ALIS F/W 2025: A Streetwear Resurrection at Copenhagen Fashion Week
In a tented courtyard in the heart of Copenhagen, a revival took place. ALIS, a brand synonymous with Danish streetwear and subcultures of the late '90s and early 2000s, staged its long-awaited comeback at Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025. Once a a name that was all over Copenhagen’s underground scene, ALIS has been reimagined under the stewardship of Rains founders Philip Lotko and Daniel Brix Hesselager, with Tobias Birk Nielsen leading the creative charge.
Founded in Christiania in 1996, ALIS was never just a brand, it was a movement. It adorned stickers, benches and the backs of skateboarders and embodied an effortlessly cool, inclusive streetwear culture. Now, with Nielsen at the wheel, ALIS is stepping beyond nostalgic revival and is embracing a modern, high-fashion interpretation of its roots. The Fall/Winter 2025 collection, aptly titled ‘Comeback Culture’, isn’t just about looking back. It's about bridging generations, creating a fresh narrative for a new wave of creatives. “ALIS was always there,” Nielsen reflects. “It wasn’t exclusive. Anyone could wear a t-shirt and feel part of it. That spirit hasn’t changed, but we’re evolving it into something with more longevity.”
This evolution was evident on the runway. Gone are the days of logo-heavy, slapdash streetwear. Instead, ALIS F/W 2025 presented an sproosed up approach to craftsmanship, spotlighting innovative dyeing techniques, refined materials and heavily considered silhouettes. Acid-wash denim sets and structured leather shirts balanced ruggedness with smoothness. Cropped bombers featured stitched graffiti logos, while long denim trenches exuded effortless cool.
Advertisement
The styling, led by Danish fashion It-girl Pernille Teisbaek, played with contrasts—checkered boxer shorts peeked from beneath low-slung jeans, white Kurt Cobain sunglasses topped-off grungy ensembles and for women, floor-length plaid skirts paired with matching bra tops as well as hip-hugging pinstripe pants, gave off a rebellious feminine vibe. A nod to ALIS’s skateboarding legacy remained, but this wasn’t skatewear as we knew it. Instead, it was a refined, modern streetwear collection.
If the clothing signaled a shift, the show’s soundtrack anchored it in its origins. Tracks like ‘Dream Baby Dream’ by Suicide and ‘I Love You Always Forever’ by Donna Lewis underscored the collection’s sentimentality while mixing raw energy with a hint of softness. And in a moment of poetic full circle, Sorat May Andersen, the original ALIS muse, closed the show, draped in nothing but logo tape and a thong, reminding everyone that the brand’s rebellious spirit was still very much intact.
For ALIS fans, ‘Comeback Culture’ is a love letter to the past, but for today’s skaters, musicians and fashion rebels, it’s an invitation to something new. “We’re tapping into the current generation,” says Nielsen, “but ALIS has a history that gives it authenticity.”
What ALIS has proven with this return is that streetwear, real, subculture-driven streetwear, isn’t dead. It’s just evolving and in this case, waking up from its slumber with a renewed purpose.
