The bi-annual Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) — one of Europe’s longest-running and most established trade shows — is broadening its offer and programming for brands and retailers alike. Celebrating its 64th edition in January 2025, the next iteration is due to welcome 1200 brands to its exhibition space, which is spread over 34,000 square metres.
CIFF has grown from a regional trade show when it opened in 1993, to a global fashion buying destination — previous editions attracted 17,800 visitors over the three days. On schedule at the trade fair are brand showcases, interactive installations, retail integrations and live performances. CIFF is also extending its offering outside of the event itself, with a host of activations intended to amplify the brand messaging of the independent brands on display and continue their momentum between trade shows.
To support brands outside of the fair, CIFF announced the launch of CIFF Media — a holistic media platform which will provide emerging and established fashion labels with a means of amplifying and communicating their brand identity to retailers outside of their stands and lookbooks. With an in-house TV and podcast studio alongside social media activations and support from communications specialists, brands will be afforded the opportunity to deep-dive into their brand messaging in a way independent brand budgets would typically not enable in the current economic climate.
Brand marketing has emerged in 2024 as a key priority for fashion executives and their marketing spend: 71 percent of executives planned to increase brand marketing spend compared to 46 percent intending to do the same for performance marketing, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2024 Executive Survey.
Notably, 69 percent of Gen-Z and 77 percent of teen shoppers agree with the statement that what they are wearing says something about them, according to a 2024 study by market research consultancy Ipsos, meaning that younger consumers increasingly want to identify with the brands they wear — thus, communicating a brand message effectively is crucial.
Meanwhile, to extend its global reach, CIFF is fostering partnerships with other global trade and non-profit organisations, such as Pitti Uomo and Camera Nazionale della Moda. It has also recently announced new partnerships with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in New York and sports trade show ISPO Munich.
To learn more about CIFF’s new offerings for exhibiting brands and attending retailers, and what brands can learn from CIFF’s amplification techniques, BoF sat down with the trade show’s director, Sofie Dolva, to unpack their strategy.
What are CIFF’s priorities for 2025?
To continue strengthening CIFF as a global buying destination while simultaneously building year-round opportunities for brands. We aim to provide a seamless blend of physical and digital touchpoints, including more interactive activations, strategic partnerships with global organisations, and enhanced tools for storytelling.
We want to keep offering a support system through CIFF Media and through our public relations team. It’s becoming more and more important for us to build bridges with different countries that represent significant markets through key partners like the CFDA and ISPO. The more you collaborate, the better the outcome. I think in the current market situation, we cannot hold our cards close to our chest. We need to collaborate to help independent brands, because they are the core of our business.
What is CIFF Media, and how can it support independent brands?
CIFF Media is a new initiative that combines podcasts, video content, and editorial storytelling to help brands articulate and amplify their narratives. While it’s particularly beneficial for emerging brands looking to gain visibility, CIFF Media is equally valuable for established brands aiming to engage buyers and audiences on a deeper level, given how difficult it can be to gain visibility in a saturated market. By giving brands a platform to showcase their values, design processes, and future aspirations, we help them connect with their target audience in a more meaningful and engaged way.
In the current market situation, we cannot hold our cards close to our chest. We need to collaborate to help independent brands, because they are the core of our business.
It will ensure that the momentum of the trade shows continues throughout the year. Through regular digital content, brands can stay connected with buyers, press, and their target audiences even between events. Our content is also crafted to be shareable across platforms, enabling brands to leverage their participation at CIFF as an ongoing marketing asset.
How did CIFF Media come about?
The launch of CIFF Media was based on feedback from the last couple of seasons from both buyers and brands. For international brands entering the Nordic market, it’s a challenge for them to meet all the new retailers and make an impression. It’s not enough just to have a great collection during the three days of the fair, and especially in the current market — retailers also need some assurance of the stability of the company and its market share.
From the buyers, we also received the feedback that they often waste time with the wrong brands — either because they’re not ready to enter the market or it simply doesn’t fit with that retailer. The whole idea behind CIFF Media is to sit down with the brands and become more of a strategic business partner. So now we actually plan a year ahead with them and look at — what are your KPIs? Is it about increasing your brand awareness or reaching a particular market? Do you want to reach different retailers? And, with all of that in mind — what is your one-pager?
How can CIFF Media support relationships between buyers and brands?
Through CIFF Media, we want to give the brands a personality and a face. And one goal is to have a person that is linked to the brand because our industry loves when brand storytelling gets a bit more personal and visual. Then we have that person talk about the brand identity, the stories, all mixed with imagery or brand videos or footage from a recent show. The idea is to offer an understanding of what the brand is about. But there’s also an opportunity to get some fundamental facts about the business out there. For instance, if it’s an international brand entering the Nordics, what is your market share in your native market? What are the core strengths of the brand? What is the plan with your marketing initiatives?
It’s about offering these designers a platform to meet the right people, but also to offer an environment where they form new bonds and a sense of community with other brands.
CIFF Media is also about providing a format that is more educational. Previously we have hosted talks and panel discussions throughout the three days of the trade fair, but we found that, during those few days and Fashion Week, people are so busy and they need time to focus on doing business, or attending shows. So the aim is to provide a format which is easier to digest, with insightful snippets — something that can be listened to in the car or on a lunch break.
Something else we do is offer a small recap of the brands attending, to fit the right retailer with the right brand. The retailers will receive a small video lookbook of the brands that we find interesting for them and then of course, they can see the full video online and it’s something we can share throughout the year.
What do the new partnerships with CFDA and ISPO Munich signify for CIFF?
It’s important for us to collaborate with different markets, because it creates a synergy where we can really help each other. Our partnership with ISPO Munich reflects our commitment to expanding into adjacent sectors like sportswear and outdoor fashion, which are seeing rapid growth. Germany is a huge market, but through ISPO’s network and traffic, our Scandinavian brands can have a larger reach there. We will also host several of the ISPO brands at our space in Copenhagen to connect them with retailers that are more fashion-focused rather than sports-focused.
The American market is vital for a lot of brands and will likely be even tougher to navigate in the future. So to have a partnership with the CFDA gives us an opportunity to take Nordic brands to New York and showcase them at the Powered by Plus Plus Showroom in February. We handpick those designers that are already established in their home countries who are ready to enter the American market and power their growth. And then we pair them up with like-minded American brands through the CFDA.
By joining forces with a key partner, which has a strong network in the country, we invite press, tastemakers and retailers and introduce them to the brands. It’s about offering these designers a platform to meet the right people, but also to offer an environment where they form new bonds and a sense of community with other brands.
