Image Credit: Vogue
Photographer: James Cochrane

Winner of the Zalando Visionary Award 2024, Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer, turned up expectations of what progressive fashion looks look—making her debut at with a coveted guest spot at Copenhagen Fashion Week with her eponymous brand’s spring/summer ’25 collection entitled ‘Everything Opens To Touch’.

O’Dwyer, an up-and-coming name in the industry has been supported by the British Fashion Council’s NewGen initiative for the past three years, and she explains how the timing of this show was fortuitous. “This is exactly the support I need,” she said in a preview. It makes sense due to the specific financial challenges of her design process, which involves creating garments using multiple fit models of various sizes, instead of the one traditional sample size, valuing and celebrating inclusive sizing. For this show, she utilized 3D scan-sculptures of Sinéad’s early works and forms by artist Jade O’Belle, further emphasizing the label’s ethos of celebrating all bodies and feminine expression.

The brand’s unwavering dedication to inclusivity was also evident in the diverse casting – a given for the label – and the SS25 spectacle. For the second time, the brand collaborated with the Hair and Care Foundation to offer an experience during the show for blind and partially sighted people, this time through immersive audio descriptions and the distribution of fabric swatches that guests could touch throughout the show. Hair and Care also championed the inclusion of a blind model and presenter, Lucy Edwards to walk the runway with her guide dog — a first for CPHFW.

Staged in Copenhagen’s scenic Opera Parken, O’Dwyer’s sensual universe was framed by lush greenery as models sauntered through swirling pathways accompanied by otherworldly soundscapes by Witchtrials alongside his sister Cosha reading a poem by London-based author Anastasiia Fedorova. This sound element further immerses us in the inclusive world of the designer, who’s muses, models and collaborators included this season’s Alva Claire and musician Mahalia.

The SS25 line-up zeroes in on the brand’s signature form-flaunting silhouettes, with standout second-skin pieces showcasing O’Dwyer’s intricate latticework – a hallmark of her designs. Flouncy frocks, micro-mini hemlines, keyhole cutouts, and ultra-high slits populate the sultry yet refined collection. Elsewhere, sculpted denim pieces in rich indigo beautifully accentuate the wearer’s contours, while pops of zingy chartreuse add a refreshing twist to the palette of khakis and luxe browns.

While some models emerged barefoot, others sported chunky thong sandals and strappy bubble-soled ballerina-sneaker hybrids. The brand collaborated with Grounds Footwear to create a new version of its bubble-soled shoes, with lace-up uppers inspired by Irish dancing shoes, and a thong-style sandal. Savage X Fenty helps bring runway looks to life by providing lace underwear, which can be seen under layers of denim and fine wool. Ecco provides bags that O’Dwyer customises with his signature “Squiggle” stretch nylon.