Nordic style is easy to wear – and can even cheer us up, say its fans. As Copenhagen Fashion Week approaches, we explore the fun, functional Scandi-girl style movement.

One bright morning last autumn, a swarm of photographers crammed on to a narrow pavement. As their shutters clicked, a street-style parade passed by: Chanel bags swinging across shredded jeans jackets, sheer ballet tutus paired with shiny spike heels, menswear-inspired suits embroidered with tiny beaded strawberries. Top models like Paloma Elsesser and TikTok stars like Maya Stepper came through; Pamela Anderson strolled by in a crisp white shirt and ivory slacks.

The scene was on a par with what you'd see in street-style hubs like Milan, New York and Paris. But this was happening in Copenhagen, a city with a population that's just 10% of London's, and better known for its Little Mermaid statue than its fashion chops. How did this teeny Nordic city become the new epicentre of cool?

"People are obsessed with Scandinavian style because you don't have to change who you are to pull it off," says Laird Borrelli-Persson, a longtime Vogue editor and fashion historian who splits her time between New York and Stockholm. To fashion critics like Borrelli-Persson, "Scandi-girl style" has gone beyond ingrained trends like #BarbieCore and #QuietLuxury to become a larger fashion movement rooted in cool shapes, responsible practices, and an unexpected "ka-pow" of colour or print. "You could say Scandi-girl style is the new French-girl style," says Borrelli-Persson, referencing the longstanding fashion-insider combo of tousled hair, pristine designer bags, and super-skinny jeans and heels. "Scandi-girl style is different. It's layering. It's about shapes. You don't need an Hermès bag and a restrictive diet to pull it off. People who love clothes are finding that idea really liberating."

According to Harvard professor and sociologist Dr Martha Beck, there's a science behind Scandinavian style. "Women in Sweden and Norway have about six hours of sunlight during winter," she tells the BBC. "That's it! So they use fashion to fight off the feelings of depression and listlessness that can come from very dark, cold days."

The insistence on joyful colours and patterns is a longtime ethos at Marimekko, the 72-year-old Finnish fashion brand that was first sold in Italy in the 1950s, and then brought to the US by Jackie Kennedy in 1960. Today, you can see Marimekko dresses on Carrie Bradshaw in the TV series And Just Like That; actress and producer Sarah Jessica Parker is also a fan in real life. "From the start, our mission has been to bring joy and colour to everyday life through bold prints, especially during the darker seasons," says the brand's current designer, Rebekka Bay, who notes that every Marimekko collection is tested so that wearers can walk, run, jump, "and even dance" in the pieces, which helps to encourage movement and combat feelings of winter sluggishness.

"I think there's an idea that when it's cold, you have to look puffy, and either wear all neon or all grey," says Nnenna Echem, a Norwegian fashion influencer and stylist. "But we're quite inventive with how we layer colours and textures. For instance, I love putting on an oversized leopard-print coat with a very plain grey sweater and a handbag that has a pop of pink. It adds joy and also lets you move around."

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