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| Backstage before the Rolf Ekroth SS26 show, models wear the designer's signature, padded vest with tulips in vivid hues of fuchsia. Photograph and cover picture by Andrea Heinsohn for DAM |
Copenhagen Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2026 schedule brought together a broad range of visions, but Finnish designer Rolf Ekroth’s 189 Days Later – Encore stood out for its measured blend of conceptual depth and wearable execution, writes Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Backstage and runway photography by Andrea Heinsohn
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Rolf Ekoth's show was held in a woodland, which enhanced the otherworldly aesthetic. |
Core influences ranged from Nineties British street style to the cinematic tension of horror film soundtracks, with nods to The Sopranos and the designer’s own methodical working process. Utilitarian outerwear, detailed handwork, and inventive upcycling anchored the line-up, offering a balance between function and craft.
The collection’s technical execution was equally notable, with Japanese nylon, coated cotton, and repurposed vintage denim transformed into silhouettes that alternated between structured and fluid. Highlights included hand-sewn pearl garments, padded shirts with sportswear references, and the return of the brand’s signature rescue vest in newly sculpted forms.A
collaboration with Finland’s Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto gave discarded textiles
a second life, turning waste into runway material. Prints by long-time
collaborator Matilda Diletta introduced bold fuchsia tulips and abstract
flames, contrasting with muted greys, blues, and bursts of emergency orange.
Whether through laser-cut breathing holes, 1,000-pin flame motifs, or 15,000
pearls applied by hand, the detail work reinforced the season’s message:
progress comes through precise, deliberate design. In this forest setting, Ekroth delivered a confident evolution of his ideas that pushed his vision forward without
abandoning the foundations of his work.
See all the highlights below from backstage and the runway of Rolf Ekroth's SS26 show
