Woodbird Founder reflects on 12 years at CIFF – marking a long-term partnership and their strong community at home and internationally

After 12 years at CIFF, Chung Wai Cheung, Founder of Woodbird, reflects on a season that felt especially personal. With the brand’s collaboration brought to life across Copenhagen through a visible Bauer Media outdoor campaign, this edition of CIFF became more than a trade fair moment – it marked a celebration of a long-term partnership, cultural identity, and Woodbird’s ongoing commitment to building community both at home and internationally.

This season marked your 12th year exhibiting at CIFF – an edition where your collaboration with CIFF was visible all over Copenhagen through an outdoor commercial. How would you sum up your experience at this edition?

This season honestly felt very personal to me. Exhibiting at CIFF for 12 year is something truly I value — I’ve experienced so many different phases of both our brand and CIFF itself, and this edition felt like a reflection of that shared journey, and show dedication from both sides.

Seeing our collaboration with CIFF displayed across Copenhagen, especially the outdoor commercial around the city, was a surreal moment. Walking through the streets and unexpectedly seeing our work in that context made me pause. It wasn’t just exposure — it felt like recognition of the relationship and trust we’ve built over the years.

This season carried a different kind of energy for me. There was pride, of course, but also gratitude. Gratitude for the team, for the partners who keep supporting us, and for CIFF believing in us enough to bring the collaboration to life in such a visible way. After 12 year, it still feels exciting — but now it also feels deeply meaningful.

Community is an essential part of Woodbird, which is also clear when dropping by your stand in the B-hall. Why is creating a space for people to gather so central to Woodbird?

Community has always been at the heart of Woodbird — its a part of my culture. It’s not something we added on later, it’s part of our foundation. From the very beginning, we’ve believed that a brand should be more than just products on racks. It should feel like a space people want to be in, connect in, and return to.

When people stop by our stand in the B-hall at Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, we don’t just want them to “visit” — we want them to stay. To have conversations, share ideas, catch up, and feel comfortable. Fashion, for us, is deeply social. It’s built on relationships — with buyers, creatives, collaborators, and friends of the brand. Creating a space for gathering strengthens those relationships in a natural and authentic way.

It’s also about energy. When people come together around something they believe in, it creates momentum. That atmosphere feeds back into everything we do — the collections, the collaborations, the culture of the brand. Community gives Woodbird depth. It reminds us that we’re not just building a label; we’re building something people feel part of.

Want people to taste, feel, hear, smell what Woodbird is.

You’ve once again brought your culture canteen to the fair. What does sharing food add to the overall experience for you and your guests?

Bringing our culture canteen to the fair again feels like bringing a piece of home into a shared space. Food has a unique way of breaking down barriers — people who might hesitate to start a conversation will gladly gather around a table.

For us, sharing food turns the fair from just an event into a meeting place. It creates warmth, curiosity, and genuine dialogue. Guests don’t just taste a dish; they taste stories, traditions, and memories. It invites questions, laughter, and connection in a very natural way.

For our guests, they see, smell, taste, and engage. It makes culture tangible rather than abstract. For us, it’s deeply rewarding to see people enjoy something that represents who we are. It transforms participation into exchange, and exchange into community.

You were also a part of CIFF’s Scandinavian Manifesto at Pitti Uomo this season. How does your presence at both CIFF and Pitti Uomo complement each other, and what does each platform bring to Woodbird?

Being part of CIFF’s Scandinavian Manifesto at CIFF and present at Pitti Uomo creates a strong dialogue between two very different, yet complementary, fashion platforms.

CIFF represents our home ground — the heart of Scandinavian design culture. It allows us to connect closely with our Nordic community, long-term partners, and retailers who understand the DNA of Woodbird.

Pitti Uomo, on the other hand, offers an international stage with a strong heritage in menswear. It places us in a global conversation, surrounded by some of the most influential buyers, press, and brands in the industry. The setting in Florence brings a sense of history and craftsmanship that contrasts beautifully with our contemporary Scandinavian expression.

Together, the two platforms balance each other. CIFF strengthens our foundation and reinforces our identity within the Scandinavian scene, while Pitti Uomo amplifies our voice internationally. One nurtures our roots; the other expands our reach. For Woodbird, showing up in both spaces signals confidence — honoring where we come from while actively shaping where we’re going.

After another season at CIFF, what are you taking with you moving forward and what can we expect from you for next season?

After another season at CIFF, we’re taking with us a renewed sense of connection and perspective. The conversations with buyers, partners, and the wider community reminded us how important presence and dialogue are — not just showing up, but engaging meaningfully.

Moving forward, we’re focused on strengthening our relationships, expanding our international outlook, and continuing to build Woodbird as a cultural and creative platform — not just a brand.

For next season, you can expect us to deepen that sense of community, create stronger experiences around what we do, and show up with even more confidence and clarity in who we are.