When Frederik Berner Kühl founded his eponymous brand in 2019, he did so with an intention of educating consumers on material, form, and shape. “Essentially, the brand is our way of approaching the world of luxury. No dusty catch phrases, no fuzz,” he tells Highsnobiety.
“We are approaching stuff that's always been there, but looking at it through our own lens, which could be through its silhouette or the material used. For us it's about personal style more so than fashion.”
With an aim of redefining “the codes and connotations connected to the fashion industry,” the Copenhagen-based label now enters its sixth season as a fully-established menswear brand, in which time it has garnered quite the loyal cult following.
Berner Kühl, though, isn’t like any other Scandinavian brand. Rather than focusing on the minimalist qualities many expect from labels hailing from the north European region, it instead looks to offer luxury alternatives, reimagined with fresh materials and nouse.
The designer himself — who dropped out of business school some ten years ago to pursue a career in fashion — studied at the famed Polimoda University in Firenze, Italy, which, for him, is when things began falling into place.
“After working in the business for several years for other brands, I felt like I had something to say, my own vision that had slowly materialized over the years,” he recalls.
“Soon after finishing my Masters at Polimoda, I began learning how to combine all my knowledge together, which is when things began sticking. It’s quite the opposite to a “normal” education, I suppose.”
Now, as we approach the backend of 2022, Berner Kühl finds itself stocked at acclaimed stores like Browns and WoodWood, amongst others, which is not only a testament to the designer’s collections to-date, but to his eagerness to educate, even through a pandemic.
The label’s latest collection for Fall/Winter 2022 is undeniably its most progressive yet, and one that sees an expansion of silhouettes and an increased focus on both volume and comfort.
Available now via the Berner Kühl webstore, the collection features a pleasing mix of suiting, outerwear, and knitwear, all of which is realized through Kühl’s unique lens.
“I tried to emphasize the elegance inherent in the tailored part of the collection and support them with more technical materials,” he explains.
“Our storytelling is still taking shape, but its birth is in how the product is actually conceived. The suppliers we work with, and how much time we put into each garment,” he adds.
“Besides that we try to relate all of it to how things work in the world we live in. Standing on the outside and looking in.”
