Fashion Articles

Zalando Visionary Award 2026: An Interview with INSTITUTION’s Designer Galib Gassanoff Zalando crowned INSTITUTION, under the creative direction of Galib Gassanoff, as the winner of the Zalando Visionary Award 2026, unveiling its SS27 collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week. At Copenhagen Contemporary, the Zalando Visionary Space invited visitors to immerse themselves in the world of fashion, technology, and craftsmanship via interactive workshops, blazing showcases, and hands-on activations. Now celebrating its fourth year, the Zalando Visionary Award stands as a testament to Zalando’s pledge to nurture innovation, drive social impact, and champion diverse creative voices in fashion. Last week, Zalando returned to Copenhagen to celebrate the SS27 season of the Zalando Visionary Award. INSTITUTION, this year’s winner, presented its debut runway show at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Zalando also welcomed fashion enthusiasts to the Zalando Visionary Space, a two-day exhibition platforming the creative talent behind the award. Designer Galib Gassanoff led INSTITUTION’s Copenhagen Fashion Week debut with its SS27 collection, YAD, at the National Gallery of Denmark. YAD, which means ‘foreign’ and ‘memory’ in Azerbaijani, traced the process from raw materials to finished clothing and explored ideas of belonging and cultural heritage. The collection mixed modern design with the skills of Georgian communities where Gassanoff grew up. Local craftspeople helped create knitted pieces, while models walked barefoot in handmade jorabs, honouring the Caucasus tradition of removing shoes before entering a home. Sculptural pieces made from cotton cord showed the artisans’ skill and kept old techniques alive. As the winner of the Zalando Visionary Award 2026, INSTITUTION received a €50,000 prize. And yet, beyond financial support, Zalando is also offering guidance, customised business support, and connections to important industry groups. This comes as part of its overall commitment to new ideas, social impact, and diverse creative talent in fashion. What does winning the Zalando Visionary Award 2026 mean to you at this stage in INSTITUTION’s journey? Galib Gassanoff: It is a meaningful moment because it acknowledges a way of working that has always been rooted in patience rather than speed. Since the beginning, INSTITUTION has been about building something with purpose, something that values craft, cultural knowledge and human connection as much as the finished garment. To receive this recognition at this stage gives us confidence to continue investing in those values. It also creates opportunities to amplify the conversations we have been trying to initiate around preservation, education and the future of craftsmanship. INSTITUTION is recognised for its commitment to craft and cultural preservation. How would you define the core vision of the brand today? GG: I see INSTITUTION as more than a fashion label. It is a platform where clothing becomes a way to preserve knowledge, tell stories, and create dialogue between generations. The vision is to demonstrate that craftsmanship is not something nostalgic or static; it is a living language that can evolve alongside contemporary design. Every collection is an attempt to build that bridge between heritage and modernity. images courtesy INSTITUTION photography James Cochrane The Zalando Visionary Award celebrates design, innovation and social impact. How do these principles come through in your work at INSTITUTION day-to-day? GG: For me, innovation begins with asking better questions rather than simply creating something new. Every decision, from the way we develop patterns to the people we collaborate with, is guided by the idea that design should have meaning beyond aesthetics. Social impact comes through supporting craftspeople, preserving endangered techniques, and creating opportunities for cultural exchange. Design is only successful when it creates value not just for the wearer, but also for the communities involved in making it. Your practice is deeply informed by heritage and traditional craft. Does your cultural background continue to shape the way you design? GG: Absolutely. Growing up in Georgia gave me an understanding of craftsmanship that goes beyond technique. It taught me that making things is connected to memory, resilience, and identity. I don’t approach heritage through literal references or folklore. Instead, I try to translate its values – precision, respect for materials, generosity of making – into contemporary forms that can feel relevant today. INSTITUTION has grown beyond