Han Kjøbenhavn was founded in 2008 in Copenhagen by Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen and remains the city’s most distinct alternative fashion voice. The Danish fashion house is embracing the dark side.
Han Kjøbenhavn has been known for its uncompromising creativity. The vision is to create innovative and spectacular designs that eliminate distance and become emotionally inclusive to people. The brand launched as an eyewear line and then expanded into apparel. The company’s first flagship store is located on Pilestræde 30 in central Copenhagen.
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The roots of the brand are based in Danish design culture; after all, the name Kjøbenhavn is derived from Copenhagen. The brand aims to break free from the comfortably middle-class image in Denmark’s cultural discourse and reveal aspects of life in the Nordic nation that are seldom seen. Creativity, storytelling, and craftsmanship are the foundation of Han Kjøbenhavn, as Jannik aims to transport people through all their senses, senses that are heightened by his pieces.
Today, Han Kjøbenhavn offers a comprehensive range of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear clothing, as well as accessories, where the language and forms are sculptural, empowering the human form.
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The company’s AW12 fashion film received a Bronze Lion for its “AW Collection 2012” film at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In 2013, Han Kjøbenhavn was included on Complex’s list of the 15 best Scandinavian menswear brands. In 2014, GQ listed Han Kjøbenhavn as one of eight must-know Scandinavian menswear brands. In 2022, Kjøbenhavn designed Julia Fox‘s Oscar ceremony dress, a black leather cocktail dress with a collar resembling a large hand choking her neck.
“For me, the important thing is not that I am based in Copenhagen because Copenhagen or Denmark in general is not my only focus. I look worldwide while designing a collection. For me, my collections are a feeling that I want people to experience. No matter where they live,” says Jannik.
Danish Fashion House Embracing the Dark Side, reported by Tor Kjolberg
All images (Except Julia Fox) by Metal Magazine