“As time passes, with each new season, I feel more confident trusting in my instincts, going with that gravitational pull of creativity. This season I felt a desire to explore colour. We have traditionally focused on monochrome, everything in one colour. I wanted to open it up a little, stitch shades of pinks, work the colours together.
We return to Paris again for Fall/Winter, a city that is filled with so much meaning for me. It is the home of couture, and I really wanted the show reflect this and to feel intimate. We have positioned the guests so close to the models on the runway that the dresses brush against their skin - putting these fabrics at the center of it. This season I also wanted to focus on the bridge between the experimental and emotional side of presenting the collection with a live performance.” - Cecilie Bahnsen, Founder
This season, Cecilie Bahnsen returns to Paris and the Palais de Tokyo with a collection that continues to expand her universe, pushing the boundaries of her practice. The collection is presented in an intimate setting, accompanied by a live performance by singer-songwriter Suki, chosen for her intimate brand of confessional ‘bedroom / dream pop.’
The collection mixes colour, with a series of voluminous dresses of ethereal lightness, off-the-shoulder and rendered in blends of colour: one a mix of sky and cerulean blue; another in yellows blending sunflower to lemon pastel; a third in pinks from sorbet and rose to poppy red, blossom to magenta. The fabric has been beautifully patched and gathered into what, viewed from a certain angle, look like blooms. Cecilie presents these melodies of colour alongside looks in her signature stripped back Scandinavian black and white monochrome.
The brand continues to explore reducing waste, partnering for the first time with Nona Source, the LVMH backed fabric resale platform, which “re-sources” exceptional luxury fabrics from its own labels. Cecilie’s method of working out her ideas on models, focusing on the touch and feel of fabrics, results in the distinctive volumes and silhouettes. This season, she found herself smocking and ruching, allowing the techniques to lead the design.
Cecilie continues to experiment with denim, once again interpreting couture techniques through the lens of everyday - imagining a modern vision of femininity that doesn’t save special clothes for best. This season, working in traditional black and blue denim, masculine and feminine codes come together in this most robust of fabrics cut into romantic jackets, finished with peplums and ruffling details. Knitwear is layered into the looks, with soft mohair cardigans and transparent monofil knits. To compliment signature voluminous silhouettes, Cecilie explores streamlined pencil skirts, a new expression of her vision.
Following the success of her partnership with ASICS last season, upcycling sneakers, Cecilie releases a full collection of sneakers with the sports brand. Mackintosh, the British outerwear label, continues to collaborate with us on a series of billowing raincoats. Bags evolve at the house, where they are unveiled through an artfully compositional sensibility. Delicate fabrics are crafted with the same lens as the dresses into bags that complement the collection.
Inspired by the German notion of “gesamtkunstwerk” or “total work of art,” the show has been designed to reflect the mood of the collection. With that in mind Cecilie worked with lighting designer Jesper Kongshaug on an installation of light and color - hues changing as looks emerge.
Photos: Courtesy of Cecilie Bahnsen
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