What being "worth it" looks like at Copenhagen Fashion Week AW26

Over the past three years, L’Oréal Paris has become a distinctly Scandinavian fixture at Copenhagen Fashion Week. In partnership with Vogue Scandinavia, the French heritage brand now opens the autumn and winter season, kicking off what the industry has come to call the “fifth fashion week”. A Sunday night gathering that signals the start of a long, cold, and tightly scheduled week of runway shows and sub-zero street style.

This year, the celebration drew a well-dressed crowd, among them Emili Sindlev and Desiré Inglander, to a transformed Nikolaj Kunsthal in central Copenhagen. The former church-turned-art-gallery was awash with purple for the evening, housing installations that offered artistic interpretations of hyaluronic acid and collagen bonds. The space doubled as a backdrop for a lineup of new launches focused on fast, visible results: TikTok-trending glass-skin masks and creams; a five-second root-lift spray; a mascara aiming for unapologetic length.

But the evening wasn’t only about quick fixes and before-and-after thinking. On stage, the focus shifted to more lasting impact. L’Oréal Paris Nordic Brand Director Johanna Kontkanen opened the programme with a personal reflection on her mother’s love of the brand’s lipsticks and how it helped her realise the value of "I'm worth it". Copenhagen Fashion Week CEO Cecilie Thorsmark spoke about the program's growing reach and the weight it now carries beyond the runway schedule – empowering women everywhere through fashion. Vogue Scandinavia editor-in-chief Martina Bonnier followed, noting the mantra “because you’re worth it” has been part of the brand’s vocabulary since 1971.

The real pull of the evening, however, came from the keynote speakers.

Finnish investor Pauliina Martikainen-Rahnu opened the keynote programme, speaking candidly about building conviction in industries historically shaped by – and for – men. Momentum then shifted as Danish breakout musician Anna Frank took the stage. The 25-year-old singer spoke about shaping her career from a home studio, finding an audience through social platforms before the industry caught up, then seamlessly transitioned into a spellbinding live performance.

Selma Li closed the programme on a powerful note. A multiple World and European Taekwondo Champion and professional firefighter, she spoke about rebuilding her body and strength from zero following life-threatening surgery in 2022. Competing, she reminded the audience, isn’t only about medals, but about challenging yourself to keep going when stopping would be easier. As conversations spilled back into the gallery space, guests were met with dessert by Klara’s Table, crafted by Copenhagen-based chef Klara Jespersen.

The evening's speakers had traced very different paths, but the thread connecting them was unmistakable: trusting your instincts in rooms not built for you, putting work into the world on your own terms, and rebuilding when quitting feels like the simpler option. By the time the evening drew to a close, that indelible line hardly needed repeating: "Because you’re worth it."