the traditional boundaries of a fashion brand. Was that always your ambition, or did the work naturally evolve into a wider platform for craft and cultural preservation? GG: It was always the intention. From the beginning, I didn’t want to build just a fashion label. I wanted to create a platform where fashion could exist alongside craft, cultural research, and knowledge-sharing. The name INSTITUTION itself reflects that ambition; it suggests a place where ideas are preserved, developed, and passed on. Clothing is one expression of that vision, but it has never been the only one. Collaborating with artisans, documenting traditional techniques, and creating dialogue around cultural heritage were always fundamental to the project. For me, fashion is a powerful medium because it connects people, but the larger goal has always been to build an institution that contributes to preserving and evolving craftsmanship for future generations. Innovation and the usage of traditional techniques are often seen as opposing forces. How do you preserve craftsmanship while continuing to push your work forward creatively? GG: I don’t believe they are opposites. Craftsmanship has always evolved. Every tradition exists because someone was willing to adapt it to their own time. My role is not to preserve techniques unchanged, but to understand their essence and allow them to evolve through new materials, new technologies, and different contexts. Respecting tradition doesn’t mean only repeating the past; it means also giving it a future. What does ‘visionary’ mean to you personally within the context of fashion right now? GG: It is about having the courage to stay committed to an idea even when it doesn’t follow the industry’s expectations. It means thinking long-term, building responsibly, and contributing something meaningful to culture rather than simply responding to the market. For me, vision comes from consistency and curiosity. How do platforms like the Zalando Visionary Award help shape the future of independent design voices like INSTITUTION? GG: Independent designers often

Stockholm Consolidates Its Role as the Nordic Fashion Hub with Fashion Week Trade Fashion Week Trade returns to Stockholm Fashion District from 10 to 14 August, bringing together over 700 brands, thousands of buyers, a Ukrainian fashion delegation, and a conference on AI and new business models. Hosted at Stockholm Fashion District, this year’s Fashion Week Trade takes place from August 10 until  August 14, welcoming over 700 Swedish and international brands alongside thousands of buyers, distributors and decision-makers. Spanning 21,000 square metres across Stockholm Showroom, Stockholm Shoe House and Nacka Strandsmässan’s two halls, in partnership with Alecta Fastigheter, the event positions Stockholm as the primary trade gateway to the Nordic market. Among the brands showing are Björn Borg, GANT, Jennifer Blom, and Rock and Blue, meeting buyers from independent retailers, department stores, and e-commerce platforms. Timberland and Ilse Jacobsen are also opening permanent showrooms in the district during the week. Sweden’s fashion industry generates approximately 178 billion kronor annually, employs 41,000 people, and exports fashion worth 41 billion kronor, according to the 2025 Swedish Fashion report.  “Sweden is a fashion nation with real weight. We export fashion to the whole world, and at the same time, more and more international players are choosing Stockholm as their entry point to the Nordic market,” says Helena Waker, CEO, Trade Partners Sweden and Stockholm Fashion District. For the first time, a selection of Ukrainian fashion companies will participate in Fashion Week Trade, with the aim of building new business connections and raising the profile of Ukraine’s fashion industry internationally. The initiative frames trade as a tool for resilience and reconstruction alongside commercial opportunity. Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Aid, Benjamin Dousa, will visit the event during the week as part of the government’s work with cultural and creative industries. Running parallel to the trade fair is the Transformation Conference, organised by Scandinavian Mind, bringing together more than 150 decision-makers from the fashion and technology sectors to discuss AI, digitalisation, circular solutions, and new business models. “For the fashion industry, the task is to translate AI, digitalisation, and circular solutions into concrete business outcomes,” says Waker. “The Swedish fashion industry can and wants to transition, but it requires fair conditions, coordinated policy, and free trade on equal terms.”

