Fashion holds a mirror up to the world, and wealth equality is one of the big issues of the day. While it has never been easy to be an independent designer, with conglomerates accumulating further assets and power it’s becoming even more challenging. As a result a number of organizations have focused their efforts on supporting emerging brands. Stateside there’s the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and Fashion Trust U.S.; in Denmark there’s the Wessel & Vett prize, Scandinavian’s largest, which supports Danish designers.
Established by the Wessel & Vett foundation in memory of the founders of Magasin department, Emil Vett and Theodor Wessel, over the years this award has bolstered the success of Scandi brands including Cecile Bahnsen, Saks Potts, and Anne Sofie Madsen. Nicklas Skovgaard took home the prize in 2025. The 15th award winner will be announced at the close of Copenhagen Fashion Week’s spring 2027 edition.
Instead of the entire bursary going to one brand, as has been the case in the past, the 2026 finalists—Berner Kühl, Bonnetje, Caro Editions, and O. Files—each received 75,000 DKK (about $11,000 / €10,000). The winner will be awarded 300,000 DKK ( about $47,000 / €40,000). In addition, the format has been rethought. Rather than bringing all designers to one location to present, last week 14 of the 16-strong jury (including yours truly) spent about two hours with each brand in their own spaces. This more personal approach encouraged dialogue and highlighted the mentoring aspect of the program.
The makeup of this year’s finalists is representative of where fashion is going globally. Berner Kühl and O. Files represent the continuing industry excitement in menswear. While all of these Danish brands work with sustainability, responsible design is central to Bonnetje’s practice. Caro Editions, meanwhile, leans into vintage and has a playfulness that’s stamped with the personality of its founder, the former model Caroline Bille Brahe.
Each of these brands is niche in its own way, due to size and/or approach to design. O.Files, for example, doesn’t follow the fashion calendar but releases collections in drops, and Caro Editions is mainly a made-to-order business. What unites them: They’re all grappling with how to get their work in front of buyers to boost sales, and how to scale without losing the individuality and authenticity that are the USP of their businesses.
Below, a cheat-sheet on the 2026 Wessel & Vett Prize finalists.
Berner Kühl
“We are always about evolution and not revolution with what we do. And we spend a lot of time talking about restraint and refinement.” —Frederik Berner Kühl