Words SOPHIE WANG

As humans, we are naturally equipped for change. And in our modern day, there is no shortage of curveballs and struggles thrown our way, demanding adaptability and resilience for survival. Between environmental distress, political unrest, and technological advancements, our daily landscape is constantly changing and we are built to quickly take stock of new information, change course accordingly, and continue to move through the world as a means to live safer, stronger, more purposefully, and, perhaps most importantly, more empathetically. Reflecting this idea through the symbolic nature of hands, an emblem of assistance and compassion, Henrik Vibskov looked to the creature most skilled at this concept: the octopus.

In addition to its eight helping hands, the octopus is equipped with transformative properties, able to morph its shape and shade to its surroundings, and is one of the most understanding and feelings-focused species. The epitome of empathy, the aquatic animal serves as an ideal to strive towards, a message that through active listening and reaching out, our future can look more collaborative, supportive, and hopeful.

Translating these ideas into fabrics, colour palettes, and silhouettes, the Henrik Vibskov team designed a collection full of versatile styles, ready for whatever comes your way. Forgoing rigid constructions for fluid draping, the pieces are given shape by their wearer, instead of the other way around. Expected motifs are morphed into something new, from dissected classic checks and abstract ocean symbols to nontraditional interpretations of fingers, such as the “Chopped Finger Factory” print and the notable crinkle textile that resembles intertwined fingers. The fabrics are, in classic Copenhagen Fashion Week fashion, recycled or organic, with 85.1% of garments consisting of at least 50% certified fibres.

To complement the looks and elevate the story they tell, Kevin Murphy Global Sessions Manager Massimo Morelli embraces the idea of the helping hand and takes it a step further — using no tool other than what we are born with and the power of collaboration to turn the models’ hair into sculptural art pieces. "With your hands, you do basically everything,” he starts. “With your hands, you greet people, you hug people, you shake hands. One day [Vibskov] was working with something greasy in his hand. And the phone rang and he could not pick up the phone because of his hands. I realised for how many things we would take our hands for granted."

“The hairstyle is something inspired by what you can really do with your hands only,” he continues, pointing at a model getting her hair done by a team of three stylists. “This look has only been done with hands. You can't do it with any tools. You can't do this with any hair dryer or any flat iron or any curling iron. This is only your hands.”

Ultra shiny and sculptural waves frame the face in glossy sweeps, more poetic even when you think about the process that went into the look. Manipulated only by hand, the looks go deeper than meets the eye. "This is a look that complements the fact that we have hands,” he shares. “And if you use them properly, you can create this.” Not quite evoking grease, not quite reflecting water, the shine and shape of the hair lands at a surrealist intersection of styles we have come to recognise on the runway, blending each strand together in a manner that could be cut from marble.

But without tools, there is perhaps more room for variation or human error. But that’s where teamwork comes in, each stylist working in harmony to ensure every look is cohesive. “Anybody can use a flat iron and the hair turns up straight. But with this, you're sculpturing the hair. You need to have a specific part line, otherwise the weight doesn't come out,” he tells me of the challenges faced with an approach as artistic as this. The solution, once again, reflects the vision of the collection as a whole: “Knowing everybody, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, and helping each other.” Adaptability, creative collaboration, and lending a helping hand.

Head below to see the runway looks, now...