An Interview with Frederik Berner Kühl: Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize Winner 2026 BERNER KÜHL received the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize 2026. For the first time, the winner was announced at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS27, underscoring the Prize’s support for emerging Danish designers and their international recognition. To honour Magasin du Nord’s legacy, the jury observed the menswear label’s creative process during a live studio session in April. Founder Frederik Berner Kühl shared his refined approach to contemporary clothing with us. Sandra Myhrberg: The new format puts the jury inside your studio for a live working session on April 9th, not just reviewing a finished collection. What are you most nervous or excited about them seeing up close?  Frederik Berner Kühl: I think what I was most excited about was that they saw the process rather than just the outcome. Our collections don’t begin with a mood board or a trend. They begin with materials, conversations, fittings, and countless small decisions. We’re a relatively small team, so everyone is involved in shaping the collection. Hopefully they’ll see that every garment is the result of care, patience, and iteration. If I’m nervous about anything, it’s probably that the process can look slower or less spectacular than people expect. But that’s also exactly the point. We believe good products take time. SM: Each of you balances a strong aesthetic signature with a need to scale commercially. Where do you personally draw the line between staying true to your original vision and building a business that can grow internationally?  FBK: For me, growth should never come at the expense of identity. I’d rather build something that grows steadily over many years than expand quickly and lose what makes the brand distinctive. We’ve always tried to create products people will wear for a long time rather than for a single season. If we stay focused on quality, materials, and consistency, I actually think those values become an advantage internationally rather than a limitation. The challenge isn’t changing the vision; it’s finding better ways to communicate it and make it visible to more people.  SM: Sustainability and circularity show up differently across your practices, from deadstock and durability to reconstructed vintage, to limited runs, to archival referencing. What do you think about the tension between responsible production and the pressure to keep producing more?  FBK: I don’t think sustainability can be reduced to one material choice or one initiative. For us it’s about creating fewer, better products that remain relevant over time. Fashion will always involve making new things, so the question becomes whether those products genuinely deserve to exist. We try to make garments that people return to season after season, rather than replacing after a few months. Durability, both physically and aesthetically, is probably the most sustainable thing we can contribute. Of course there’s always pressure to produce more, introduce more styles and move faster. We try to resist that where we can. We’d rather refine than constantly reinvent. SM: If you win, the prize includes mentoring in sales, production, PR, and business development. Which of those areas do you most need help with right now, and why?  FBK: Probably business development. We’re confident in our creative direction, but we’re entering a stage where the biggest challenge isn’t designing the collection; it’s building the right structure around it. How do we grow internationally without compromising the values we’ve built the brand on? How do we make smart decisions about distribution, partnerships, and long-term strategy? Having experienced people challenge our thinking and share their perspective would be incredibly valuable. SM: A look from your collection will sit in Magasin du Nord’s windows during Copenhagen Fashion Week, tying your work to over a century of Danish retail history. How does that legacy sit alongside the story you’re trying to tell with your own brand?  FBK: I like the idea that fashion exists in a longer continuum rather than only in the present moment. Magasin represents a long history of Danish craftsmanship, retail and culture, and I think our brand shares that respect for longevity. At the same time, we’re not interested in nostalgia. We want to build on that tradition while speaking to how people live today. If someone looks at the window and sees clothing that feels contemporary but also timeless, something they can imagine wearing for many years, that would feel like a meaningful connection between the two. images courtesy Berner Kühl photography Oscar Meyer and Kasper Søholm

An Interview with Oscar Jardorf: Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize Nominee 2026 O. FILES stood among the nominees for the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize 2026. For the first time, the winner was announced at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS27, underscoring the Prize’s support for emerging Danish designers and their international recognition. To honour Magasin du Nord’s legacy, the jury observed the label’s creative process during a live studio session in April. Oscar Jardorf shared with us his aim to create a clear, meaningful link between clothing and the person wearing it.   Sandra Myhrberg: The new format puts the jury inside your studio for a live working session on April 9th, not just reviewing a finished collection. What are you most nervous or excited about them seeing up close?  