Danish designer Nicklas Skovgaard has been named the winner of the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize 2025, the Nordic region’s most prestigious award celebrating emerging fashion entrepreneurs.
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| Nicklas Skovgaard at the award ceremony receiving his prize from Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg, Founder of the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize. |
Skovgaard receives a cash prize of 500,000 DKK (USD 77,000) and will gain significant exposure through a partnership between the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize and Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW). The collaboration will provide the designer with communication support and participation in official CFW activities, including the Autumn/Winter 2026 edition, scheduled for 27–30 January 2026.
Celebrating Innovation and Vision
This year’s competition saw Mfpen, Nicklas Skovgaard, and Stel selected as the three finalists, each presenting their collections and business strategies to an international jury of leading fashion professionals. The 2025 edition reinstated the prize’s signature dual-jury format, bringing together both creative and business-focused experts to ensure a comprehensive assessment of each brand’s artistic and commercial strengths.
The creative jury evaluated vision, aesthetics, craftsmanship, and cultural relevance, while the business jury focused on scalability, market potential, and sustainable strategy. The result was a holistic decision that balanced artistry and entrepreneurship.
A Designer Defining Danish Fashion
In his acceptance statement, Skovgaard reflected on his journey and creative philosophy:
“Being a finalist in 2022 was already a huge honour, and winning the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize this year feels like a powerful recognition of how much I’ve grown since then,” he said. “My work has always been about reshaping the familiar and rethinking the nostalgic. This prize motivates me to push further, build a stronger team, and bring my work to a broader audience—while staying true to the emotional and artisanal values that define my brand.”
Jury Praise for a Distinct Creative Voice
Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg, founder of the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize and board member of the Wessel & Vett Foundation, praised Skovgaard’s artistic vision:
“Our winner stood out for a unique and emotionally rich aesthetic that blends theatrical and historical influences with a modern sensibility,” she said. “Through precise construction and a strong sense of form, Skovgaard transforms clothing into storytelling—honest, artistic, and innovative. He represents a bold new voice in Danish design.”
Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, also highlighted the prize’s growing influence:
“The Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize continues to go from strength to strength, celebrating designers who define Danish fashion today. We’re proud to partner with the Wessel & Vett Foundation in supporting emerging talent through CPHFW NEWTALENT.”
A Partnership Supporting Emerging Designers
Since 2022, Copenhagen Fashion Week and the Wessel & Vett Foundation have collaborated through CPHFW NEWTALENT, a talent support scheme providing bursaries and visibility for up-and-coming designers. As Bursary Partner, the Foundation contributes financial support for the brands’ showcases during both the August and February fashion weeks—furthering their shared commitment to fostering creativity and sustainability in Nordic fashion.
About the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize
Founded in 2012 by the Wessel & Vett Foundation, the Fashion Prize is widely regarded as Scandinavia’s leading independent award for fashion design. It champions innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity, honouring Denmark’s design heritage while nurturing the next generation of fashion leaders.
The Foundation itself carries forward the visionary legacy of Theodor Wessel and Emil Vett, founders of the iconic department store Magasin du Nord. Independent from the store today, the Foundation continues to support cultural and creative initiatives that celebrate Danish craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit.
