From the moment I stepped onto the tarmac at Copenhagen Airport, I was inundated with sartorial proof that the Scandi style set wasn’t averse to leaning into Nordic trends.
Pinstripe tailoring, slouchy oversized shirting, and billowing puff-sleeved structured tops layered over trousers and paired with black boots proliferated the front rows and saturated the streets. It wasn’t a trope, Scandi style was as every bit prolific as street-style galleries would have you believe.
But, where do you turn to when this maximalist and ultra-feminine silhouette isn’t for you? You look to the edgy, androgynous and street-style-influenced Stamm.
Founded in 2022 by Elisabet Stamm, the conceptually art-driven fashion house has committed to disrupting the status quo with athleisure-adjacent designs underpinned by a mix of references; 90s Brit-core, rave-wear and maximalist utilitarianism.
Functional, yet rooted in exceptionally edgy graphics, inflated silhouettes and a high-octane colour palette, Stamm’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection certainly made it clear that not only does the brand have skin in the game, but their designs are ripe for sinking your teeth into.
As someone who leans into the former Scandi style, I felt like a slight interloper upon arriving at Stamm’s show venue, a sports hall, in Frederiksberg. Nylon track pants, black hoodies, balaclavas and Nike’s latest collaboration with London-based designer Martine Rose were the uniform for the front row.
A$AP Rocky’s “D.M.B (That’s My B*tch)” and “F*cking Problems” was the swag-dripped soundtrack—DJed by French hip hop producer Princ€—drawing guests to their seats like a siren to a sailor.
The hypersonic energy continued from the moment the first model stepped onto the Basketball court runway to the last moment as Scandinavian-Syrian “badass rapper” (as the brand called her) Silvana Imam interrupted the proceedings with a live performance of her new single.
Throughout the 28-piece collection, which included an acidic, graffiti-print two-piece set worn by Imam, a sense of innate individualism and youth-filled illustrations took this collection from a melange of outwear to a ‘must have’ street style pieces.
The setting lent into the energy of the collection, which could only be described as a CPHFW take on a warehouse rave. Trippy patterns and neon hues found gave way to an almost 80s spin on athletic staples like an oversized windbreaker and velour track pants.
Gaudy high-octane chartreuse shirts were emblazoned with the phrase ‘Yes, To Everything’, perhaps referencing Wham’s iconic ‘Choose Life’ t-shirts.
Chains were layered on some models, with the chosen accessory being a netted sports bag filled with two soccer balls, highlighting Stamm’s very tapped-in knowledge of the subculture of the rap and hip-hop-obsessed Scandinavian streetwear crowd.
Perhaps even more Berlin-influenced than Copenhagen-esque, this collection was for those whose idea of a good time is being behind DJ decks, listening to back-to-back techno and rap sets until the layers of sportswear come off and they’re left dripping wearing nothing but a single sports bra.
The beauty looks from the show emphasised this frenetic energy, with models doused in a sparkling silver powder that simulated the glowing complexion of hot, sweaty club dancers (and may have even contended with the lustre of my own silver Pandora studded charm bracelet adorning my wrist).
Something I’ve gleaned from my time in Copenhagen is that the city likes to move at a leisurely speed. But for those who want to go turbo, and embrace the frenetic, fast-paced elements of European living (a lifestyle Denmark is certainly not synonymous with), look to Stamm for your urban outfitting.
