danish designers of the moment. Starring model and singer Klara Kristin and photographed by Marco van Rijt, the story showcases Danish designs, yes, but more than that it captures this specifically Copenhagen-y manner of dress.

Related: Video - Model and singer Klara Kristin takes us on a journey through Copenhagen

“It’s very Danish,” declared our editor in chief, Martina Bonnier, when we were putting the story into layout.

She wasn’t just speaking of the locales – from Bellevue to Christiansborg Palace – the all-Danish team or the Saks Potts, By Malene Birger and Baum und Pferdgarten garments. She was speaking of how a dress was paired with Adidas superstars. How silhouettes were just a hair oversized. She was speaking of the wide-shouldered coats and the high-waisted trousers. Of the khaki, beige and brown. She was speaking of the effortless cool of this girl, fresh-faced with easy flaxen hair and a heavy fringe.

I dubbed this editorial “Copencore” as an almost-joke, but of course it stuck.

Though Copencore expresses elements of Scandinavian minimalism – nary a defining print or logo in sight – it favours a more fluid silhouette, coupled with a magpie sensibility.

Copencore despises total looks, opting instead to mix and match a closet of well-curated pieces. It isn’t afraid to wear a trusty trench or Oxford shirt over and over again. Most importantly, Copencore is confident – a look you wear, not one that wears you.

There are a handful of brands that have played a part in the emergence of Copencore. With its decadent knits and neutral palette, By Malene Birger is extremely Copencore. Ganni is Copencore, sometimes. The concept of the Ganni Girl, one who can adapt a piece to suit her personal style, however, is very much Copencore. Sophia Roe’s own brand, The Garment – super Copencore. Saks Potts before SS22? Not so Copencore. Saks Potts SS22? Totally, completely and utterly Copencore.

Cheeky as the name may be, this is not a movement that will come and go. Rather, Copencore is the culmination of a fashion scene that is long-past emerging. I predict it will become the Danish default setting, as immovable and enduring as “Parisian Chic,” but with a much less cringe-worthy name. With its very own aesthetic, Copenhagen solidifies its position on the world fashion map. We don’t need to make Copencore happen, it already has.