Cecilie Bahnsen could not host a show or presentation this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. In these extenuating circumstances, Vogue Runway has made an exception to its policy and is writing about this collection via photos and remote interviews.
In her still-young career, the Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen has made a name for herself on the global fashion scene with voluminous dresses that are bold, playful, sculptural, and full of fantasy. Recently she’s begun evolving into separates, knits, and more form-fitting silhouettes that bring an air of sexiness to an otherwise delicate and feminine aesthetic. Perhaps it’s because she just gave birth to a baby boy, but her new resort collection has a fresh air of practicality.
Using 100% upcycled fabrics from previous collections—an inspired response to COVID-19 lockdown limitations—Bahnsen created corseted and peplumed dresses and tops decked out with lace, as well as witchy black coats and jackets. Other pieces combine patchworks of quilting, embroidered organza, and sheer silk faille. One of the most dynamic looks in the collection was a canary yellow frock with a spliced-up cable-knit sweater and a caged floral overlay on the skirt. Another was a hybridized white sweater top and dress featuring no fewer than five different fabrics from Bahnsen’s archive.
The designer plans to continue experimenting with upcycling and will release smaller, monthly capsule collections made entirely from stockpiled fabrics under the name Encore. This month’s features not just dresses but also blankets and pillows. Speaking from her studio in Copenhagen, Bahnsen said she’s focused on accessibility: “I want the dresses and everything else to be worn in the streets, not just during special occasions. This was a creative challenge, as I normally work very clean and don’t like to mix too much. But I knew there were a lot of ideas hidden in these old fabrics, and I needed to reflect on them, to maybe be less precious and to give them new value.” Bahnsen has a distinct point of view. It was satisfying to see her play around with it a bit more freely here, mashing things up in a way she’s never done before and giving new life to old, beautiful materials.
