Stockholm Fashion Week is making a highly anticipated return this June after a six-year break, with the event taking place from June 2 to June 5. The relaunch is supported by the Swedish government, a significant development for the event. In 2019, the Swedish Fashion Council, the previous organizer, shocked the industry by announcing the cancellation of the event just two months before it was due to take place. The reason given was a need to reevaluate the purpose of the fashion week and make it more environmentally friendly. Since then, the fashion week has seen smaller iterations, including digital versions during 2020 and 2021. The event was reintroduced in 2022 as a hybrid format, featuring a mix of physical and online elements, but it was a relatively low-key affair with limited live shows and studio visits.
Now, under the new leadership of the Association of Swedish Fashion Brands (ASFB), Stockholm Fashion Week is being fully rebooted. This year, the goal is to provide local fashion designers with a platform to reach international buyers and editors. In a historic move, the Swedish government is backing the event through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, although the exact amount of funding has not been disclosed. The event will focus on attracting international visitors, with participating brands curating guest lists, and organizations like the Swedish Institute and Business Sweden facilitating a program for buyers. The Patriksson Group will handle the press relations. The official schedule and list of brands will be announced shortly.
ASFB is also launching an exciting new initiative called STHLMFW Front, which will support emerging designers and offer them the opportunity to showcase their work at Stockholm Fashion Week. This will further broaden the scope of the event and provide fresh talent with exposure to a global audience.
The relaunch of Stockholm Fashion Week comes at a time when Swedish brands are looking to expand their reach beyond the local market. Despite the presence of other fashion weeks in cities like Copenhagen, Paris, and London, the Swedish market is relatively small, making international exposure essential for many brands. ASFB, which represents about 50 members, notes that there simply aren’t enough slots in other major fashion weeks for all of them to gain visibility. Stockholm Fashion Week provides an important opportunity for these designers to showcase their work on home turf.
While collaboration between Scandinavian fashion weeks has been discussed in the past, the organizers emphasize the importance of maintaining individual platforms for each country. Sweden, Denmark, and other Nordic countries all have thriving fashion industries, and each has a unique set of brands that deserve their own spotlight. There is no animosity between the nations, but the competition is healthy, with each looking out for its own economic interests. Having individual platforms allows these brands to be seen and recognized on the global stage.
Sustainability remains a key focus for Stockholm Fashion Week, with Swedish brands already deeply ingrained in eco-friendly practices. The organizers see sustainability as a “hygiene factor,” something that is intrinsic to Swedish fashion and no longer needs to be heavily emphasized. The event aims to exemplify this through its programs, such as Swedish Threads, which brings together design, sustainability, and economics students to create solutions for fashion’s sustainability challenges. Rather than enforcing strict sustainability requirements like other fashion weeks, Stockholm Fashion Week takes a more organic approach, encouraging long-term, business-wide change.
Looking ahead, the vision for Stockholm Fashion Week is to continue producing an event that meets international expectations while staying true to Swedish fashion’s unique identity. The changes being implemented are necessary to ensure that Swedish fashion stays relevant on the global stage, and the event’s relaunch is seen as an essential step in the industry’s growth.
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