The one from Copenhagen the creative universe begins with emotion. Designer Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen he operates from memory, instinct and the atmosphere of the environments that shaped him. In a fashion landscape dominated by speed and systems, his process follows a more intuitive path, driven by mood and lived experience. Another day he returns to the suburbs of his upbringing. the routines, textures and quiet tensions that shaped his early sense of identity. The silhouettes grow out of fragments, shaped by the way memory warps and drifts, arriving as a sensation before taking form.
In this conversation with DSCENE magazine Katarina DoricJannik talks about masculinity as an environment, the cast driven by the energy and emotional charge behind materials often labeled as ‘artificial’. He reflects on his instinct, risk, and discipline to stay aligned with his inner state instead of outer expectations. Throughout fashion, film and design, the world he builds expands through curiosity and discomfort, shaped by the need to create from what feels real in the moment.
Where do you see the greatest potential for disruption in fashion today? – An obvious answer is technology integration and supply chain, these areas are progressing extremely well and there are many incredible opportunities in this. But for me personally, the real disruption has to come from the emotions and the journey of creating a story based on those emotions and then connecting it to an audience in a unique way – that’s my true romantic belief in how this industry should work and progress. Fashion has become very systematic, driven by strategies and financial perfection. I come from a place where creativity is rooted in deep emotion. When a garment carries an emotion, a certain memory, it naturally disrupts the noise around it.
When a garment carries an emotion, a certain memory, it naturally disrupts the noise around it.
Your shows often feel closer to psychological cinema than the catwalk. What do you hope viewers feel when they enter your universe? – I want people to feel something familiar, but in a new way. Even a small change in everyday life can create emotions. When the audience and the garment connect on a personal level, the experience becomes more than a performance. If they leave with a feeling they can’t fully explain, but know it was real – then I’ve achieved my goal.
With Another Day, you focus on the rituals of suburban life. How do these repetitions and small dramas relate to your ongoing interest in tension and distortion? – Suburbs are built on routine. Same parts, same textures, same characters. But within that simplicity, there is energy – ambition, fear, humor, frustration. I try to capture that tension. The familiar elements of my upbringing are still there, but slightly altered, strained or distorted. That’s where my creativity lives.
Everything should be natural and real. I do not construct or design a fictional narrative.
You have described your work as autobiographical. Does the disorder come naturally from revisiting your past, or is it something you actively design into your collections? – Everything must be natural and real. I do not construct or design a fictional narrative. I can’t protect the trip that way. My past is not a linear narrative. They are fragments, moods and emotions. When I work from memory, it doesn’t come back as a pure structure – it comes back as a feeling. I translate it directly into silhouettes and materials. Disruption is not the intention. it’s just the truth about how I remember it.
Masculinity is a recurring theme in your design language. How does your vision of masculinity evolve with each chapter and where does Another Day place it? – Masculinity, for me, is not a fixed definition. It’s an energy I grew up with. Not glitz and glam, but a life shaped by the suburbs – working-class environments, local sports clubs, daily struggles and resilience. Some people carry masculinity in their expression, some don’t, but there’s an honesty and humility to these suburban characters that has stayed with me. The new collections continue to express this through casting, clothes and styling – a mix of people and energy that feels authentic to the world I come from.
Authenticity is not defined by luxury. It is determined by the emotion behind the choice.
Casting in your performances avoids idealization, leaning towards memory and realism. How do you approach beauty and representation in this context? – I never cast based on classical ideals of beauty. I cast based on energy – whether someone can embody the garment and bring it to life. There needs to be a relationship between model and piece that feels authentic. This kind of realism is what I find beautiful.
Han Kjøbenhavn has moved between fashion, cinema and furniture. Where do you see the brand expanding its universe next? – We have no calculated plan for this. Creatively we work quite fluidly and try to move into different spaces that feel right at that moment in time.
What I can say is that I like to cross over into areas that are not completely complementary. I would look at something that feels very unfamiliar, something that I could learn from the ground up and move on to something completely different.
My work should reflect my state of mind at the time, not what the industry is asking for.
Artificial materials like fake leather and synthetic feathers play a big role in Another Day. What does “artificiality” mean to you in a culture obsessed with authenticity? – I grew up surrounded by synthetic materials – polyester tops, faux leather jackets, shiny nylons. These textures are part of my personal story. Using them does not mean that it is artificial. for me it reflects reality. Authenticity is not defined by luxury – it is defined by the emotion behind the choice.
Looking back on the journey since the founding of Han Kjøbenhavn in 2008, which moments of risk do you feel shaped the brand the most? – We have always avoided being locked into an identity. Changing direction when expectations are clear is a risk – but it keeps the brand alive. My work should reflect my state of mind at the time, not what the industry is asking for. This approach has shaped the brand since the beginning.
Everything is very fast.
If disruption is about rewriting the rules, what fashion or culture rules would you like to see overturned in the coming years? – Everything is very fast.
Originally published in DSCENE “The New Disorder” issue.