Oscar Jardorf: Compared to showcasing a finished collection, it was both interesting and a great exercise to have to present and convey raw ideas from the midst of an idea-/conceptual phase to an audience with such extensive experience. A lot of ideas normally just float around and rarely materialise in an easily presentable form before a relatively late point in the process; however, we tried to really condense and concretise some of the concepts and tenets behind the upcoming collection for the jury’s careful review. SM: Each of you balances a strong aesthetic signature with a need to scale commercially. Where do you personally draw the line between staying true to your original vision and building a business that can grow internationally?  OJ: At O. FILES, the vision is principal to everything, and it’s a vital part of our proposition to the consumer. We don’t want to compromise and let the foundation on which the brand was built deteriorate, primarily because said foundation is the thing that sets us apart. In terms of international commercial growth, such an approach may be somewhat troublesome in the fast-paced, complex environment of the fashion industry, yet we genuinely believe it’s the best and most optimal long-term strategy and that the users will ultimately cherish a non-diluted version of the brand. As also emphasized during our meeting with the jury, for guarding the vision, knowing exactly what not to do is a key capacity for us. SM: Sustainability and circularity show up differently across your practices, from deadstock and durability to reconstructed vintage, to limited runs, to archival referencing. What do you think about the tension between responsible production and the pressure to keep producing more?  OJ: This is somewhat of a paradox, so there are multiple perspectives needed for answering this question. Up close, we believe and thus create items that are intended to transcend the singular season, things that are distinctively purposeful and generally have a high utility value in the long run. If we simply wanted to scale and sell more at a consistently rapid rate, the character of our designs and fabric choices would be vastly different. As such, our configuration comes with an intrinsic limitation for mindless production. On the other hand, in the bigger picture, we want more people to choose products with a proposition similar to the one described above, whether from O. FILES or from other mindful brands like our co-finalists for the prize. This implies that, consequently, someone has to produce more; it just has to be someone with the right approach. SM: If you win, the prize includes mentoring in sales, production, PR, and business development. Which of those areas do you most need help with right now, and why?  OJ: To be honest, we would gladly welcome mentoring in each of the areas. We are always open to listening and learning how to further develop the operation from someone with more extensive experience, especially if the respective mentor can integrate the principles of our vision in the mentoring. SM: A look from your collection will sit in Magasin du Nord’s windows during Copenhagen Fashion Week, tying your work to over a century of Danish retail history. How does that legacy sit alongside the story you’re trying to tell with your own brand?  OJ: The story of Magasin du Nord is one of retail mastery. To us, it’s inspiring from many different facets, ranging from the capacity for sustained cultural relevance to exceptional general business acumen within the retail space. It shows how a strong identity can remain relevant across generations.   images courtesy O. FILES photography Paw Lysemose

An Interview with Anna Myntekær and Yoko Maja Rahbek: Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize Nominees 2026 BONNETJE stood among the nominees for the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize 2026. For the first time, the winner was announced at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS27, underscoring the Prize’s support for emerging Danish designers and their international recognition. To honour Magasin du Nord’s legacy, the jury observed the label’s creative process during a live studio session in April. Anna Myntekær and Yoko Maja Rahbek shared their ideas about the new circular fashion movement with us. Sandra Myhrberg: The new format puts the jury inside your studio for a live working session on April 9th, not just reviewing a finished collection. What are you most nervous or excited about them seeing up close?  Anna Myntekær and Yoko Maja Rahbek: We were actually most excited that the jury got to experience the process rather than only seeing the finished outcome. Bonnetje has always been built around making, experimenting, and responding to what already exists, so the studio is where our creative work really takes shape. It’s not a linear process — it involves countless fittings, conversations, unexpected decisions and constant refinement. What made us most nervous wasn’t the creative work itself — we have a lot of confidence in that. It was whether our way of working could be seen as something that can scale, be produced and succeed commercially without losing what makes Bonnetje, Bonnetje. When you work with reconstructed garments and an unconventional production model, questions around scalability, production, and sales naturally arise. That was the part we were most excited to discuss and to show that we’ve been thinking carefully about.  SM: Each of you balances a strong aesthetic signature with a need to scale commercially. Where do you personally draw the line between staying true to your original vision and building a business that can grow internationally?  