At Apollo Bar in Copenhagen, Caroline Bille Brahe presented a collection rooted in excess, meticulous handwork and irreverence: couture on her own terms
Paris Couture Week? Never heard of her. With the international schedule clashing on every fashion insider’s calendar, arguably the only couture-adjacent moment worth paying attention to this evening was unfolding not in Paris, but in the heart of Copenhagen with Caroline Bille Brahe's Caro Editions showcase.
“There is always a bride. And always a little excess. A bit of a f*** you. That’s how you know it’s couture,” notes Bille Brahe ahead of the show. “I love the idea of couture – that extra, extra, extra. That's Caro Editions this season.”
Excess there was, but with that eclectic, Caro-esque wink of rock and roll. Staged in her husband's Apollo Bar as a slow, salon-style presentation, the show unfolded one look at a time, echoing historic couture houses where garments captivated up-close rather than being consumed en masse. That sense of deliberateness ran through the collection itself. Denim – elevated here to near-couture status — emerged as the sole trouser, painstakingly reworked by hand with lace appliqué, embroidery, vintage ribbons and trims.
Almost all of the looks were produced and upcycled by local Danish seamstresses from deadstock fabric and vintage designs. Tailoring drew on Harris Tweed and Abraham Moon, while deadstock Dries Van Noten fabrics and reworked vintage Saint Laurent pieces introduced texture, history and a subtle tension between refinement and wearability. Sculpted jackets, silk elements and lace tops reframed everyday silhouettes through meticulous handwork. For Copenhagen, where everything leans a bit more casual, this collection was anything but.
And yes, in a nod to tradition, there was a bride too: a sheer lace vision adorned with bows and a train, embodying Caro’s take on couture – just irreverent enough to keep things interesting.
See the full Caro Editions AW26 collection below.
