We’ll always have Paris — and New York and Milan — as fashion capitals. These famed locales, however, are not the only stops on the map. London and Los Angeles have a certain force, but if there’s one unexpected city that’s steadily making its fashion credibility known, it’s Copenhagen.

Denmark is known the world over for its talent in design — of things such as modern coffee tables and clever-looking chairs. But this tiny kingdom has been making a push to ensure that new markets, especially in America, have access to the style and fizz of — yes — Danish fashion. Brands such as By Malene Birger, Casch Copenhagen, Baum und Pferdgarten, Tina Casmose, and Mads Norgaard may not be lining the shelves of Bloomingdale’s just yet. They may not even be pronounceable. They are, however, gaining ground with American retailers — and they’re hard to resist.

The campaign to introduce Danish brands to American store owners took an important step forward this September at the trade show Designers & Agents in New York, an industry-only event with 239 booths. Within this selective showcase, the co-producers and co-owners Barbara Kramer and Ed Mandelbaum created a single-country focus by inviting 12 Danish designers to show off their wares.

The capsule was a first of its kind for D&A, and it was largely due to the efforts of a senior trade adviser to the Royal Danish consul general, Jack Renteria. Recruited away from L’Oreal three years ago, Mr. Renteria is on a mission to help build the North American presence of Danish brands. “Fashion is the fifth largest export in Denmark, but it had very little visibility,” he said. “No one had spent the time to understand why.”

The problem was certainly not one of product. Danish designers reflect their culture’s sense of style — a blend of bicycle-riding ease, rocker edge, and European flair. And it doesn’t hurt that the culture is highly attuned to its legacy of design and the importance of how things look.

Mr. Renteria describes the Danish aesthetic as Nordic Bohemian: “It invites you to mix a bag from Gucci and a scarf of your grandmother’s.”

And when a brand hits, it soars. One of the most widely distributed Danish brands, By Malene Birger has both a charming sex appeal and elegant energy; it sells to 32 countries and does more than 67% of its business outside Scandinavia. Meanwhile Casch Copenhagen — known for its boiled wools and button details — has 180 accounts in America. The owner of the NoLIta boutique Bio, An Vu, who finds Casch Copenhagen’s designs “a little funky and wearable,” says the label was her best-selling brand this fall. “I’ve carried them since I’ve opened in 2004,” she said. “Each season they get better and better. I just keep reordering.”

The Danes tend to attract the segment of the shopping population that is more artsy than cubicle-trapped, and they’ve fared well in Los Angeles. Typical in their designs is the use of high-quality fabrics and unusual detailing — at prices that work for creative types. Casch Copenhagen coats at Anthropologie run between $168 and $298.

Still, their work stands out with stylish individuality that American retailers may see as a bit of a risk. Years ago at the New York Look near Lincoln Center, I found a must-have pair of pants by the Danish label Bruuns Bazaar. Though I tried, I didn’t see the label again for years until I stumbled into a tiny dress shop in Paris (La Tienda, 28 rue Pierre Demours, in the 17th arrondissement). The trove of Bruuns Bazaar turned me into a kid in a candy shop. I went back the next season and bought more — including a By Malene Birger dress that I love so much I can barely wear.

So while these brands are stocked in even the smallest neighborhood shops in Europe, they needed a little help in making it on these shores. The central difficulty was rooted in a chicken-and-egg cycle that prevented exposure. American fashion magazines weren’t featuring them, so retailers weren’t stocking them — and vice versa.

Copenhagen does have its own fashion week, but if the international press ventures north, it only gets as far as London. Other barriers included the difficult regulations for export to America, the necessity of producing higher volume, and a lack of awareness about American tastes. (Danish designers have a thing for jumpsuits, for instance.)

In order to bridge the gap, Mr. Renteria reached out to D&A about two years ago and started bringing American retailers, such as Saks Fifth Avenue’s Michael Fink, to offer perspective on the market. Prior to the D&A show, Ms. Kramer herself traveled to Copenhagen for a workshop on what the American buyers would be looking for. Of the brands that applied to be in D&A, Ms. Kramer and Mr. Mandelbaum accepted about half for the show, which is standard for the selective process. The response from retailers suggests that Danish brands will be arriving in stronger numbers soon: Baum und Pferdgarten doubled its American retailers; By Malene Birger exceeded its sales targets, and Tina Casmose landed 25 new retail accounts.

It may take a few seasons for all the relationship-building to blossom, but when it does, the Danes will have their day — and their names will fall trippingly off your tongue.