AM & YMR: For us, growth should never mean designing differently just to reach a bigger audience. The identity of Bonnetje comes from working with tailoring, existing garments, and a certain playfulness, and that’s something we don’t see as negotiable. The challenge is finding ways to scale the system rather than changing the creative vision. That means improving production, developing partnerships, and becoming more efficient while keeping the same design philosophy. We’d rather grow a little slower than lose the reason people connected with the brand in the first place. SM: Sustainability and circularity show up differently across your practices, from deadstock and durability to reconstructed vintage, to limited runs, to archival referencing. How do you think about the tension between responsible production and the pressure to keep producing more?  AM & YMR: It’s a tension we think about constantly. Fashion is built around newness, but our starting point has always been that there’s already an enormous amount of value in what exists. Working with vintage garments and existing materials isn’t just an aesthetic choice for us; it’s a design methodology. At the same time, we’re building a business, so we also have to be realistic about production and demand. We don’t believe sustainability is about claiming to have all the answers. It’s about making thoughtful decisions every day, producing with intention, creating pieces that people want to wear for a long time, and continuing to challenge ourselves to find better ways of working as we grow. SM: If you win, the prize includes mentoring in sales, production, PR, and business development. Which of those areas do you most need help with right now, and why?  AM & YMR: Production, sale, and business development would probably have the biggest impact for us right now. Although many of our garments are unique and partially upcycled, we’ve spent the last few years developing systems that allow us to grade, reproduce, and produce our styles in a structured way. Proving that this kind of practice can be scalable has always been important to us. What we would value most now is guidance on how to take those systems to the next level — growing internationally, strengthening production, and building a business that stays true to our way of working.   SM: A look from your collection will sit in Magasin du Nord’s windows during Copenhagen Fashion  Week, tying your work to over a century of Danish retail history. How does that legacy sit alongside the story you’re trying to tell with your own brand?  AM & YMR: We like the contrast. Bonnetje is rooted in rethinking existing garments and questioning traditional ideas of fashion, while Magasin represents a long-standing retail institution. Bringing those two worlds together feels like a reminder that fashion is always evolving. There’s also something symbolic about presenting garments that are built from existing pieces in a space associated with heritage and craftsmanship. We see it as a conversation between past and present rather than a contradiction. Our work is about giving garments another life, and in a way that also reflects the idea of heritage — not as something fixed, but as something that keeps being reinterpreted. images courtesy Bonnetje photography Nynne Henriksen and Kresten Julian Sommer

An Interview with Caroline Bille Brahe: Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize Nominee 2026 CARO EDITIONS stood among the nominees for the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize 2026. For the first time, the winner was announced at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS27, underscoring the Prize’s support for emerging Danish designers and their international recognition. To honour Magasin du Nord’s legacy, the jury observed the label’s creative process during a live studio session in April. Caroline Bille Brahe shared with us how she achieves a balance between standout design and wearability. Sandra Myhrberg: The new format puts the jury inside your studio for a live working session on April 9th, not just reviewing a finished collection. What are you most nervous or excited about them seeing up close?   Caroline Bille Brahe: I’m excited for them to experience the atmosphere of the studio. So much of Caro Editions happens through conversation, fittings, small adjustments, and intuition. It isn’t a polished process, and I think that’s the beauty of it. I hope they leave with a sense of the care and craftsmanship behind every piece.  SM: Each of you balances a strong aesthetic signature with a need to scale commercially. Where do you personally draw the line between staying true to your original vision and building a business that can grow internationally?   CBB: For me, growth should never come at the expense of identity. I believe you can build a business by becoming more yourself, not less. We think carefully about how we grow, making sure every new category and every decision still feels unmistakably Caro Editions. I want the brand to evolve organically and remain personal, even as it reaches more people. SM: Sustainability and circularity show up differently across your practices, from deadstock and durability to reconstructed vintage, to limited runs, to archival referencing. How do you think about the tension between responsible production and the pressure to keep producing more?   CBB: I don’t think more is always better. I believe in creating clothes that people truly connect with and want to keep for many years. Working with deadstock fabrics, reimagining vintage pieces, and producing in small quantities naturally encourages a more thoughtful pace. Growth is important, but it has to happen responsibly and without compromising the values the brand is built on.  