Dallas Otigba was invited to an array of runway shows at Copenhagen Fashion Week ranging from labels such as Baum und Pferdgarten, Munthe, Marimekko, and her favorite Henrik Vibskov. Over the course of four days, CPHFW completely captivated her with vibrant colors and innovative silhouettes. Otigba had always wanted to attend the Fashion Week and would see it through her mutuals’ perspectives online.
On her trip to the capital of Denmark Otigba got to take in the cobblestone streets and the stylish crowd that is often captured within the populous city. Copenhagen’s fashion week is unlike any other fashion week as many of these brands and trends are up-and-coming according to Otigba. “I can’t lie, the fashion girls in Copenhagen have taken over a big portion of the trendy side of TikTok,” she explained. “We are seeing authentic versatility, intentional statement pieces, and amazing layering. It really can’t get much better than that.”
Otigba was invited to the fashion week during a hectic chapter she happened to be experiencing. Her agency owner thought convincing Otigba to attend would’ve been like pulling teeth. However, on the contrary, she was all in. Before her trip overseas, she was moving two days prior, so packing her looks took a large effort with putting outfits together on Canva, which helped a bit. In retrospect to her last Fashion Week, spending a ton for any Fashion Week is never worth it, so she worked with what she had. “Last Fashion Week, I spent a ridiculous amount of money to create my looks and I realized that was completely unnecessary,” she expressed. Otigba adds that she managed to use all the pieces she previously purchased before visiting Copenhagen. “I ended up having to pack and plan my outfits simultaneously five hours before my flight,” she shared.
Otigba is letting ESSENCE in on what she was up to during her four days in the colorful city during Copenhagen Fashion Week. Keep scrolling to learn more about the fashion influencer’s whereabouts and outfits, below.
Day 1 — August 5, 2024
The first day of fashion week always feels like when you can’t sleep because you know that you are going on vacation in the morning. Or maybe that’s the jetlag talking, either way, I was pumped with excitement to get a feel for the city and get to experience all that fashion week had to offer. I started with a panel conversation with Vogue about the current buzzword “community” and what it means for business owners, content creators, brands, and consumers to be a part of a community. Conversations like this remind me of growing up in Washington, D.C. where everyone had a political opinion and we all just respected it, gave them space to talk about it, and reflected on it however necessary.
Next on the schedule was the TikTok Creator Hub where I got to listen to another conversation about fashion opinions and sustainability from the very knowledgeable Andrea Cheong.
For the second half of my day, I attended the Rolf Ekroth show where I absolutely loved the pieces! The first show of fashion week started off very strong. I walked over to the Alectra Rothschild/Masculina show and was met with a performance of flexible models, cool stunts, and the most calf-friendly maroon boots that have ever walked down the runway. The final stop was Stella Nova Vernissage’s presentation where I got to chat with other like-minded creatives and debrief on everyone’s first-day activities.
Day 2 — August 6, 2024
I started my day with a fitting at Baum und Pferdgarten and then made my way to the Gabi Gamel presentation. This style reminds me the most of the 2000s, but the recent resurface of it as an Instagram era in all the best ways. Soon after I took some street style content with my favorite camera, the Canon R6.
Pro tip: always budget in time to create your own content, you didn’t come this far to only bank on street style photographers to take your photos, of course, it is a huge plus, but it’s not guaranteed you will get paparazzied.
Next, I changed for the Lovechild show, where I got to meet the superstar Jeneé Naylor.
Then I stopped by the Henrik Vibskov store for the launch of the Melissa X Y/Project clogs before rushing over for the final show of the day at Stamm. This show was such a reminder to stay a child, to be playful, open, and willing. I loved it!
Day 3 — August 7, 2024
This was by far the best day for me. I was getting used to the hectic schedule and was a witness to my favorite shows of the season. Starting with the Deadwood show, I can see myself in a lot of the pieces. It was a perfect mesh of grunge and street style.
I then viewed the La Bagatelle re-see collection and learned about their unique “one of one” business model due to the rarity of some of their fabrics.
Then I took a walk to the Raben Saloner presentation and saw the most beautifully dramatic striped T-shirt dress or should I say gown?
Next, there was the Henrik Vibskob show, and I was met with a conceptual runway. I was so pleased with the use of plaid, the structural mesh, and the styling of the models. All of it was excellent. I would’ve been satisfied there, but the Baum und Pferdgarten show was full of production! I’m talking about a cameraman and a hoverboard type of production!
I was a fan of the huge screen so that we could see the different angles and get into the details of the clothes. On top of that, the theme was exceptional, it was Office Olympics and it was held at a track stadium, fitting in American culture, where rush hour feels like a race to work. The end of the show felt like a party, a true celebration. I enjoy it when fashion is inviting and light, just like the Baum und Pfergarten show.
Day 4 — August 8, 2024
The final day! I call Fashion Week the “Fashion Olympics” because it does feel like that. All events are happening back to back, there is friendly competition with not only the designers, but also the creators, buyers, celebrities, and press. And it truly does feel like a sport.
Anyways, this week’s “Fashion Olympics is coming to an end. But not before we get through our show schedule. I started the day at the Munthe show where I sat in the second row to witness the gorgeousness of the florals, sheer fabrics, and overall structure of the pieces.
I then quickly stopped by the Jewellry Room to learn about all of the talented jewelry artists they house on their website.
After that, I quickly changed before attending the Marimekko show. Remember the Copenhagen colors we were talking about earlier? They are the archetype of this style of fashion. It was the dopamine boost I needed because was I pretty exhausted from all of the fashion week activities.