Once again, Northern Europe’s largest fashion event, Copenhagen Fashion Week, showcased endless innovation with Stine Ladefoged’s F/W 12’ collection.  This season, the Danish designer who is known for her creative knitwear, explored volume and structure bringing three-dimensional garments to the catwalk.

Through her signature pieces, knitting clearly becomes a form of expression. From layering, draping, knotting and stitching, the designer explores the countless possibilities knitwear and sewing machines offers. The collection revolved around massive collars, shoulder-padded cardigans, twisted knit and oversized jumpers.

However, it seems her work has evolved from a very cozy and soft look to a rather edgy and darker approach to fashion this season. The models’ opaque make-up and neo-gothic jewellery created an interesting yet gloomy atmosphere.

Nonetheless, bright colours such as Blue Klein, orange and bright yellow brought a touch of light to the show. Stine clearly masters knitwear in every possible manner. In using quality fibers and through the combination of different types of gauges, she showcased her expertise and skills. The Scandinavian brand, which was founded by the designer after graduating from the Danemarks Designskoles, is becoming a true emblem for fashionable and avant-garde knitwear.

With the Autumn/Winter 2012 collection that she presented during the Copenhagen fashion week, Anne Sofie Madsen definitely made us travel to the future. This impression was supported of course by the shape of the clothes, but also by the hair style and make-up of the models.

Her creations are not following a unique style; some designs would make us think of gothic inspirations, while others are profusely feminine with some looks would be considered as masculine.

What is important to notice is the fact that Anne Sofie Madsen does not forget any detail, which make her creations even more fantastic: very extravagant men-styled shoes with a leather band crossing from one side to the other and worn with yellow socks, crazy necklaces and collars that reminds us of an African tribe, mixtures of textures and materials and games with different volumes.

A  particular look that defined this collection, in my mind, is this the white voluminous skirt made of different materials (different levels of tulle, shaped in different manners and fringes), worn with a sweatshirt with transparent sleeves and a face shaped in the middle, paired with those tell-tale mannish shoes with yellow socks.

Anne Sofie Madsen is a Danish designer who studied at the Royal Academy of Arts School of Design. She has worked for many renowned designers: John Galliano for Dior in Paris and Alexander McQueen. She was perceived by the Vauxhall Fashion Scout as a new rising talent. Her first collection was launched during the Copenhagen Fashion Week in August 2011.

She is definitely someone to keep in mind!

We find ourselves dreaming of luxurious outfits right along whatever the season, but deepest winter always feels most fitting for glamorous and unforgettable looks. With A/W 2011 fashion events currently underway in major European fashion capitals, we still have a great opportunity to find out a lot of eye-catching and all-conquering fashion brands all over the world.

The professionals from Copenhagen definitely love fashion despite their beloved city’s industrial dark palette and bone-chilling temperatures.

In a meantime, when most designers were channeling the minimalism,  YDE focused his last Fall Winter 2011 collection on the elements of imperial allure, folkloric charm and femininity.

The brand decided to make an impact with the richness of the materials, which were demonstrated by the combination of gold and metallic fabrics, a splash of marvelous prints and sheer lace. No doubt, every piece from the collection had set the fashion scene alight with its discreet opulence.

This season YDE insists on the jewel tones, deep rubies, sapphires, emeralds and gold, that remain down-to-earth by a firm contrast of stern blacks and different shades of grey.

And, of course, if there’s one thing that will show you are in the know this winter – this is going to be fur, which have been sculpted by YDE – cut mink coats, finely detailed fox vests, alluding mink trims and ethereal swakara furs.

Exploring the catwalk in details it becomes so obvious, that only a graceful, gentle and elegant woman could inspire the designer. YDE’s signature bows, gracious gowns and complaisant dresses, further complete this new collection.

Such a fairytale, however, a modern one.

Ivana Helsiniki kick started her show by showing a short-film ending with the description that “it’s a fine line between being free or not”. A Scandinavian looking girl dragging her horse made of white tree on the country side. The whole collection was based on this and the key icon of the collection was actually this horse. Describing itself as an art brand rather than a fashion label, IVANAhelsinki loves defying sartorial conventions. With animal-prints, wool dresses, and eco-friendly production methods, IVANAhelsinki’s womenswear is based on designer Paula Ivana Suhonen’s dark yet girly powers of imagination.

The models took the stage, walking in a slow path, looking bored and slightly bothered. Dragging the heavy horse behind them and with arms stuck in their pockets looked less than free. The collection featured jumpsuits, dresses, skirts and tops. I did like the show but my opinion doesn’t go much further. Nothing ground-breaking and since I’m from the northern Europe my self, I see this style everywhere and all the time. It felt like something was missing in the line. I want to see more designers break out from their home-countries design pattern.

