Nicklas Skovgaard dazzles with a melodramatic performance as enthralling as the clothes and designer himself
Safe to say, Copenhagen Fashion Week hasn't seen a showcase quite like this before. Stepping out in front of black tarp curtains is Dutch performance artist Britt Liberg, holding court in the small theatrette - transfixing the audience for every moment of the 12-minute performance.
28-year-old Danish designer Nicklas Skovgaard refers to his work as "baroque'n'roll", and the spring/summer '24 showcase is nothing short of that descriptor. With the feverish cadences of a live harpsichord in the background, Liberg moves melodramatically between frozen mannequins, donning 10 of Skovgaard's ensembles – with her states of undress as powerful as the looks themselves.
A nominee for the Wessel & Vett Award in 2022, Skovgaard is a designer with a fever dream of eclectic references across his mood board. This season, the details and silhouettes that are emerging as his signatures are there: dropped waists, long lines accentuated with corsetry, fantastical elements plucked deep from centuries-old archives in an approach that's almost reminiscent of Alexander McQueen: a feathered parasol here, a 1700s style tricorne hat there.
“For me, when I design now, it’s not really about the clothes; it is really about me creating this sort of dream," he says to Vogue Scandinavia. "It goes beyond just the clothes."
Discover the full Nicklas Skovgaard SS24 collection below:
Nicklas Skovgaard - SS24
