Can you be sharp and loose at the same time?

Vilsbøl De Arce have shown their clothes at Copenhagen Fashion Week for few years now and I missed them every time. This time I saw it along with a lot of other fashion interested mortals in a show made for the public.

I always liked their futuristic avant garde style and the SS10 collection kept true to their originality.
Based in black, white and wine-red colours the look was loose and symmetrical at the same time.
Still having their signature spacey bathing suits - but this time more wearable than earlier - the collection was simple and solid. The short jackets and leather shorts with elegant details in cutting were some of me favourites, but I also really liked the jumpsuits and the general cut of the pants.

Yesterday I saw that they were featured in Dazed and Confused for an interview, which is definitely worth reading.

Looking forward to Copenhagen fashion week

Copenhagen fashion week has grown over the last few years and is attracting more Nordic designers. This year there are more Scandinavian designers than ever before and I really look forward to getting to know them. I am especially looking forward to Bátlak & Selvig from Norway with headquarters in Oslo. Last year this designer duo won the ‘Designer of the year’ award at Oslo fashion week last year.

I especially like the colourful dresses and sharp structure in all their garments.

Shades of black and grey

I don’t know if it’s the gloomy financial predictions for the future or just the Nordic winter depression slipping in, but judging by what the designers have showed us so far we’re heading for dark times next winter.

Dark and golden

Stine Goya – formally known, in my mind at least, as the queen of psychedelic prints and bold colours – has blacked out in this one.

Her collection is very rock and roll with her signature of arty sophistication. The fluttering sleeves and beautiful dresses are still there, but the experimental edge, not so much.

Icy rock from Wackerhaus

Wackerhaus’ style is also in the shadowy end of the colour pallet, but that is not such a change from the dark look of the SS09 collection.

This A/W collection has a cold and rough look with slick fabrics and very pale greys and blacks, which I think is really cool.

Stars from Ivana

One of my absolute favourite Scandinavian designers showed her collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week this week. Ivana Helsinki is famous for interesting prints and constant renewal of her look.

Her A/W09 collection continues the slightly simpler style which was also present in the last A/W collection. This one is all about the dresses and is darker and more grown up in its silhouettes.
Stars are the signature print for this fall collection adding a more rock and roll-cool to the otherwise strict clothes. The tight cut coats and dresses make me think of Victorian dress style, which I really think is a cool historical reference.

Photos: Sacha Maric

Saturday: Vibskov – the hype, the hype

So far I’ve not written anything about Henrik Vibskov. He is THE media darling (- he and Stine Goya ought to get married, they’d be king and queen of Danish fashion)Anyway I hadn’t really figured out what I thought about him apart from what I was told; that he’s the most original designer so far, he the ‘enfant terrible’ of Danish fashion and that he’s the one most likely for a huge international breakthrough, voted best designer of the year and so on – basicly enough to he thinsk he’s too much already.
….Naturally all this hype for the oh so cool Vibskov has boosted my sense of criticism (Nerd Girl's attacks tougher when praise has already been given)
- There were the über popular scarves which all most everyone at Strøget (or at least in Krystalgade) wore a few yeas back, then there were fringes on every thing (in last season’s show), so he plays drums for electronic hipster Trentemøller – and now he also does children’s clothing. He is the image of Copenhagen I hate – I’m sorry, but it’s too much. Please tell me he’s an environmentalist and a friend of animals, because I wouldn’t be surprised.
And though his SS09 collection might not have been as high standard as usual for DANSK DAILY I thought I was great. That’s right, I’m joining the hype – a little late, but at least now, I get it.
This collection, I guess was when I found the time to enjoy the combination of interesting prints and his signature loose cuts. The colours are toned down now compared to what he did before, but I guess that's what I like.

CFW Friday: The drama begins

The MoonSpoon Saloon show at the Royal Theatre.

This label is completely new to me and I was very eager to see what the combination of wellknown Danish painter Tal R and designer Sara Sachs would bring. And I was not let down. As a fan of artistic,theatrical shows and clothing this was right up Nerd Girl's ally. And what bette location than the Royal Theatre with its classic sense of art and drama.

But the Moon Spoon Saloon's collection might be too costume-like for some buyers.
Anyhow this is a designteam I'm deffinately going to keep an eye on in the future.

