Nicklas Skovgaard AW26 - Copenhagen Fashion Week

At Copenhagen Fashion Week, Nicklas Skovgaard’s AW26 runway offered a refined shift from his previous seasons, leaning into a poetic, retro-inspired romanticism. Inspired by 1930s Danish actress Marguerite Viby and her film Mille, Marie og Mig, the collection explored contrast and duality, combining control and expression with everyday materials and elevated silhouettes. Skovgaard’s creative intent was clear. Each garment needed to hold multiple identities at once, a theme that ran through the entire show.

The color palette was playful yet grounded, with bright orange, turquoise, lime green, and red balanced by deep grey, brown, and black. Pleating emerged as a standout feature, layered in satin and organza to create a three-dimensional effect that shimmered in movement but held structure up close. One striking combination, a lime-green boiled-wool top with a vivid red pleated skirt, perfectly demonstrated Skovgaard’s ability to balance boldness with refinement, making glamour feel approachable rather than fragile.

Silhouettes shifted away from the hard shoulders of the 1980s, embracing softer, more feminine lines. Waistlines were defined, skirts rounded, and bubble hems were largely absent. Knitwear debuted alongside wool gabardine, leather, lace, and jersey draping, layered thoughtfully to add depth and lightness. Each look felt carefully considered, a study in juxtaposition and texture that reinforced the collection’s thematic duality.

The runway itself enhanced the intimacy of the show. Guests stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a raw, narrow space, following models along winding corridors marked in chalk on the floor. This format allowed attendees to study fabrics, buttons, and pleats in motion, creating a tactile, up-close experience. While smaller in scale than last season’s spectacle, the show’s intimacy made every detail count and underscored the thoughtful craftsmanship at the heart of Skovgaard’s universe.

For those who caught the AW26 presentation in Copenhagen, the collection was a reminder of why Nicklas Skovgaard continues to charm the fashion world. It combined retro inspiration, romantic poetry, and a modern sensibility that made each piece feel at once familiar and entirely new.