The Ultimate Copenhagen Guide for Fashion Lovers

Looking for the ultimate fashionable trip? Forget Paris or Milan, Copenhagen is the true home of great design and chic stays. The city’s local fashion crowd frequent more than just boutiques and department stores, as Scandinavia’s fashion capital is filled with trendy spots to eat, drink, visit, and stay.

Find out what to do in Copenhagen with our itinerary for fashion lovers:

Where to shop

Where to begin. Copenhagen is home to a plethora of shops, boutiques, malls, and markets. If you’re looking for major Scandinavian brands, independent local design, or even something second hand, you’re in the right place.

Boutiques & shops

Holly Golightly is a must-visit for any fashion lover in Copenhagen. The high-concept store, owned by Barbara Maj Husted Werner, is an eclectic treasure trove filled with hand-selected items from around the world and contemporary Danish design. Stine Goya’s archive store on the lakes, Goya Gallery, sells old seasons, collection classics, unique samples, and upcycled one-offs for up to 70% off – the perfect spot for picking up something special that no one at home will have.

Left: Holly Golightly; Right: Goya Gallery

If secondhand is your kink, Copenhagen has a wealth of consignment shops with almost-new season designer pieces. Check our guide to the best secondhand and vintage shops in Copenhagen for more, but definitely don’t miss O-S-V, a mens and womenswear consignment shop with expertly curated must-have items in the city center.

If you find yourself on Gammel Kongvej, head to Mr. Larkin for a mix of resale designer pieces, independent Scandinavian brands and the store’s own namesake brand. Everything inside is seriously lust-worthy.

Down on Istedgade near Enghaveplads is //Plank, a concept store that offers a diverse selection of curated Danish and international fashion, shoes, and accessories. This trendy hotspot is a playground for unearthing Danish fashion trends and uncovering beloved brands such as Angulus, Wood Wood, Basic Apparel, Bisgaard, and Woden.
 

Left: O-S-V; Right: Mr. Larkin

Markets

The fleamarket scene in Copenhagen is a healthy one; you can expect to find the big Scandinavian names – Stine Goya, GANNI, By Malene Birger, etc – at any that you visit. For guaranteed results, however, take a short train ride out of town and spend a morning at Gentofte flea market. Here, the country’s wealthiest residents empty out their wardrobes every weekend in the summer. If you only have 24 hours in Copenhagen, try to catch Apollo bar’s flea market instead. Held in the courtyard of Kunsthal Charlottenborg, this scaled-down market is where the city’s most stylish residents come to sell (and shop).
 

Left: Gentofte Loppemarked Flea Market; Right: Apollo Bar Loppemarket Flea Market

Department stores

Illum is the city’s luxury depertment store, with floors of clothing, beauty, homeware, and food halls. It’s a great spot for soaking up all the Scandinavian brands available with everything in one place. Check our Scandiphile’s guide to shopping at Illum so you don’t miss a thing.

Just down the road you’ll also find Illum Bolig house, a luxury department store for your home. Here you’ll find an even greater range of homeware, with some major Danish design names on offer.

Above: Illum

→ Illum

Østergade 52
1100 København K

Opening hours:
Mon – Sun: 10 am – 8 pm

Homeware & design

A trip to Copenhagen wouldn’t be complete without indulging in some Danish design, and honestly, you’ll be hard-pressed to miss it. Paustian has represented iconic design since the 1960s, and its central location in an old bank is the perfect store to wander around, oohing and aahing at furniture and lighting. You can even go into the old vaults to see an infamous PH lamp in action.

Opposite Nørreport you’ll find the boutique Stilleben. It’s filled to the rafters with modern classics like bedding from Tekla, organic skincare from Nuori, and ceramics from Studio Arhoj.
 

Left: Paustian; Right: Stilleben

For contemporary design, visit Normann in Østerbro, with a color-block basement made for Instagram, or the mecca of all fashionable interiors; Hay House. The flagship store for design studio Hay, the two-storey shop in the center of Copenhagen stocks larger pieces like furniture alongside hand-luggage-friendly items of homeware.
 

Left: Normann Copenhagen Flagship Store; Right: Hay House

Where to eat

Shopping works up an appetite, but thankfully Copenhagen has some stylish spots to grab a bite at.

Sonny is a favorite among Copenhagen’s fashion crowd. It’s a day-time place that serves home-made breakfast, lunch, and healthy cakes (yes) along with specialty coffee & tea. It’s the only place to go for a tumeric latte. Atelier September is located in a former gallery in the center of Copenhagen, and the chic gallery vibes remain to this day in the back room which is often used by artists. They serve seasonal plates from morning to late afternoon.

Left: Sonny; Right: Atelier September

For dinner, head to Baka d’ Busk in the trendy neighborhood of Nørrebro for a vegetarian tasting menu and natural wine, or Corsa in Østerbro for a Neopolitan pizza and Aperol. You’ll be in fashionable company at either.

Left: Baka d´busk; Right: Corsa Pizza

Where to drink

Apollo bar provides more than a flea market, it’s also where the fashion crowd tend to drink – especially when Charlottenborg hosts its late-night viewings for a new exhibition. The drink du jour, however, must be natural wine, and nowhere does it better than Pompette – a small bar in Nørrebro with a resident Shiba Inu and its own bottle shop.
 

Left: Apollo Bar; Right: Pompette

Where to visit

There’s more to life than buying, so when the shopping fatigue sets in, it’s time to visit one of Copenhagen’s cultural institutes.

The SMK has an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art from Europe and Scandinavia. You’ll most likely recognize Carl Bloch’s 1866 painting ‘In A Roman Osteria’ which hangs in this gallery, but its ‘statue street’ may also be familiar – its high ceilings and marble walls are an intoxicating mix perfect for Instagram.
 

Above: SMK

If you can spare half a day, the Louisiana is also worth a visit. Its panoramic view of the sea and garden dotted with modern sculpture is as captivating as the exhibitions proper.

Above: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

→ SMK

Sølvgade 48-50
1307 København K

Opening hours:
Tues – Sun: 10 am – 6 pm

→ Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Gl Strandvej 13
3050 Humlebæk

Opening hours:
Tues – Fri: 11 am – 10 pm
Sat – Sun: 11 am – 6 pm

Where to stay

Your digs should be as fashionable as you, which is thankfully very possible in Copenhagen. The city has a fantastic number of boutique hotels to choose from and no end of Airbnb options. If you’ve ever been inside a Scandi apartment, you’ll know that this is as chic an option as an Indie hotel.

Villa Copenhagen acted as the central hub for Copenhagen Fashion Week SS21 and drew plenty of attention from the shows thanks to its rooftop pool and stunning architecture.

Above: Villa Copenhagen

 
The Audo is a multi-use building functioning as a boutique hotel, restaurant, café, concept store, and shared working space. It’s filled with creatives and is, needless to say, beautifully designed.

Above: The Audo

 
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