Copenhagen Fashion Week sets early tone for SS26 trends

The Spring/Summer 2026 buying season began in Copenhagen this month, with Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) consolidating its status as the first major fixture on the global fashion calendar. Acting as an early trend indicator for the luxury market, the event provided wholesale buyers with a clear picture of what will drive assortments in the months ahead.

Joor, the wholesale management platform processing nearly 20bn dollars in annual transactions, has identified six key trends from the shows:

1. Oversized tailoring – masculine-inspired suits with exaggerated shoulders and double-breasted jackets, signalling a continued appetite for strong silhouettes.
2. Modern minimalism – precise lines and asymmetric folds, with a notable absence of embellishment, reinforcing Scandinavian restraint.
3. Nu florals – sculptural, textured treatments offering a departure from conventional botanical prints.
4. Ready-to-rainwear – lightweight, practical outerwear designed for urban settings, underlining the growing commercial appeal of functional fashion.
5. Billowing trousers – wide-leg and harem shapes providing volume and statement-making proportion.
6. Nordic neutrals – an earthy palette dominated by sand, cream, taupe and cocoa tones, already a proven commercial performer in northern European markets.

CPHFW’s influence has grown steadily in recent seasons, attracting a mix of established names and emerging labels. Amanda McCormick Bacal, Joor’s SVP of Marketing, describes it as “a must-watch” event, with a “dynamic mix” of brands that set the tone for global buyers.

Joor’s position, connecting over 14,000 brands and 675,000 curated buyers across 150 countries, gives it a data-backed vantage point. The platform’s client list includes luxury conglomerates LVMH, Richemont and Capri, as well as Valentino, Loewe and Stella McCartney, alongside exclusive retail partners such as Harrods, Selfridges, Printemps and Dover Street Market.

For buyers, the SS26 trends out of Copenhagen present both reassurance and opportunity. Core categories such as tailored suiting and neutral palettes remain commercially reliable, while design-led details, from sculptural florals to rainwear with couture-level finish — provide newness for consumers seeking distinctive updates. The emphasis on proportion, particularly in trousers and outerwear, suggests a continued break from the slimline silhouettes that dominated pre-pandemic.

With the buying season now under way, these early trend signals from Copenhagen are likely to influence order books far beyond Scandinavia, setting an agenda that blends functional utility with calculated design risk.