As far as most Fashion Weeks go, a 10:30 p.m. start time—really about 11:00 p.m.—is pretty outrageous. However, once everyone arrived at Henrik Vibskov’s venue in a charming outdoor courtyard adjacent to one of Copenhagen’s canals, his start time began to make some sense. According to the very detailed show notes that rested on seats, each accompanied by a bottle of beer, Vibskov’s Spring 2018 collection was all about sleeping. Last season, the performers in his show began by lying on the ground, and one of them accidentally took a nap. That one started pretty late, too, so it was understandable. Vibskov took the “oops” moment and turned it into an entire collection that explored modes of sleep, means of sleep, and, of course, dreams.
There is in fact always a dreamlike quality to Vibskov’s provocative clothing, but as his Spring line highlighted, he’s adept at bridging his artfulness with practicality. Some of the most interesting looks this season were those that took traditional pajama dressing and added beautiful abstract prints or played around with sleeve lengths and placement. A few of the models wore leather backpacks decorated with what appeared to be a setting sun symbol. Others also had under-eye depuff patches on their tired-looking faces and Teva sandals with socks on their feet. Aside from the cool pj’s, many of the best pieces came by way of boxy shirtdresses in black gingham and red stripes, as well as the lightweight intarsia knits that had pop thanks to cute abstract florals and a print that almost looked like a yin and yang symbol. Vibskov’s latest collection may have been more wearable and relatable than usual, but the signature quirk was there in spades.
The designer’s sleepwalking gang looked too cool to go straight to bed. After all, it was getting closer and closer to midnight and there was more beer to be had. But whether or not most people retired to their snoozing or stayed up late didn’t matter. The clothes were still in our brains, both the practical and the not-so-practical pieces.