The strong colours and patterns are straight out of Tal R’s artistic universe and the almost pantomime like figures added to the volume of the whole collection. The inspirations seemed to come form Comedia dell art and surealisem.
I especially liked the knits and small multi-coloured jackets. And I guess I enjoy the playfulness of MoonSpoon Saloon attitude to fashion in general. But I also thought the beautiful dresses and sharp cut suits were really cool

Stine Goya - The lost city

Goya’s SS09 collection 'La city perdu' was shown last night and again Stine Goya has created a strong collection true to her specific style. High waist pants, oversize shirts and again a shade of apricot –hmm… I wonder if this will become a trend?Otherwise the colours were watery or kind of smoky – leaving a bit of the same damp summer like feeling as Wackerhaus’ collection, but still much more arty. Goya’s hand painted prints add such depth to her style making the clothes much more than edgy silhouettes and delicious fabrics.Goya has always had some cool settings for her shows. Her last SS collection was shown in the beautiful decorations by Helle Mardahl and this one was no different. Small cut out houses were placed along the runway I matching colours with the clothes - very artistic.
Photos: Sacha Maric

Fashion week Wednesday

Hazy Jayne from Wackerhaus
Trine Wackerhaus showed her SS09 collection this evening. I love her original approach to clothes that mixes masculine and feminine styles. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since her 20s inspired dresses from her last collection. She has a really cool way of creating a strict and sharp look with loose and comfortable clothes.In this collection it was the rough cut dresses in soft materials and her boyish suits for girls that I especially liked.

Apricot is usually a colour that I’m not too fond of, but I think it goes really well with the grey and black here.

Photos: Sacha Maric

Great Expectations

No no, there's nothing about Pip or old mr. Charles D here except for the clash in titels.

Copenhagen Fashion Week is coming up again. I can’t believe it’s already August. And the line up is really impressive with still more new designers to get to know. The schedule is packed with such stars as Stine Goya, Rützou, Noir, Weckerhaus, Elsie Gug just in the first day.

And I’m glad to see the international success Camilla Stærk returning home to show off her SS09 collection here.

Naturally expectations are high – I mean the anti-nerd girl nr. 1 Paris Hilton has flown in for this... Well she’s probably just here to advertise for her own products anyway. But nevertheless my beloved city is definitely getting the world’s attention.

Thus Nerd Girl is off to try and catch all of the interesting fashion and also some of all the other cool things going on in Copenhagen in connection with fashion week.

Saturday was Kirsty-day

Yesterday I attended Anna Gullmann’s A/W 08 show. It was a very festive experience and just like at her S/S08 show last summer it was her imaginary muse Kirsty who modelled the clothes – 6 versions of kirsty to be exact.
The collection was called Jitter Geometry and featured Kirsty jitterbug dancing and wearing clothes with geometrical shapes. Bright colours and jitterbug music set the mood for a fun and games.
The collection showed a vide range of colourful skirts, dresses and tops. In general the show was very theatrical; The Kirstys were dancing and running around which made it difficult to get some good photos. But nevertheless the clothes were great: - airy dresses and plissé skirts in colours that could beat any winter depression.

Their style was cartoon-like with the doll-make up and large bows in the hair. I really enjoy Gulmann’s mix of sharp colours and delicate materials. Her black dresses all had small colourful applications matched with coloured stockings or socks. Blue, black and orange were the main colours throughout the collection which also included some really cool sweaters.

Photos by Sacha Maric

CFW Friday

Surrealism from Stine Goya
As I wrote earlier, Stine Goya is the Danish fashion media’s darling at the moment and her A/W08 collection can only increase that hype. Here she proved how she still masters a unique blend of psychedelic prints and sharp cuts. Dresses and jumpsuits are also here the key pieces, but Goya adds up her style with original pants- and jacket designs.

Goya’s signature mirror-necklace also had a centre place on most of the styles on the run way - I really must get one of those. Her colours are more relaxed than her earlier work; she uses a black, pale gold, grey and purple and then lets the amazing patterns make all the noise. I see the surrealistic inspiration in both the dreamy silhouettes and in the wild stripes and patterns. At the moment, I have thing for unusually cut sleeves and Stine Goya also provided that this season:

All photos by Sacha Maric