Cecilie Bahnsen Grows Up and Gets Tough
Over the last few seasons, Cecilie Bahnsen has made a concerted effort to expand the public's perception of her namesake brand.
The Danish designer hit it big with her sweet, voluminous pastel dresses long before "coquette" became A Thing. They're dreamy and ethereal, but they're also a small piece of Bahnsen's exploration of femininity — and her definition of that concept is by no means narrow. So, her recent collections have endeavored to evolve how that can be expressed through different textiles and textures, growing the roster from matelassé and organza to also include denim, cotton blends and knits. Fall 2024, though, might be her biggest — and strongest — step away yet.
Titled "The Bite," the brand's latest collection is unabashed, its confidence coming through in the lightweight sheer layers that not only expose what's underneath, but are also cut loose to move more freely; and in the cutout floral motifs that jut out and make a sound when you walk, so as to announce your presence. The leather separates remind you that this woman contains multitudes — and she's hanging up her pink poufy dress and putting on her vinyl jacket.
Backstage, Bahnsen told Fashionista that the team "wanted to leave innocence behind and take a new leap... embracing different women and different femininity." That gave them permission to explore new fabrics and fresh ways of putting them in conversation with each other — "the clash of the leather with organza and the heavy knits... really playing to the different codes of the brand and pushing where we are."
In the show notes, the brand acknowledged how it's "embracing a darker side of romance and interpreting a wider range of emotions" with this collection, but assures that it's still dedicated to "an unapologetic connection to femininity and craft." The aforementioned leather is an example of this: It's a high-gloss matte that draws attention and reflects light beautifully, but is still soft and comfortable for everyday wear. Meanwhile, the cutout motif (which is almost like punch-hole art, but make it fashion) is meant to create "a sensation when you put it on," Bahnsen explained, with how the florals move.
This self-assuredness comes across in the fit of the clothes, too: "If you were going short, it needed to be super short. If you were going tight, it was tight. Everything had to have an extreme to it," Bahnsen explained.
"We just wanted to not be put in a box," she continued. "We can be more than cute. We can have an edge, and we can push what we can do."
Keep scrolling to see every look from Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024.
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Cecilie Bahnsen Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
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