The Royal Danish Academy

The Royal Danish Academy

The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation (KADK) is one of Denmark’s most historic educational institutions. The design school component was founded in 1875 as the Danish Design School (Danmarks Designskole), and in 2011 it merged with the School of Architecture and the School of Conservation to form the current Royal Danish Academy. The institution is located on Holmen in Copenhagen and operates under the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, with approximately 650 students.

The Academy’s Fashion, Clothing and Textiles programme offers a master’s-level education rooted in the sustainability principle of material resourcefulness and a deep sense of the interconnected relationships between fibre, garment, fashion, and ecosystems. Building on Scandinavian design principles around user empathy, collaboration, and participation, students learn to integrate wardrobe research and user-led design processes in their artistic work, supporting plurality and diversity at all levels — gender, race, age, and more.

The programme’s semesters build on each student’s own creative voice and strengthen their ability to create value for customers and audiences while navigating increasingly complex agendas. The curriculum includes collaborative projects with external partners, engagement with decolonization and universal design, portfolio development, fashion film, sustainability communication, and social media training. Graduate work is showcased at the Royal Danish Academy’s graduation exhibition and at a catwalk show during Semana de la Moda de Copenhague.

The Academy has produced many of Denmark’s most influential fashion figures. Notable alumni include Henrik Vibskov, Anne Sofie Madsen, and numerous designers who have gone on to establish brands featured on the CPHFW schedule. The institution’s relationship with Copenhagen Fashion Week is longstanding — the graduate show is a regular fixture on the official schedule, offering the industry its first look at the next generation of Nordic design talent. For SS27, the Academy presents its graduating class in show format.