Bahnsen proposes a timeless style, halfway between ready-to-wear and haute couture, worn by influencers and trendsetters and shared incessantly on Instagram. Her collections make clever use of simple, feminine silhouettes, architectural volumes, embroidery and delicate fabrics, combining different materials to perfection. She looks at femininity from a contemporary perspective with the aim of creating collections full of contrasts: minimalism and excess, perfection and imperfection, softness and structure, with sculptural shapes and neutral colours. However the “zero waste” business model is the main philosophy behind the FW 2021-22 collection, which sees the brand’s renewed focus on sustainably, especially in essential elements such as upcycling (only 100% recycled materials are used) and a strong emphasis on tailoring and craftsmanship. Bahnsen has also decided to limit herself to two main collections per year and a few drops in between, equipping them with QR codes to communicate where the fabrics come from and where the dresses are made.
In the FW 21-22 collection, narrated through a short film, the designer wanted to bring emotion, a sense of intimacy and tactility. Quilted silks and cut-outs, coupé and drawstrings, embroidery and pleats have all been revisited and reinterpreted. Bahnsen is not interested in an aesthetic evolution, but rather in a form of trompe-l'œil with clothing that look as if they are composed of different pieces. Her typical delicate and airy dresses thus take on a very modern oversized shape made of materials of various weights, overlapping and layered, becoming a sort of middle ground between the exteriors (coats) and interiors (dresses). The collection pulses with energy and the urge for movement: in the short presentation film, the protagonists escape from the brutalist shadows of the city and cathartically end up on a beach watching the sunrise. Like the season’s palette, which ranges from black to white with a few strokes of pastel, the narrator’s voice speaks of “moving out of the darkness into the light.”
Cecilie Bahnsen comments on this: "It is important for me to design beautiful and romantic clothes, created with love. It is important that, in these difficult times, you wear clothes that you love. Fashion is about dreams, creativity, energy – it brings hope.”