There was big hair energy at Nicklas Skovgaard’s sophomore show—and complementary volumes inspired by the hedonistic 1980s. The designer, who didn’t live through them himself being only 29, channeled those heady times vicariously through three muses. They are his mother Annie, who moved to London around that time to train as an aerobic instructor; filmdom’s favorite suit and sneaker-wearing go-getter, Working Girl’s Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith); and Lecia Jønsson, lead singer of the Danish pop-duo Laban.
Skovgaard’s clothes took up space, starting with the opening look, a sort of tiered bubble dress in oil-slick black. Equally dramatic, on local favorite Sixten “Siggy” Sonne, was a frock with a farthingale/life-saver skirt treatment. The inflated silhouette is very much in favor at the moment (see Rick Owens Duran Lantink) and by dropping the waist, in era-correct form, Skovgaard created a blouson effect (which is another kind of bubble) on a draped white number. Several looks featured smocked, rather than corseted, waists that worked to draw attention to wide shoulders.
There were few hard lines or Patrick Nagel angles in this collection. Instead Skovgaard applied a soft touch to handmade knits. Carrying forward the expressiveness of last season’s debut, models stopped on round sheepskin rugs placed in the center of circular placed chairs in a stone-floored church hall to do their emoting. After the show the designer’s muse Anna Ravn Lei was in high spirits, and said she’d love to take another waltz around the room.
“Baroque” was the word Skovgaard used in relation to the ruffles he used, but this collection felt more free-spirited than that. The show closed with a Liza Minelli-meets-the-Snow Queen finale that was flirtatious and a bit of a fairy tale. Ms. McGill, who memorably said, “I have a head for business and a bod for sin,” might have approved.
Skovgaard showed as part of Copenhagen Fashion Week’s New Talent program. This Dane is still doing most things by himself, and production is his next hurdle to cross, but his voice rings out with the clarity of the bells that mark the hour here. The good will around him is proof that his message was well received.
