Cecilie Bahnsen - AW23

Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen returned to Paris and the Palais de Tokyo this season, hosting an intimate show with “guests so close to the models on the runway that the dresses brush against their skin,” according to the name-sake founder. As a result, her delicate and detailed designs and selectively sourced fabric were put centre stage. Returning to the French capital, Bahnsen pinpoints how the city holds “so much meaning” for the designer. “It is the home of couture, and I really wanted the show to reflect this and to feel intimate.”

The collection saw an unusual firework of colour from Bahnsen. “This season I felt a desire to explore colour,” she says. “We have traditionally focused on monochrome, everything in one colour. I wanted to open it up a little, stitch shades of pinks, and work the colours together.” The result was a series of ethereally light, voluminous dresses rendered in blends of hues. One a mix of sky and cerulean blue; another in yellow – a blend of sunflower morphing into lemon pastel. Then there was pink sorbet melting into rosier shades, while bright poppy red blossomed into magenta.

Bahnsen’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. “As time passes, with each new season, I feel more confident trusting in my instincts, going with that gravitational pull of creativity,” she notes.

These reinterpreted couture techniques were also present in the denim, with masculine and feminine codes coming together, resulting in romantic jackets finished with peplums and ruffling. Knitwear is layered into the looks; soft mohair cardigans and transparent monofil complement the signature bell-shaped silhouettes and the – previously unexplored – pencil skirts.

Discover the full collection here: