Scandis, sustainability and a gnarly guitar solo: The 6 key takeaways from Amsterdam Fashion Week 2025

There’s something brewing in Amsterdam and we’re not talking about the Heineken. The 2025 edition of Amsterdam Fashion Week, which closed out yesterday, had a greater international presence than ever before, with press, influencers and designers traveling by plane and Eurostar to take in the scene in the Dutch capital. Scandinavia was particularly well-represented, thanks in large part to a new partnership between AFW and Copenhagen Fashion Week (more on that later) and London-based Swede Ida Petersson, an industry powerhouse (these days she runs the creative and strategy agency GoodEggs) who sits on AFW’s advisory board (a champion of Scandinavian fashion, she’s also sits on the boards of Filippa K, Stine Goya and Louis Abel).

Related: The 5 key takeaways from Oslo Runway 2025

While the week’s runway shows proved there is plenty of emerging and established talent in Amsterdam (particularly in the streetwear scene – brands like Filling Pieces and Daily Paper put their city on the map years ago), it was the events and presentations that took centre stage. At intimate dinners, raucous afterparties and even on a farm, Amsterdam’s laid-back attitude and appetite for collaboration could truly shine.

Find below the unmissable moments from AFW 2025 – a fashion week Scandinavians are certainly taking to.

In April, Amsterdam Fashion Week and Copenhagen Fashion Week announced a new partnership in which the former will implement the latter’s established sustainability requirements for its participating brands. AFW 2025 marked a pilot phase, in which CPHFW’s minimum standards of sustainability would begin to be rolled out. The aim is that by 2026, all brands participating in AFW will meet these minimum sustainability standards.

To mark the partnership, CPHFW served as co-host for the programme’s kick-off dinner (which was MC’d by Google Pixel’s AI). The following morning, CPHFW CEO Cecilie Thorsmark and AMF CEO Danie Bles held a talk at the fashion week’s official hub at which they discussed their partnership and the importance of formally implementing sustainability requirements within our industry. The link-up is a rare example of two seemingly desperate fashion weeks coming together for the greater good. We love to see it.

Buzzy knitwear brand B.B. Wallace, the latest venture from Marni creative director Meryll Rogge and knit designer Sarah Allsop, brought a handful of guests to a farm on a rainy morning to mark its launch. After enjoying a cosy breakfast and touching those delicious knits, these city folk put on hairnets and boots to greet the animals and learn about cheesemaking. A tangible look at craft and sustainability that was very much in keeping with the brand’s made-to-last ethos.

Leave it to Rotate to throw the most raucous party of the week. Founders Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimars swanned into town in their decadent faux furs to show the Dutch how the Danes do it, taking over Shu – the hottest cocktail bar in town, natch – and packing it to capacity with It girls decked out in Rotate party looks. Naturally the drinks were flowing (“The spicy margarita won my vote,” notes Peterson) and the dance floor was a total vibe. Afterwards, a handful of guests headed back to Madsen and Valdimar’s suite at De L’Europe for a pizza afterparty.

It’s hard to believe Bibi van der Velden didn’t already have an Amsterdam flagship, but on Wednesday, the beloved Dutch fine jewellery designer opened the doors to her very first standalone retail space. Located on an attractive strip of Van Baerlestraat, the space is a portal into van der Velden’s fantastical universe, with a winged alligator statue sitting proudly in the storefront window, plush couches in rich jewel tones and a hidden cabinet of curiosities in the back. Naturally all of Amsterdam’s fashion power players turned up to toast the designer and nibble on delicate passed snacks, leaving with a miniature alligator sculpture and a live-drawn portrait of themselves. Bravo, Bibi!

Luxury stone suppliers Solid Nature and Dutch bag brand Wandler were the surprise linkup of the season, crafting a series of stone pieces that pair perfectly with Wandler’s beloved leather goods. Yes, the candleholders and bookends are lovely, but the standout is those peanut-shaped floating shelves. Crafted in a candy-coloured array of stones – onyx, marble and travertine, to name a few – the shelves are the perfect size to hold a Wandler bag... or a small dog.

One brand that won’t have any issue adhering to the new sustainability standards is Atelier Reservé. The local streetwear brand has been working with upcycling since the jump and the latest collection, which presented on the last day of AFW with the support of German eyewear brand Cazal, was no exception. It was a real community vibe, with the front row decked out in their favourite Atelier Reservé pieces, mirroring the relaxed bombers and workwear shorts and sculptural upcycled denim that came down to runway. But the piece de resistance was a killer guitar solo by musician Wesley Nuis. Rock on, Amsterdam!