From Vibskov to Goya, The Best of Copenhagen Fashion Week

Scandinavia has been keeping Refinery29 plenty busy lately, and Copenhagen is no exception. Just yesterday Denmark's very own Fashion Week came to a jubilant close, leaving us both sartorially satisfied and extremely hungover.

The week offered up a great selection of High-Street-wear, and we relished the fact that all the fashion here is as affordable as it is enticing—a sign that Copenhagen knows how to stay in-tune with the times (though the white mink teddybear in one goodie bag was perhaps just a tad excessive). The shows kicked off last Wednesday, and four days, 37 shows, and a hell of a lot of champagne later, we've pared down the fashion frenzy to our favorite six shows of the season.

Not exactly designed for the wallflower among us, Vibskov's garb has never been for the faint. That said, his clothes become more wearable with each season (though this may be a tad hard to see, thanks to some pretty funky styling) and this very striped collection included all the usual goodies like patterned jumpsuits and high-waisted trousers. His best moments included a casual black suit for the gents and striped silk trousers for the ladies, but we could have done without the green pouf-of-a-disaster dress. This misstep was completely redeemed by making the models strut their stuff while trotting in human hamster wheels.

It's not an exaggeration when we say there's an actual Goya cult in Copenhagen. Last season it's reported that a fist-fight broke out over gaining access to the show. Lucky for us, this time around, all seemed relatively calm, though there was still a CPH scenester or two who made a fuss about their front-row seat, or lack thereof. This collection marked a definite departure for Goya, who left behind her usual bold prints in exchange for shimmery bronze mini-skirts, and rhinestone encrusted leggings and tops. Always a lover of the jodhpur and boxy Ts, Goya's silhouettes remained the same: quirky and girly translated into baggy trousers, oversized cardis, and of course, the seeming pre-requisite for any Danish runway, the jumpsuit. No doubt the rhinestone leggings will be the must-have on the streets of this mini-metropolis come fall.

Showing in CPH for the second time, this is a designer who has a love for combining the whimsical with the dark and mysterious. She also has an inexplicable affection for taping the shoes to her models' feet. That said, her abstract, comfortable creations are some of the most interesting coming out of Copenhagen. The sheer knits are delectable: chic, casual, and perfectly draped, whether in the form of tapered leggings or wrap-around cardigans in muted grays and black. While a bit over-the-top for everyday, Gongini's fanciful tulle creations would surely make Björk go weak in the knees.

Sculptural, dramatic, black, and many a stylist's dream—Visbø is full of architectural lines, slight bondage elements, and tons of braiding and weaving often in the form of foam-filled dress straps or collars, making this a very animated, 3-D collection. It's hard to deny that there's still a slight just-out-of-design-school vibe to these guys, but there's a point to be made for daring to venture away from the High-Street-wear that seems to reign in CPH, and going for the more avant-garde.

Once Henrik Vibskov's intern—now his girlfriend (talk about a promotion!)—designer Bibi Ghost came into her own this season. There's no doubt she's been inspired by the funky silhouettes of her bf, but her simple, volumous collection was a far cry from Vibskov's extra loud garb. Full of silky black dresses, oversized cover-ups, and some stovepipes with flirtatious slits at the knee, this season was all about subtlety, without being boring. Bibi's designs move extraordinarily well, and we're dying to get our hands on the peach jumpsuit which was fit to flattering perfection. We're sensing that soon enough this gal will have a Vibskov-like following that's all her own.

When on the streets of CPH, it's hard to not notice that Danish lasses have a total fascination with harem pants, jumpsuits, and anything high-waisted, which makes Wackerhaus the perfect go-to line for many a local gal. The epitome of wearable, Wackerhaus knows how to channel sophisticated-cool through a cut down-to-there jumpsuit, silky menswear-inspired trousers, and basic dresses. While there were a few iffy moments (a gray dress with overpowering shoulders), we're still daydreaming about an amazing pair of gold brocade trousers that we're pretty much willing to break any habit for.