SM: If you win, the prize includes mentoring in sales, production, PR, and business development. Which of those areas do you most need help with right now, and why?   CBB: Business development would be incredibly valuable. We have built a strong creative foundation, and now the exciting challenge is scaling the company in a thoughtful way while protecting the spirit of the brand. Learning from people who have done that before would be invaluable at this stage.  SM: A look from your collection will sit in Magasin du Nord’s windows during Copenhagen Fashion  Week, tying your work to over a century of Danish retail history. How does that legacy sit alongside the story you’re trying to tell with your own brand?  CBB: I love the idea of placing a young brand like Caro Editions within that history. While our expression feels contemporary and personal, we share a belief in quality, craftsmanship, and clothes that have lasting value. Being part of that conversation feels both special and inspiring. images courtesy Caro Editions photography Nikolaj Møller

Marimekko SS27: An Interview with Creative Director Rebekka Bay Rebekka Bay, Creative Director, Copenhagen Fashion Week, 6 August Marimekko presented its Spring/Summer 2027 collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week on 6 August, staging the show atop Langelinieskuret with the Øresund as backdrop. Building on the house’s 2027 theme – the art, the artist, and the landscape – the collection turns to the desert paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, translating her colour and form into peplum cuts, ruffles, and a mix of archive and new prints, including Vibeke Rohland’s Akkorder stripe. Creative Director Rebekka Bay spoke to us about the inspiration behind the collection. images courtesy Marimekko photography Rasmus Weng Karlsen Sandra Myhrberg: Marimekko’s theme for 2027 is the art, the artist, and the landscape, and this collection looks to the desert. Where did that idea start for you? Rebekka Bay: Our overarching theme for 2027 is the art, the artist, and the landscape. We found inspiration in the work of Georgia O’Keeffe, whose mesmerising depictions of nature captivated us through their rich colours, organic forms, and distinctive sense of place. Equally inspiring was O’Keeffe’s personal style and wardrobe, which, fittingly, is known to include a remarkable collection of Marimekko dresses. For Spring/Summer 2027, we explore the intersection of softness and richness, nature, and abstraction. The collection offers a poetic interpretation of summer, the light and the shadows, infused with the vibrant hues and sculptural forms of desert landscapes and interpreted by Georgia O’Keeffe. SM: Could you tell us a little about the key looks of this collection? RB: This season, we will introduce more feminine details and silhouettes. Peplum cuts, expressive ruffles, and airy flounces bring a playful yet sophisticated dimension to summer dressing. These sculptural shapes are enlivened by a combination of beloved archive prints and mostly new print designs, creating a dynamic dialogue between something new and something familiar. SM: Vibeke Rohland’s new stripe, Akkorder, leaves a space uncoloured between each colour, where Marimekko has traditionally let colours overlap. What drew you to that idea? RB: Distinctive design details have always been integral to the character of a Marimekko print. During her artist-in-residence period in Helsinki, Vibeke immersed herself in the unique process through which Marimekko prints are conceived and brought to life. We continued the collaboration past the artist-in-residence period, which allowed Vibeke to explore further. As part of this exploration, she created two interconnected prints. One of them, Akkorder, intentionally leaves a fine uncoloured space between each field of colour. Inspired by this negative space, she developed a second sibling print that transforms those uncoloured areas into the central visual element, giving presence to what would otherwise remain unseen. SM: The palette runs from pear sorbet and vanilla ice all the way to fiery reds. Do you start with colour, or does it come after the silhouette? RB: At Marimekko, everything begins with the print. Each season starts with the selection of prints, from which we build the collection’s colour harmonies and deliberate colour contrasts. For Spring/Summer 2027, the colours and forms found in Georgia O’Keeffe’s landscape paintings served as a guiding influence, shaping both our print selection and the collection’s distinctive palette. SM: You’ve turned a rooftop dining table at Langelinieskuret into a runway, with the Øresund behind it. How much does the setting shape how a collection reads? RB: To me, presenting a collection is about bringing together multiple creative elements, from styling and sound to the setting itself. We strive to create a world that is both immediately accessible and conceptually engaging, allowing the collection to be experienced on several levels. This season, a soundscape and spoken word by Ringa Manner performed in Finnish, combined with the backdrop of Copenhagen’s waterfront, captures the essence of the collection. Together, these elements reflect its central themes: the art, the artist and the landscape, as well as the poetry of dressing. SM: Marimekko is so associated with optimism. What do you hope people carry with them when they leave the show? RB: My hope is always that Marimekko inspires people to embrace print and color in their everyday lives. Through our collections, we want to encourage individuals to experiment, express themselves freely, and discover new ways of styling prints that reflect their own unique sense of personal style.

