Cecilie Bahnsen took a new approach to designing her first post-COVID resort collection. Rather than consider it one of four separate offerings a year, she’s thinking of preseasons as a kind of introduction to a narrative that will be further developed and deepened in the main shows. This way, she said, “I get to really test, experiment, and work on the collection early on and then build onto it. It won’t be two different themes but a continuation of one.”
The brand is on an upward trajectory; WWD reported that the company is expected to hit the $10 million mark this year, proving that fairy-tale-pretty dresses translate IRL. Bahnsen’s collaboration with ASICS has been a runaway success and allowed the designer to spread the love with a product that more customers can access. She continued that line of thinking for resort. “When I create a show, it’s so much about this one perfect note, and this collection is much more about embracing loads of different small stories but still making a whole universe of that,” she said. A good number of those tiny tales were told via separates rather than dresses. This means there will be more ways to incorporate CB into your wardrobe and mix it with what you have. Bahnsen and her team wear their dresses this way, and it balances their sweetness.
When this designer looks for inspiration, she often finds it close to home and in the everyday. Some of the separates and dresses were offered in denim or a lighter knit in addition to the fabrics Bahnsen is known for. She used one fil coupé inside out and made good use of smocking, bows, and ruffles. The mood of the collection, the state of “becoming a woman,” was influenced by Bahnsen’s appreciation for Sofia Coppola. When it comes to the appeal of this Danish brand, nothing is lost in translation.
