The show went on at Wood Wood

Wood Wood, Wednesday 9. August 2023 at 17.00, Larsbjørnsstræde 3, 1454 Copenhagen K

A prevailing brand on the Danish fashion scene for the last two decades, Wood Wood has made headlines this year – but for largely the wrong reasons. With industry talk of financial issues and unpaid invoices, many questioned whether the brand would produce a show this season. But as the old adage goes, the show must go on, as the label decided to weather the storm – including the literal downpouring of rain – and stage a show in the courtyard of the head office. 

However, financial troubles are not all that’s plagued the brand in recent years. Managerial changes have seen Wood Wood in a state of flux. Its co-founder, Karl Oskar-Olsen, has moved onto pastures new while the still new design team never really have been allowed to come into fruition. Last season we saw an accomplished debut by head designers Dominic Huckbody and Cecilie Engberg: two young talents that learned the sartorial ropes at the likes of Burberry and Balenciaga, respectively. Able to craft strong aesthetic identities for both the menswear and womenswear offerings, and inject the brand with a renewed sense of purpose, their efforts seemed to have been somewhat scuppered by internal bureaucratic issues. Namely, two creative directors who were appointed earlier this year want to pivot the brand in a yet new direction.

On the one hand, the SS24 collection felt refined: rife with classic pieces that Wood Wood has honed over the years. Huckbody’s signature design is a striped shirt with a creative twist. Last season, tattoo symbols decorated his workwear; this time around, delicate floral motifs blossomed across the shirt fabric. Choker-style inserts on suit jackets were further examples of the designer’s penchant for playful corporate attire. A cracked leather jacket with a frilled hem felt like a continuation of the dialogue the duo started for AW23: an exploration of what Copenhagen’s cool kids would wear to go from day to night in the city. 

Where the womenswear pieces were concerned, there was a marked difference. Engberg had worked diligently to revamp WOOD WOOD’s denim range, producing styles in unique washes that oozed with Y2K-flavoured appeal. Sadly, there were no such pieces to counterbalance the more polished designs. Abstract prints were also the designer’s hallmark: one baroque-style dress in black and orange, complete with a string vest bodice, made the cut. Rogue styling choices aside, the collection featured well-constructed, wearable garments that reflected the pair’s inherent talent. In an interesting twist, a selection of staff members across multiple departments did the final walkout. Perhaps a concerted decision by upper management to suggest that team morality is still strong: but this time around, the collection spoke for itself.

See a selection of the show looks below and see the entire collection here. 

Forrige Næste