by Lotus Ladegaard
Hærværk, which means vandalism in Danish, was founded by Niels Gundtoft Hansen who debuted on Copenhagen Fashion Week, last season. He is a graduate of Royal College of Art in Menswear. Hærværk is inspired by oil sea, wet asphalt and the rusty containers that litter the Danish seafront. The design style is street couture avant-garde with many references to Denmark and the Danish culture even though one might think it is more street than couture, there is some fusion in his work.
Held at an auto mechanic shop in North of Copenhagen, Hærværk’s AW17 collection was every bit as crude as the venue. The color palette was very colorful, however, far from as loud as they could have been. The pieces were edgy, crude and detailed. Models came down the runway in trash-bag-shoes in a sort of pattern that was far too neat and somehow did not fit the collection or the venue. While the collection builds on his SS17 collection, it had more variety despite fewer looks. From oversized baggy tops and bulky jackets to more fitted garments, Hærværk showed a wider range and even included a female look with a low back tank top and shorts.
While it can still be questioned how wearable the collection is as shown, the individual pieces are still very intriguing and can be mixed with a wardrobe of street wear. The overall feel and look of the collection might still be too avant-garde and different to some, it will certainly still have an audience and a loyal one at that.
Oh! By Kopenhagen Fur, on the other hand, is a Danish luxury accessory brand primarily focussing on bags and charms. Oh! is modern sophistication with a commercial appeal. Oh! operates on the philosophy that fur is part of our DNA, however, fur does not have to be taken so serious and thus design pieces with a fair amount of humour. Oh! has a strong following and a long history stemming from its mother company. Oh continues to deliver pieces that fashionistas of any ages favour. In a time where fur is ever more unpopular, Oh! and Kopenhagen fur is not looking to convince people to wear fur, but instead take sustainable responsibility for their production.
Oh! by Kopenhagen Fur's AW17 show was the highlight of Tuesday. Dancers dressed in dust and dusty leotards stood on squared pillars as the curtain fell. Each dancer performed separately and accordingly to the music drawing inspiration from several dance genres from ballet to contemporary to isolations and African dance. The show was all about diversity and respect for others and their opinions.
The accessories were worn in anything but a traditional way and while the show might not have highlighted the pieces, the actual show was definitely memorable and inspiring and received a long applause from an audition in awe.
Bags in leather with fur embellishment, fur charms were featured on the dancers. The colour palette was diverse and span from natural fur colours to orange, purple, red and burgundy. The pieces were charming, humoristic with that Oh! Sophistication. I especially enjoyed the little charms that one can attach to a bag or other accessories.
Undoubtedly, we will see many fashionistas with an Oh! by Kopenhagen Fur accessory.
Both these shows provided us with a glimpse of what is good about Danish design... Rugged streetware and Elegant, whimsical fur.
