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August 11, 2008 5:45 pm
Romney Leader reports from Copenhagen fashion week
MoonSpoonSaloon, a new addition to the calendar, was much-hyped in the lead-up to its show. A collaboration between artist Tal R and former costume designer Sarah Sachs, it aims to create 99 looks for its inaugural season, with each look available in a limited-edition batch of 99. Its debut at the Royal Danish Theater was very much art for art’s sake. Ballerinas performed interpretive dance in the clothes, which were court jesterlike in their use of primary colors and voluminous fits. On the other end of the spectrum was denim line Won Hundred, where everything behind the season’s collection was recorded in meticulous detail. Liner notes listed 50 ideas designer Nikolaj Nielsen liked and 50 ideas he disliked when conceiving the current line. A second page offered a rundown of the David Lynch-esque video that ran during the show, even listing key symbols for guests to look out for. The actual clothes, in contrast, were refreshingly bare-bones, and standout pieces for women included a boxy twill jacket and baggy drawstring jeans.
Malene Birger’s show is a do-not-miss on the fashion week calendar. The Danish designer is an icon in Copenhagen, and the dramatic By Malene Birger collection was enjoyable for both longtime fans and the newly converted. A tough-but-sweet vibe ran strong; black leather knee-high spats were paired with bright floral separates and billowy chiffon skirts. While some looks—though beautiful—borrowed a little too heavily from Marni, Birger really hit her stride with more classically Danish pieces like her sheer smock dresses and tunics. All of the pants, ranging from classic uptown trousers to a sophisticated take on the drop-crotch peg-leg style, were impeccably tailored, and the jewelry and handbags (Birger is of the "bigger is better" school of thought) were covetable.
The big star on hand at Malene Birger was Lene Nostrom, who you may remember from her pop band Aqua’s hit single "Barbie Girl." I told her she looked great. "Thanks! The sweater is Alexander McQueen, the leggings are Kova & T, the bag is Chanel, and the shoes are Nicholas Kirkwood," she said. Fans take note: Aqua is gearing up for a reunion tour this fall.
I took some time on Saturday to walk through Gallery, one of two big trade fairs going on simultaneously with the shows. One of the standout displays was Monies, a revered Danish jewelry line from husband/wife team Gerda and Nicolai Monies. Buffalo horns, amber, and rare gems are some of the natural materials found in their dramatic pieces (rings as big as your hand, necklaces that drape to the knee). They’ve collaborated with Donna Karan and Christian Lacroix, among others, and have freestanding shops in Paris and Geneva. It’s hard to believe they were showing me the more conservative pieces ("We save the really special pieces for Paris," whispered the saleswoman), but I swooned over this tangle of shiny ivory beads.
Across the way I saw Peter Jensen manning his own booth, so I went over to say hi. Though it was his men’s Spring ‘09 collection on display, he was kind enough to give me a sneak preview of the women’s line, debuting in September at London fashion week. The inspiration? Jodie Foster. "We looked mostly at ‘Hotel New Hampshire’," he said, "Jodie had a strong, masculine look there that I loved, but we also took elements from ‘Freaky Friday’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs’." I snapped this sweatshirt (note the "Jodie" and "JF" screenprints) because it encapsulates Jensen’s hilarious regard for American culture.
Copenhagen fashion week ended on a spirited note with Henrik Vibskov’s show. No one seemed to mind the almost two-hour delay, perhaps because it wasn’t the designer’s fault, but instead because he opened the show to the public, asking only that ticketless attendees play a trumpet song to gain admittance (if you didn’t have a trumpet you could pay 70 kroners). Once the melee at the door had settled and the lights dimmed, the show highlight was Vibskov—himself an avid percussionist—front and center with his drums, playing live to the show soundtrack. Though he’s mostly known as a clothing designer in the U.S., throughout Europe Vibskov is regarded as a multi-disciplinary performance artist. The strongest looks in the show featured his signature print work, shown on a baggy women’s pant and a colorful men’s wool sweater. The after-party began on location immediately following the show, but yours truly headed back to the hotel to begrudgingly prepare for the trip back to New York.
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