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Every August, Copenhagen Fashion Week transforms the Danish capital into one of Europe’s most influential fashion destinations. But today’s fashion week is about far more than runway shows and new collections.

Increasingly, the city itself has become part of the programme, as brands compete to create memorable experiences that live well beyond the catwalk.

For an industry that is one of Denmark’s strongest export sectors, these activations are more than clever marketing. They are an opportunity to build cultural relevance, strengthen brand identity and connect with audiences from around the world.

Here are four brand experiences that caught our attention during this season’s Copenhagen Fashion Week.

A great brand is about more than a strong collection. It is about creating moments that people remember. This season, By Malene Birger did just that by taking over Taarnet, the historic kiosk in the centre of Kongens Nytorv, one of Copenhagen’s most recognisable public squares.

Once a newspaper kiosk, the small pavilion has been transformed into a fully branded By Malene Birger space. From coffee cups and napkins to menus and curated Copenhagen city guides, every detail reflects the house’s understated aesthetic. Visitors can stop by for a coffee or a beer while taking in one of the city’s busiest meeting points.

The timing also feels significant. Since owner Emilie Martinsen stepped into the role of creative director, By Malene Birger has regained momentum. Her debut collections have been warmly received, and the renewed direction has already translated into positive business results.

More than a Fashion Week installation, the takeover feels like a statement of intent. With late-summer sunshine filling Kongens Nytorv, it was difficult not to see the activation as a brand confidently entering its next chapter.

For more than three decades, STORM was one of Copenhagen’s most influential fashion retailers. The boutique built its reputation on introducing international niche brands to Denmark, securing sought-after collaborations and giving emerging Danish designers a platform long before they became household names. Its closure earlier this year marked the end of an era for the city’s fashion scene.

During Copenhagen Fashion Week, Icelandic outerwear brand 66°North began writing the next chapter. With an exclusive STORM x 66°North capsule collection, a full day of events and a street party that drew hundreds of guests, the address quickly became one of the week’s liveliest meeting points.

Rather than feeling like a farewell, the takeover celebrated everything STORM had stood for. Seeing the store’s former owner in the middle of the crowd, dancing in a 66°North T-shirt, made it clear that this wasn’t simply a change of tenants. It felt like a thoughtful passing of the torch – and an encouraging start to STORM’s next chapter.

If there was one brand that demonstrated the advantage of playing on home turf, it was Les Deux. The Copenhagen label, which has delivered more than a decade of steady growth, extended its Fashion Week presence far beyond its own showroom. Customers, partners and industry insiders were invited into the Les Deux universe through a series of events across the city.

In Østerbro, the neighbourhood café Bottega Estadio was transformed into a Les Deux destination, bringing together friends of the brand and its local community.

Together with Zalando, Les Deux also hosted one of the week’s larger gatherings at Soho House – complete with a branded boat moored outside – before teaming up with Winston Studio for an open after-work event at its flagship store in Kronprinsensgade, where guests could enjoy fresh fades, drinks and DJs.

Rather than relying on a single headline-grabbing moment, Les Deux built its presence through a carefully curated programme that made the brand feel almost impossible to miss throughout Copenhagen Fashion Week.

ARKK Copenhagen has been building steady momentum. Following the launch of ARKK Lab, the introduction of its first dedicated running shoe and a broader move into performance footwear, the Danish sneaker brand used Copenhagen Fashion Week to unveil its latest collaboration with Alana Hadid.

The limited-edition version of the popular Forma Runner was developed together with Hadid, who has worn ARKK Copenhagen for years and regularly featured the brand across her social channels long before the partnership became official.

That history makes the collaboration feel authentic rather than manufactured, a natural extension of a relationship that had already been visible to the public.

It is also another sign of ARKK Copenhagen’s growing international ambitions. The collaboration has already attracted attention from a number of international fashion and design publications, further strengthening the brand’s presence beyond Scandinavia.

For years, CIFF was known primarily as Scandinavia’s leading fashion trade show. That remains true today. But under the leadership of Sofie Dolva, it has evolved into something much broader, a platform that inspires, builds communities and increasingly helps shape the wider conversation around fashion.

This season, CIFF extended its presence well beyond the halls of the Bella Center, hosting events, media productions and partnerships across Copenhagen that made it an integral part of the city’s Fashion Week programme.

Among the week’s highlights was the opening event hosted together with PARAISO Miami Swim Week and ELLE Denmark, introducing an international selection of leisure and swimwear brands as part of CIFF’s growing focus on new categories. Another was the early-morning run organised with Boozt, reflecting the fair’s expanding interest in activewear, wellness and the lifestyle increasingly associated with today’s fashion brands.

CIFF is no longer just a place where collections are bought and sold. It has become a platform for ideas, conversations and cultural exchange, one that plays an increasingly important role in shaping both Copenhagen Fashion Week and the city around it.