The designers behind Wood Wood is Karl-Oskar, Brian Piv Jensen and Magnus Carstensen and they have done very well. The show actually began with a orchestra playing on stage and the catwalk was the street, naturally. It is a street-wear brand folks. The much-hyped crew from Roskilde´s graffiti milieu know how to shift hoodies like no other. The right logo, the right price and Denmark´s hippest street-wear takes off. Wood Wood were discovered internationally at February´s CFW and now boast two Copenhagen stores, one in Berlin and a collaboration with Adidas worths its weight in gold. That has turned sportswear into street-wear.

Somehow, It felt like like this collection doesn’t go all the way. To succeed, you have to be able to actually change shape or way and sometimes surprise or even chock the audience. Some of you would call it to aloud a label to “grow up”, I would call it taking another step. We saw pavement friendly sweaters, tops and trainers which are the height of fashion. The show scene also sparkled with t-shirt dresses, short shorts and high waists. However, I doubt that street smart youngsters will relinquish their ever-descending trousers waists and baggy trousers – it´s here to stay, just you wait and see.

Margit Brandt’s new collection is called “Deilicate Graphics” and that’s really the best word to describe the clothes in general. A great show with guests like the danish princess gave the show a spectacular sparkle. Margit started her business in 1966 and soon became internationally recognized in the fashion industry. The new collection has the respect for the present fit and selection of materials while also being nostalgic, soulful, authentic, retro and absolutely original. The new collection is all about reinvention and redefining details from the designers universe of the 60’s and 70’s to create contemporary Must Haves for next year.

The essence of the brand is to keep the Margit Brandt spirit alive and it’s done by innovative, versatile and feminine design rich in details. The clothes was a perfect mix between the casual and informal, a mix that’s usually very difficult to create. Styles was very fluent and structured and the focus was on the shoulders where we could see metallic hardware, fabric weaves and twists that made the line very interesting. A very interesting show that kept the audience attention from the start to the very end.

Swedish designer Carin Wester has been working for big names like Paul & Friends where she designed womenswear for eight seasons until she launched her own label in 2003. She have since risen to become one of the country’s hottest fashion names. Playful, feminine and enchanting, her collections are getting more magnetic to the international fashion audience with every season. Carin has even won the “Newcomer of the year” awards by Elle magazine. Her brand have three different lines today: the female line “Carin Wester”, the male line “Wester” and the limited exclusively handmade line “W”. The S/S 2010 collection is named “Having met Loreli” after a story about a couple with very individual looks. Hence the different angles of the collection. Rough and masculine yet soft and feminine.

The women’s line has different kinds of power attributes from the 80’s amazon women like high waist secretary skirt, tailored denim jackets with back applications and chunky cracked leather platforms. Moreover, the feminine line encounters different structures liked mixed pleated jersey, crepe silk and shiny tape knits. The classic trench coat has this time been added as a unisex garment with oversized shape and removable sleeves for different kind of weariness. The colors in the collection is black and skin mixed with shades of white, moss green, grey-blue and different shades of mist. The highlight colors are bright red and intense indigo.

A full squadron of female acres took off at the Munthe plus Simonsen show. Accompanied by soundtracks of “Walking like an Egyptian” was the perfect beat to the show that was a combination of cool city-girls on the run grabbing their take-away coffee and just turned up the music on their ipod (which in this case was the definition of coolness). Constantly evolving to stay ahead of the fray, Munthe plus Simonsen retains at its core a dedication to quality and powerful femininity. Keep an eye out for how the label’s vibrant designs have evolved this season. I loved everything about this collection except for the harem pants that’s actually got shorter legs for the spring season. I don’t see anything stylish or fashionable with a pants that’s so unflattering for a female body. But that’s just me, cause the rest of the fashion industry seems to literally jump into their jumpsuits and harem pants.

The chic attitude and the daring woman is the staple of the collection and also the best way to describe the clothes. You can not wear only one piece of Munthe plus Simonsen, the pieces have to be layered in a sophisticated yet lazy way that’s telling the world how little you care. But you do. There were super slim leg hugging trousers and leggings matched with lousy blouses and tunics on show. The dresses was all wored with ankle boots and cardigans tied around your shoulder tote in a effortless way. The shorts have to stay very short and don’t ever forget your scarf. The message was very clear and the rule was to actually break the rules.

Munthe plus Simonsen owns two image stores in Denmark and employs 45 people. The company puts out 4 collections every year and has a fashion show twice a year.