August 2026
This edition was the second season partnering with CIFF. What has the experience of being part of CIFF meant for Malmö Designer Village so far, and how has the partnership evolved since CIFF 66 in January?
Our partnership with CIFF has given us a valuable platform to engage directly with the opinion leaders who are shaping the future of fashion and retail. When we started at CIFF 66 in January, it was very much about introducing Malmö Designer Village and sharing our vision with the industry. Since then, the relationship has developed into something much broader.
This season felt like a natural next step. Beyond our presence at CIFF, we created opportunities to bring people together through our Champagne Hour and once again had the privilege of co-hosting the official CIFF Dinner. These moments allow for conversations that go beyond a traditional trade fair setting and help us build genuine, long-term relationships with brands, buyers and industry partners.
What makes the collaboration particularly relevant is that CIFF and Malmö Designer Village share a similar ambition: to create platforms where brands, people and ideas can connect, while exploring how physical retail and experiences can continue to evolve.
You also brought the partnership to Paris this summer. What did you take away from connecting with the international fashion community there, and how did that experience complement your presence at CIFF in Copenhagen?
Paris felt like a very natural next step for the partnership. FREY is French by nature, so bringing Malmö Designer Village and CIFF into that environment felt very much like coming into our natural habitat. At the same time, it gave us the opportunity to connect the Nordic identity of Malmö Designer Village with FREY’s French roots and its long-standing experience in creating and operating retail destinations.
Co-hosting the CIFF Friends & Family evening in Le Marais allowed us to engage with the international fashion community in a different setting and to introduce the Malmö Designer Village story to brands, buyers and partners from across markets.
What we took away from Paris was how naturally these different worlds come together. Copenhagen gives us a strong connection to the Scandinavian fashion ecosystem, while Paris connects us to FREY’s home market and to one of the world’s most important fashion capitals. Together, these touchpoints reflect what Malmö Designer Village itself is about: a distinctly Scandinavian destination with a strong international perspective.
For us, that combination is particularly valuable as we build relationships and a community around Malmö Designer Village well ahead of opening in May 2027.
With Malmö Designer Village opening in May 2027, how important is it for you to be able to engage with the brands, buyers and wider fashion industry?
It is extremely important. Malmö Designer Village is ultimately being created for brands and consumers, so having an ongoing dialogue with the industry while the destination is still taking shape is invaluable.
These conversations give us a better understanding of what brands need from physical retail today – from the environment in which they present themselves to customer experience, accessibility and the wider destination around the store.
At the same time, it gives us an opportunity to communicate what makes Malmö Designer Village distinctive: its position between Malmö and Copenhagen, its access to a strong cross-border market and international tourism, and our ambition to create a premium flagship destination where retail, food, architecture and experiences come together.
Being present within the industry now allows us to build the relationships and community around Malmö Designer Village long before we open our doors in May 2027.
With more than 130 Scandinavian and international brands planned for the opening, what are you hearing from brands and industry partners about the opportunity Malmö Designer Village will offer?
The response we are receiving is very encouraging. There is a clear interest in the opportunity to establish a premium outlet destination at this scale in Scandinavia, particularly in such a strong cross-border location.
Brands recognise the combination of a substantial local catchment, access to both Southern Sweden and Greater Copenhagen, and significant international tourism. But the conversations are not only about reach. We place great emphasis on the quality of the environment and the overall customer experience, both of which are central to how we are shaping Malmö Designer Village.
Looking back at your second season with CIFF, what has surprised or excited you most about the partnership – and what are you hoping to build on as Malmö Designer Village moves closer to opening in 2027?
What has been most exciting is how quickly the partnership has grown beyond the boundaries of a traditional trade fair collaboration. From Copenhagen to Paris, from conversations at our stand to bringing together the industry at the CIFF Dinner, we have been able to engage with the fashion community in very different but complementary ways.
At CIFF 67 in particular, the quality of the conversations and the openness to exchange ideas stood out. Our Champagne Hour created an informal space for dialogue, while the official CIFF Dinner brought together hundreds of brands, buyers, media and industry leaders in one room. Those are exactly the kinds of connections we want to continue building.
As we move towards May 2027, our ambition is to deepen that relationship further.
Malmö Designer Village is not only about creating a new place to shop; we want it to become part of the wider Scandinavian fashion and lifestyle ecosystem. CIFF gives us a strong platform to build that community before the doors even open – and ultimately to create connections that can continue well beyond opening day.
