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«My biggest inspiration are the girls around me,» interview with Cecilie Bahnsen
The Danish designer talks about the success of her eponymous brand at Copenhagen Fashion Week
January 30th, 2025
Cassandra Malmberg
The story of Cecilie Bahnsen is evident in all the designs of the Scandinavian brand. It emerges from the lace and embroidered flowers on waterproof jackets, from the ultra-feminine collaborations with technical clothing brands such as Asics and The North Face. After all, Cecilie Bahnsen’s story is a wholly feminine one, taking shape when the designer learned to sew from her grandmother. After years of studying at the Danish Design School and the Royal College of Art in London, and various work experiences at the Royal Danish Theatre, Dior, John Galliano, and Erdem, ten years ago, Bahnsen decided to launch her own brand at home in Copenhagen, creating a women-led company. «I think there are a lot of incredible women in this company,» says the designer, «it's important for me to put that femininity and its strength at the forefront.» We met Bahnsen during Copenhagen Fashion Week to uncover the secrets behind her brand’s success and to learn how the Danish capital influences her collections.
The main goal of Cecilie Bahnsen's brand has never been to “break the internet” or “go viral”—even though it has happened multiple times thanks to her long-term collaboration with Asics. The Danish brand’s biggest ambition has always been to create luxury clothing that merges French couture with Scandinavian style for a relaxed, timeless result. Bahnsen’s garments, crafted with hand-drawn materials, perfectly embody the balance between technical precision and refinement, conventional elegance, and creative flair. The brand is, after all, based in Copenhagen, where, as the designer herself explains, «there is a genuine appreciation for style and for the ability to mix things together. It’s playful and effortless.» In the brand’s collections, airy silhouettes with ruffles and frills blend with the rigor of total black and water-repellent fabrics, designed for the unpredictability of Nordic weather; floral shapes applied three-dimensionally to garments add extra texture, lending an innocent touch to highly functional sneakers and jackets. «Embroidery and fabric manipulation are the reasons I’m a nerd,» says Bahnsen. «Textiles and embroidery and fabric manipulation is why I'm a nerd. It's what I love and where I geek out so that's always going to be my starting point. I also think it's something that nobody can copy and that it is truly ours. And I think you need to hold on to to these things, especially as a young brand.»
At a time when minimalism and quiet luxury dominate market trends, Bahnsen has chosen not to follow in the footsteps of the biggest names but to design an entirely new aesthetic. Some call it coquette-core, others hyper-feminine fashion; in any case, alongside colleagues like Simone Rocha, Molly Goddard, and Sandy Liang, the designer has truly founded a new stylistic movement. And, as Bahnsen reveals, the credit always goes to the girls. «I think my biggest inspiration comes from all the girls around me and the way they wear the collections. That’s why we added denim, for example.» Despite stating that everything she designs, including sneakers, is conceived with cycling in mind (the preferred mode of transport in Copenhagen), Bahnsen explains that her brand’s research extends far beyond her hometown’s borders. «I have an extreme fascination with Japan—its craftsmanship, aesthetics, and the way they cherish fashion, which I think has always influenced me. And then, I think there is a nostalgic romanticism, a girliness in me that I have always embraced.»
As Cecilie Bahnsen's name grows in popularity across fashion capitals worldwide, reaching New York, London, and Milan, the company continues to expand. Since 2015, it has remained entirely women-led and independent, but today operates on a global scale with a team of over thirty people. Although Cecilie Bahnsen has been part of the official Paris Fashion Week calendar since 2022, the brand remains based in Copenhagen and has recently moved into a larger office. Like all young and independent brands, Bahnsen faces a challenging market to navigate; however, year after year, the designer is proving to be an excellent navigator. «I think the beauty is in the pace that you can choose for your brand—when you want to grow or the way you want to put together the looks,» explains Bahnsen. «For me, part of being independent is also that stubbornness about what is right and what you put out there, and doing it our way. Yes, that’s how it is.»