If there really is a secret to living life well, chances are it was cooked up in Denmark. Not only does the country have a low crime rate, little corruption, and a 34-day vacation policy, but it has also been repeatedly named one of the happiest countries in the world by the United Nation’s World Happiness Report and consistently ranks as one of the best places to live. Yes, the Danes really have it all figured out—including how they dress, a fact that is in clear evidence during Copenhagen Fashion Week, now underway. To celebrate the debut of the new collections, we chatted with one of the chicest ladies in all the land, Cecilie Thorsmark, head of press and communication at the Danish Fashion Institute. Here, she tells us what she wears to work—and breaks down the look of Danish street style.

Starting Out in Fashion

I come from a family of ballet dancers, architects, fashion and furniture designers, so I guess my love for aesthetics isn’t so farfetched and is probably in the genes. Already as a kid trying on my grandmother’s beautiful shoe collection and being presented with her newest designs (usually really big colorful tunics), I knew I wanted to work in fashion. My path initially led me in a more academic direction, so I ended up in business school, but the corporate business world never appealed to me. I decided instead to start writing all my assignments and projects within the field of fashion—sort of shaping my own education; I wrote my master thesis about Copenhagen Fashion Week, actually. I interviewed a bunch of people and among these were the CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week and Danish Fashion Institute Eva Kruse. She has now been my boss for the past five and a half years.

mermaid prom dresses

At the Office

Being at work is like being with my second family. I love the place, the people, and everything that we work on. It never gets boring although we are glued to our laptops all day long, if not in meetings (visitors to the office actually often get surprised to discover that there are no racks or piles of clothing in our workplace!). I leave work between four and six to spend time with my family, but you’ll typically see me take out my laptop again at night, unless I find the time to go out for a glass of Aperol spritz with a friend or a dinner with my boyfriend—luckily he has a restaurant just around the corner, so there’s never an excuse not to take a break from the family and work routines.

But Can You Wear it on a Bike?

I bike to and from work (like basically any other Copenhagener), so my outfits are always quite convenient and quite relaxed. Jeans in all shapes (most from Acne Studios), and for the moment, mom jeans are a favorite. These are typically paired with a simple shirt. Shirts dominate my wardrobe: denim shirts, cotton shirts, striped shirts. I prefer loose, menswear-inspired shirts from brands like Wood Wood and Bruuns Bazaar, or often just plain men’s shirts—the Danish menswear brand Soulland is a favorite.

I’ll usually mix this with some feminine items like my vintage Hermès tailored jacket, gold jewelry by Sophie Bille Brahe and Trine Tuxen, or my Céline T-bar pumps, so it doesn’t become too slouchy. Usually though, I’m in black flats. I tend to choose between three at the moment—a pair of Acne Studios brogues, Saint Laurent patent creepers, and Proenza Schouler creepers (which are not entirely black though, but black-and-white crisscross). Flats are so convenient and such a good way to dress down an outfit in an elegant and cool way. I’m addicted!

high low prom dresses

As for my go-to work bag, my boyfriend gave me a two-tone camel-navy Céline tote for Christmas a couple of years back. But it’s a timeless classic, so it’s still a favorite for work, although I think a shop assistant would probably throw a fit at me if they knew how I treated it. I throw it recklessly into my bicycle basket, so it has gotten some scratches, and I also tend to stubbornly stuff everything into it, including my laptop—which is definitely not good for the delicate lambskin straps.

Off-Duty Style Means Danish Designers

My style on the weekend doesn’t differ much from what I wear at the office. It’s always simple, often monochrome and menswear-inspired with a little touch of femininity. And it’s predominantly Danish (probably a natural effect of working at the Danish Fashion Institute). I think Danish fashion is becoming more and more simple, minimalistic, and streamlined—just like that furniture design that we’ve been famous for since the fifties, e.g., Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm. Many contemporary brands like Wood Wood and Soulland as well as women’s designers like Ganni or Baum und Pferdgarten are wearable and functional, and imminently cool and chic.

I think there’s probably a little more conformity in Danish fashion than on the New York fashion scene, which I find more multifaceted. Of course we have brands like Stine Goya, Saks Potts, and Henrik Vibskov who are more colorful and playful (and very successful) as well as avant-garde brands like Barbara í Gongini. You obviously also see these in the streets of Copenhagen, but I still find New York to be a lot more diverse.

Dressing for Copenhagen Fashion Week

For Fashion Week, I like to wear clothing from some of the talented and up-and-coming Danish designers like Mark Kenly Domino Tan and Freya Dalsjø. While being quite simple in their expression, what makes them stand out is their uncompromising approach to fashion in regards to sculptural tailoring, bold silhouettes, and color scales as well as excellent craftsmanship. You could say that they do wearable couture, so although they might not be my go-to office outfits, they are definitely some of my preferred fashion event designers.

Although I certainly do dress up for Fashion Week, I could never imagine wearing something that’s not coherent with my everyday style. I respect people who go crazy for Fashion Week, but I could never be one of them.

After-Hours

I seldom go the dress or skirt route, unless it’s a red-carpet event. I’m never girly and I only rarely do skirts or dresses. I think I have a fear of becoming too ladylike! My overall appearance (my walk, my gestures, my face, and so on) are quite feminine, so I think I’m—subconsciously and consciously—very focused on a contrary styling. I tend to automatically reject colors, pretty prints, florals and even lightweight materials like silk because “it’s too feminine.” And then I’ll see it on someone else and it looks great, and I’ll curse myself for not bending my style a bit more.

At the last cocktail party I attended, I went for an all-black look with a low-cut jumpsuit from the Danish brand Lovechild 1979, my black Céline T-bar pumps, and a black Proenza Schouler clutch. For outerwear I slung over an oversize, lightweight coat from Acne Studios. To break up the black look with something more eye-catching, I wore a chunky gold choker and a matching bracelet by the amazing jeweler Orit Elhanati who makes little pieces of art.

There’s not much of a difference in my wardrobe from day to night. People in Copenhagen are quite relaxed and don’t dress up unless it’s a really big event. The only thing I probably change is my bag. I leave my tote at work, and instead I bring along my Comme des Garçons clutch or my monogrammed Saint Laurent shoulder bag.

Dressing Mantra

My style philosophy is all about looking effortless (although it can secretly take a little effort!). And I adhere to the classic quote from Coco Chanel: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Very cliché, yes, but very useful.