For its debut at Copenhagen Fashion Week, Danish menswear brand O. Files builds on its signature codes of Scandinavian minimalism, Italian craftsmanship, and Japanese origami
Danish menswear brand O. Files made its debut in the official Copenhagen Fashion Week calendar today, a decision founder and creative director Oscar Jardorf chalks up to “a good timing, given where I feel the brand is now.” The 20th anniversary the ‘fifth fashion week’ is celebrating this season is a welcome bonus, he adds.
While this milestone will surely draw a new crowd to the label, which was founded in Copenhagen in 2018, O. Files has been steadily building a doting community, one that today forms the core of the brand. Jardorf notes the brand’s fanbase is broad: A recent customer analysis revealed that O. Files is loved by everyone from the regular corporate guy to the die-hard fashion enthusiast.
The brand brings these findings to its CPHFW presentation, staged in the showroom of the premium Danish cocktail brand Aeris. A retro mood permeated the showcase, peppered with nostalgic, Bang & Olufsen 1990s televisions and vintage furniture. The set-up perfectly echoed the O. Files’ aesthetic: “The ‘files’ in our brand name refers to – imagine this archive box that you open, and you pull out an old archive, and you give it a new life,” Jardorf explains. “You’re doing a new iteration of something, but you still value the old tradition.”
The latest collection zeroes in on the key principles that lie at the heart of the O. Files universe: Scandinavian minimalism, Italian craftsmanship, and Japanese origami. “The past seasons have been pivotal in trying out different techniques and approaches,” Jardorf says. “[In this collection], we try to combine these three worlds and still keep the playfulness.”
The playfulness in question manifests in the origami element, which is a meticulous technique the brand has been experimenting with for a while now, fusing influences plucked from the traditional Japanese paper-folding with refined Scandinavian sensibilities. Look closely, and you’ll see it: an oversized, tailored black wool coat complete with layered, sculptural lapels, or “origami flaps”. Slouchy straight-fit jeans with delicate pleat detailing. A black, slim-fit leather jacket with a curved zipper snaking across it (O. Files uses the same Italian leather harnessed at Tom Ford). “Visiting Japan, I’ve noticed a lot of resemblance to Scandinavian culture and minimalism,” Jardorf says.
Overall, there’s a distinct sense of cool nonchalance – a covetable marriage of downtown meets country club. A range of polished essentials such as fitted blouson jackets, crisp white shirting and relaxed tailored trousers stand guaranteed to fly off the shelves. The brand’s signature workwear codes are present, too, as seen in the distressed khaki workwear jacket. Meanwhile, the raven origami coat seals in a slice of fashion history, crafted from virgin wool twill once used by Armani in the 1980s.
See the full O. Files AW26 collection below.
