Very thin models again dominated the catwalks at Copenhagen Fashion Week in early August 2026, according to a report published August 17. The Ikast-based company DK Company and its brand Gestuz were among the exceptions, showing models in sizes 36 to 44.
DR reports that after several years of focus on diversity and plus size, the fashion industry is once again using very thin models. Curvier bodies have become hard to spot on the runway, including at the most recent Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Gestuz, a brand under the billion-kroner group DK Company, cast models of different sizes, ages and skin colors. Director Jens Obel calls it a matter of principle. Per DR, he says a walk down any shopping street shows people who are not all a size 34, and that the brand reflects reality rather than a dream universe.
At Copenhagen Fashion Week, models undergo a mandatory health check aimed mainly at preventing eating disorders. The Danish Fashion Ethical Charter requires health checks for Danish agency models over 16, carried out by the Danish National Association against Eating Disorders and Self-harm. Brands must also submit valid medical certificates for international models, and repeated violations can lead to exclusion.
Budgets and timelines
Obel tells DR that the practice has been copied elsewhere, but that international trends now pull in the opposite direction. He points to pop stars and influencers who are very thin, and to Milan and Paris consistently using models in size 34 and below.
Model caster Anja Gildum, who cast the Gestuz show and several others, says practical constraints also play a role. According to DR, smaller and newer brands often lack both time and money to produce the same dress in three sizes. Runway garments are typically made as a single prototype in one size shortly before the shows, and models are usually hired only a week in advance.
Gildum is more critical of the largest brands. As reported by DR, she says companies with the finances and production capacity behind them have no good excuse for leaving curvy women off the runway.
Obel, who sits on the board of Copenhagen Fashion Week, says diversity in age, size and appearance is part of the event’s DNA. Brands signing up for the show calendar commit to it, but he notes that not everyone has fully complied and expects a thorough review.
Other outlets have described Gestuz as an exception. 10 Magazine wrote in February 2026 that Gestuz, Paolina Russo and Taus integrated plus-size models at the AW26 shows. Ma Grande Taille, citing Vogue Business, reports that only 0.3 percent of models at fashion weeks in 2026 were plus size.
DR notes that the Danish event has repeatedly faced criticism for a thinness trend and has been nicknamed “Wegovy week.” Soundvenue reported in February 2025 that mid- and plus-size representation rose from 7.4 to 8.1 percent at the winter 2024 edition, with director Cecilie Thorsmark saying legal issues make quotas difficult. The backlash over thin models has followed several recent editions.