Fabienne Chapot X LEVENS text Abby Driesbach As Fabienne Chapot approaches its 20th anniversary, the Amsterdam-based label enters a new chapter. One shaped by reflection, individuality, and a renewed sense of purpose. Marking the occasion is its first-ever jewellery collection, created in collaboration with Barcelona-based glass jewellery studio LEVENS. Rooted in craftsmanship and united by a shared appreciation for colour, creativity, and imperfection, the limited-edition collection celebrates self-love through four hand-blown pieces designed to be cherished rather than consumed.   Launching during Copenhagen Fashion Week, the collaboration arrives as fashion increasingly embraces emotional storytelling alongside aesthetics. We spoke with Fabienne Chapot about finding the right creative partner, why now felt like the moment to champion self-love, and how meaningful design can create lasting connections beyond the seasonal cycle. Abby Driesbach: Fabienne Chapot has always embraced bold colors and expressive design, while LEVENS works with hand-blown glass and imperfection as craft. What made LEVENS the right creative partner, and how does this collaboration complement the Fabienne Chapot universe?   Elias De Hulsters: LEVENS embodies so many of the values that are central to Fabienne Chapot: creativity, craftsmanship and female entrepreneurship. As we were shaping the new direction of our brand, we realised there was already a natural dialogue between our two worlds.   What particularly drew me to LEVENS is their celebration of imperfection through hand-blown glass. In a time when so much is becoming automated and AI-generated, there is something incredibly valuable about objects that are made entirely by hand. Every piece carries its own unique character.   While our focus has always been on clothing, shoes and bags, we had been looking for the right opportunity to expand into jewellery. LEVENS felt like the perfect partner to take that first step. With our AW26 collection centred around self-love and embracing what makes us unique, the collaboration felt completely authentic. Both brands celebrate individuality, bold expression and finding beauty in what makes us different.  AD: The collection centers on self-love, right down to the “I LOVE ME” message. What made now the moment to build a collection around that idea?   EH: The theme of self-love started as something very personal. Around my 30th birthday, I found myself reflecting on what it really means to grow up. Becoming an adult isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about letting go of the things that no longer serve you while holding on to the parts of yourself that truly define you.   At the same time, Fabienne Chapot was going through its own transformation. During a rebrand, you’re asking very similar questions: what do we leave behind, what do we protect, and what is our true identity? Those two journeys felt deeply connected, making self-love a natural theme to explore.   As we approach our 20-year anniversary, it also felt like the right moment to reflect on our journey, celebrate how far we’ve come, and encourage women to celebrate themselves a little more too. The “I LOVE ME” message is simple, but it’s a reminder we could all use. AD: Both brands celebrate craftsmanship and individuality. How did you ensure that each brand’s identity remained authentic throughout the collaboration?   EH: The collaboration felt very natural because both brands already shared so much creatively. Rather than trying to merge two completely different identities, we built on values we already had in common.   LEVENS brought their beautiful hand-blown glass techniques, while we introduced colour combinations inspired by our AW26 collection and incorporated the “I LOVE ME” message into the designs. The collection also features motifs like the rose, alongside the bold use of colour and expressive craftsmanship that both brands are known for.   It never felt like either brand had to compromise. Instead, it felt like creating something together that genuinely belongs to both of us.   AD: The collection is intentionally small, with just four handcrafted pieces. Was exclusivity always part of the vision?   EH: Absolutely. As this is our very first jewellery collection, we wanted to begin with something small, thoughtful and exclusive. We also wanted to avoid overproduction and focus on creating something truly special.   We’ve always believed you don’t need a large collection to tell a meaningful story. Every piece was designed with intention, from the colours and shapes to the craftsmanship behind it. Rather than creating more, we wanted to create timeless pieces that become part of someone’s personal collection for years to come. Quality, emotion and longevity have always been more important to us than quantity. AD: The collection debuts during Copenhagen Fashion Week. Why was that the right stage for this launch?   EH: Copenhagen Fashion Week has become a place where creativity, individuality and craftsmanship are genuinely celebrated. It attracts a community that appreciates thoughtful design and brands with a strong point of view.   After introducing our new brand direction there last year, returning feels like coming back to a community that already understands who we are becoming. It felt like the perfect moment, and the perfect audience, to introduce this collaboration.   AD: Fashion is increasingly expected to tell stories with emotional value, not just sell products. What story do you hope people take away from this collaboration, and how does that emotional value stack up against aesthetics for you?   EH: I’ve always believed that emotion creates the strongest connection. Beautiful products might catch your attention, but stories are what people remember.   This collection is an invitation to celebrate yourself. Whether someone buys a piece as a reminder to embrace who they are, to mark a personal milestone, or simply because it makes them smile, we hope it carries personal meaning. It’s also something you can gift to a friend as a celebration of them.   Jewellery is such an intimate form of self-expression, and if these pieces encourage women to embrace their individuality and treat themselves with a little more kindness, then we’ve achieved exactly what we hoped for. AD: Consumers today are looking for pieces