Copenhagen International Fashion Fair And The Enduring Influence Of Danish Culture

President Donald Trump made a geopolitical proposition that left the world both amused and shocked: he wants to buy Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. The idea —unsolicited, swiftly declined, and widely mocked—sparked a wave of headlines, memes, and existential questions: What value do we assign to land, people, and heritage? While ‘the absurd offer’ is making its political pundits cycle, the conversation it ignited reveals just how strategically important Denmark has become in global affairs, as well as the global culture.

From climate leadership and architectural innovation to culinary revolutions and cinematic exports, Danish values are increasingly resonating worldwide. In fashion, Denmark is not just keeping up—it’s leading. In recent years, Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) has emerged as a beacon of sustainability in the global fashion ecosystem.

In 2020, CPHFW introduced its Sustainability Requirements framework, a rigorous set of environmental and ethical standards that brands must meet to participate in its official calendar. The framework—updated in 2024—covers everything from responsible material sourcing (requiring at least 60% certified or preferred materials) to working conditions, show production, consumer engagement, and waste management. Gone are the days of virgin fur, wild animal skins, and single-use plastics; this is fashion redesigned with intention.

Copenhagen’s sustainability ethos are catching on. In a bold move this year, the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced it would adopt the CPHFW framework across its BFC NewGen initiative, beginning with a pilot phase in 2024/25 and culminating in full implementation by January 2026. “We are thrilled to align with the Copenhagen Fashion Week Sustainability Requirements,” said Caroline Rush, CEO of the BFC. “Together, we are creating a framework that empowers emerging designer fashion businesses to lead the way and contribute tangibly to a more sustainable and responsible industry.”

Amsterdam Fashion Week (AFW) also joined forces with CPHFW earlier this year to implement the same sustainability requirements across its show schedule, launching with a pilot involving approximately 30 brands. The collaboration signifies a growing continental consensus: “sustainability is no longer optional; it is the foundation of fashion’s future.” As CPHFW’s CEO Cecilie Thorsmark put it: “These partnerships are essential for the necessary alignment within the industry and underscore the unique role fashion plays in driving positive change.”

And it also sets the stage for Copenhagen’s other major fashion player to make its own geopolitical statement, enter the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF), the leading fashion trade event in Scandinavia and one of Europe’s most dynamic platforms for global fashion and design. The recently concluded CIFF 64, held earlier this year, wasn’t just a regional showcase but more of a cultural summit, where American and Danish creative identities met not in the negotiation rooms, but on the runway, in showrooms, and across fashion and design installations that challenged what fashion diplomacy could look like.

Where NATO organizes around security and diplomacy, CIFF rallies around creativity and commerce. Both, in their own ways, are about coalitions of values. A prime example of the creative coalition was the presence of NEUDEUTSCH, the expansive exhibition project curated by Julian Daynov, which took over more than 1,000 square meters of the CIFF 64 venue. Presenting over 30 emerging German brands—including Aesthevore, Black Palms, Lutz Morris, NThirtyThree, VETSAK, and Royal Fern— breaking with the stereotype of german design as merely functional and stoic, revealing a thriving ecosystem of emerging German designers and brands. Through a hybrid concept of showroom and installation, NEUDEUTSCH reimagined how German design could be perceived globally, sparking a renewed cross-cultural dialogue, cementing CIFF’s role as a connector between Europe’s creative capitals.

Trump’s obsession with the world’s largest island brought global attention to the nuanced relationship between Denmark and its semi-autonomous Arctic territory. While the idea of “getting” Greenland may have seemed like a geopolitical outlier, it also inadvertently spotlighted Denmark’s far-reaching influence—something Copenhagen has been steadily cultivating through culture and commerce.

Today, that influence attracts, season after season, some of the most significant gathering of fashion industry insiders in Northern Europe, and despite overlapping with Paris Fashion Week and dense international fashion calendar, CIFF didn’t just hold its ground—it expanded it, with a 72% spike in attendance on the final day compared to the previous edition, while experiencing a 1.5% increase in unique visitors and a 3% growth in total visits.

Visitors hailed from across Europe and beyond: the Nordics led the way (58.6%), followed by the DACH region (17.45%), Benelux, Southern Europe, the UK, and a growing slice of North American attendees (1.21%)—a number that, while small, reflects an evolving interest from U.S. buyers and brands in the Nordic fashion ecosystem.

That interest isn’t one-sided, however, as Sofie Dolva, director of CIFF, wants to foster a deeper connection between American and Scandinavian design. That vision came to life in February 2025 during the New York Fashion Week. CIFF and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented the second edition of the CIFF x CFDA Showroom at Plus Plus Showroom on Water Street. Twelve brands were selected for the showcase—10 from Scandinavia and 2 from the U.S.—each chosen for their commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and future-facing design principles. Labels such as Adnym, DAWNxDARE, CDLP, Herskind, Jacques Agbobly, Molebo, Monies, PRIVATE POLICY, Résumé, Samsøe Samsøe, Skandinavisk, and Neuw Denim created an atmosphere that fused Nordic restraint with American edge. The project didn’t just serve as a commercial platform—it deepened the creative ties between the two countries at a time when cultural exchange feels more valuable than ever. In this surprising setting, fashion functioned as more than commodity; it became a conversation—one about shared challenges, new aesthetics, and the emerging political debate shaping tomorrow’s trade between two countries. As the geopolitical center of gravity tilts, and tensions reshape old alliances, Copenhagen’s role as a cultural broker has never been more closely watched.

The Danish capital has long punched above its weight in the global cultural arena. It is a city where minimalist design is not just a trend but a philosophy—visible from the clean lines of its architecture to the curated beauty of its streetwear. Home to global design icons like Georg Jensen and Bang & Olufsen, Copenhagen has evolved into a hub for creative sustainability and progressive design ideals. What makes CIFF uniquely compelling is its cultural resonance in a time when authenticity is the currency of influence, Danish fashion—quietly confident, ethically driven, and deeply rooted in its geography—offers an alternative to fast fashion’s chaotic churn. And through CIFF, as well as CPHFW, that ethos is being exported globally.

The inclusion of Greenland in this narrative may not be literal—but its symbolic presence lingers. Greenland represents the raw, untouched future; a frontier being reimagined not just by American military strategists, but by artists, designers, and cultural thinkers. As Denmark continues to explore what it means to steward that territory under the increasing pressure from POTUS, Greenland’s indigenous heritage, ecological riches, and geopolitical relevance may well inspire a new shift in Scandinavian fashion.

In a world defined by border tensions and ideological divides, CIFF offers a space where creativity, values, and innovation transcend nationality and conflict. Case in point, over the last few years, designers from Ukraine, Georgia, and Latin America found refuge in CIFF fashion halls, keeping their dreams alive, and with them the hopes of their countrymen and women. In this sense, fashion becomes more than fabric—it becomes foreign policy.

With CIFF 65 scheduled for August 5–7, 2025, the fair continues to assert its role as a cultural bridge-builder. As the global temperature rises, and the tension around Greenland heats up, as the U.S. reconsiders its role in the Arctic, CIFF and CPHFW stand at the center of a quietly powerful cultural narrative. This time, no one’s trying to buy an island. Instead, the world is buying into an idea: that sustainable fashion, at its best, can build bridges where politics falter.