It's no secret that Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) is mostly about sales. New trends and new garments that appeal to all fashion-conscious people. The same goes for the upcoming week’s SS23 with the main focus of purchasing and selling next year’s spring and summer collections.

But, simultaneously, there is an increasing focus on sustainability and circularity, both nationally and internationally – and not least as a requirement from CPHFW. As Denmark’s largest fashion company, Bestseller plans to meet this through several initiatives aimed at circularity, as well as a desire to become wiser about the necessary, but complex, industry challenge.

Competition with circular capsules

Since January, Bestseller's designers and product developers have been working on developing circular capsules – based on Bestseller's publicly available Circular Design Guide.

The goal is for Bestseller colleagues to grow wiser about circular design through an internal competition, and at the same time to be able to pass on this knowledge about processes, options, improving initiatives and limitations to external stakeholders.

“Our contribution to this season's fashion week has definitely been to make ourselves as well as others wiser. Bestseller's brands have worked hard and dedicated to get ready for this competition, which is not primarily about finding a winner, but – and most importantly – about learning lots about designing for circularity in future collections,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, Bestseller's Innovation Manager.

It all culminates in a presentation and competition in August this year (Tuesday 9 August) in front of a panel of judges, composed by representatives from Global Fashion Agenda, Zalando and Lifestyle & Design Cluster as well as Design School Kolding.

The judging panel will nominate a winner, while selected capsule styles will be available for sale during CPHFW. "We are really looking forward to seeing the results presented to the judges and to all the others present. It will be a day where knowledge sharing is as high on the agenda as fashion trends, and I personally believe that the entire industry needs that,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen.

Exhibitions with circularity in focus

In the days following the event, Bestseller’s Circular Design Challenge in Lokomotivværkstedet is transformed into an educative circularity exhibition that is open and free for anyone interested. Here it’s possible to study all styles – including the winner’s – along with the ground-breaking (and still secret) first prize and grab a free copy of Bestseller’s Circular Design Guide.

Additionally, the Bestseller brand Selected will also participate in another exhibition with circularity as focal point. Selected will exhibit during Circular Fashion & Textile Days in Bella Center, which is organised by Lifestyle & Design Cluster and CIFF (Copenhagen International Fashion Fair). Here, great circular examples from Danish fashion companies that are leading the way in the green transition are presented.

Sign-up for Bestseller's Circular Design Challenge