Fashion

Søren Le Schmidt - AW23

By Josefin Forsberg

This season, Søren Le Schmidt invited his guests backstage for a close-up look at the brand's autumn/winter 2023 collection

Photographer: Jannick Børlum

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It is backstage at a fashion show that any brand’s collection truly comes to life. In amongst the kerfuffle of hairdressers, makeup artists, last-minute alterations, and models, the clothes create a cacophony of design details and colours. “Everyone always wants to go backstage at a show to experience the nerves, the stress and, not least, the joy associated with it,” says Søren Le Schmidt ahead of the event. “So I thought, why settle for having your entire team backstage and not invite all the guests to join in experiencing all the chaos and joy associated with a big runway show.”

Presenting his eponymous brand’s AW23 collection at a runway show, turned entirely on its head, Le Schmidt explains how the lineup is “100% true” to the brand’s design DNA. As for what inspired the upcoming season, he says he “strongly believes that we can draw inspiration from each other’s wardrobes, so that gender takes up less space, while colours and expressions are the most important and relevant.” As a result, Le Schmidt’s designs lean on the expressive side. In addition, the idea of manipulating the classic suit is taken into a new era by combining the more traditional concept of couture with a younger, rock-and-roll feel.

Mingling with the brand’s classic suiting, we find asymmetrical lines and cuts combined with elements taken from the couture world. A denim suit and a long denim dress (we’re getting flashbacks to Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears in the ’00s) are difficult looks to pull off, but Le Schmidt grabs the challenge with gusto. “I love working with contrasts. So taking denim into a tailored world and adding couture elements is an idea I find very interesting,” the designer explains.

Kept mainly in Le Schmidt’s signature black and white, dip-dyed satin silk garments – shifting from white to oxblood red – sets the tone. Materiality and sustainability are also factors that continue into the autumn/winter season. From working with residual fabrics and working hard to remodel previous designs, it is clear that Le Schmidt sees the true value of clothing as much more than just another item slung in our wardrobes. “It’s important for me to bring this element out through my designs,” he says.

See the full collection below:


All the looks from Søren Le Schmidt's AW23 runway collection