2 days ago
What Copenhagen Queers Wore To Chappell Roan
Amalia, 24, references Chappell Roan with her glam make-up and graphic tee at Copenhagen's Syd for Solen music festival. Birgitte Fleischer
Copenhagen is often referred to as one of the best-dressed cities in the world and continuously attracts visitors from across the globe seeking style inspiration. Names like Cecile Bahnsen, Henrik Vibskov, Han Kjøbenhavn and Stine Goya have been recruiting global fans to Copenhagen Fashion Week which has become a key contender for the coveted spot as the fifth most regarded fashion week after Milan, New York, London and Paris. Aside from its aesthetic outputs, Denmark is also regarded as one of the best places to be LGBTQ+, with its capital ranking as the second most queer and trans-friendly place on earth last year by Out Magazine .
To document the wardrobes of queer Copenhagen residents, I attended one of the country's largest music festivals, Syd for Solen. The warm August day was a big deal for Denmark as it would mark Chappell Roan's first performance in the Scandinavian nation. The day's line-up would also include Irish artist CMAT and UK drag queen DJ Jodie Harsh. With these three LGBTQ+ names on the bill, the event was a destination for queer joy – and the outfits played a key role.
Iris, 22, student. Birgitte Fleischer
My photographer Birgitte and I quickly ran into a young group dressed for the occasion. Iris, a 22-year-old actor and performer was speaking to her younger sister. She's just about to start studying musical theatre at university. When I asked about her outfit she proudly shared that it was all secondhand, except for the tights, which were from a Danish brand she couldn't remember the name of. When asked about the thrift scene in Copenhagen she quickly brought up the prices being too high. 'Thrifting in Jutland [the mainland region of Denmark, comprised of smaller cities] is much better' she told us. 'These boots were 45kr [about $7 USD]. If I found them in Copenhagen they would be at least 450kr [about $70 USD].'. After photographing her, Iris grabbed her partner Ekko who coyly walked us through their outfit, sharing that most of the pieces were thrifted (they removed the sleeves of the shirt themselves), except the trousers which they took from Iris' mum.
Ekko, 23. Birgitte Fleischer
We next spotted Katrin due to her boxy denim jacket with small holes which had been lovingly darned. It belonged to her grandmother, she told us. Her hat featured an embroidered figure of Michael Laudrup, one of Denmark's top soccer stars. 'The bag? Oh, it's from Netto' (a chain of discount Danish supermarkets) Katrin laughed.
Katrin, 37. Birgitte Fleischer
Then we spoke to 23-year-old psychology student, Katrine. When I asked about why she chose her outfit for the day, she replied frankly, 'I didn't. My friends did'. She went on to share that her and her friends had decided to dress to the theme of 'queer office siren' but when she arrived at their place on the way to the festival, they thought her look didn't quite fit the bill and redressed her. She shared that she loved swapping clothes with her friends as it's a way to discover new styles she wouldn't normally go for in the shops.
Katrine, 23, psychology student. Birgitte Fleischer
As we headed over to catch some of Jodie Harsh's DJ set, we ran into friends Moanna and Maya. Moanna, who works as an organic farmer at Den Lille Mark (translating to The Small Field, located in Odense), shared that their outfit was mostly secondhand, but their bag was handmade by their friend. Maya, an anthropology student, shared that their look was also thrifted, aside from their top, which their partner made for her for the event specifically.
Moanna, 27, organic farmer. Birgitte Fleischer
Maya, 27, anthropology student. Birgitte Fleischer
While waiting for our food, Nina and Emma caught our attention giggling with their fish and chips. The Danish-Nigerian sisters wore a combination of thrifted pieces and styles borrowed from the matriarchs of their family. 'The dress I took from my mum and the leather jacket is really old, it's from my grandma.' shared Nina.
Emma, 19 (left). Nina, 23 (right). Birgitte Fleischer
Nina wears her grandmother's leather jacket tied around ther bag, doubling as a holder for her cup. Birgitte Fleischer
As Copenhagen Fashion Week shows were taking place just across town, fun-loving queers ditched the public progammes for an opportunity to come together and get dressed in the name of something bigger than latest Danish designer outputs. Syd for Solen's queer attendees demonstrated that getting dressed for one of the year's biggest events is very much a team sport. Or at least a great excuse to raid your mother or grandmother's wardrobe.
