Cecilie Bahnsen x MyTheresa

June 29, 2021: This summer has been chock full of exciting capsule collections, perfectly timed for outdoor festivities. The latest? An exclusive dreamy line created in collaboration with luxury retailer MyTheresa and Danish fashion designer Cecilie Bahnsen. 

As many designers are moving towards a more sustainable way of production, Bahnsen has joined the likes of Gucci and Saint Laurent, stepping away from the traditional fashion calendar. As a result, Bahnsen has got rid of its pre-collections and will present only two collections a year, starting with Spring-Summer 2021. In addition to reducing overproduction and waste, this also allows Bahnsen to pursue more creative projects in-between seasons, hence the birth of this oh-so-adorable collab.

Cecilie Bahnsen x MyTheresa

The 12-piece capsule collection is a variation of Cecilie Bahnsen’s signature whimsical designs seen in previous seasons. Each of Bahnsen’s lines seamlessly feels like a continuation of the previous one. Voluminous skirts, puff sleeves, ribbons, and feminine cutout backs introduce new sizes, colors, or modified silhouettes.

The Cecilie Bahnsen x Mytheresa capsule will be available online starting June 29. Continue ahead for an interview with Cecilie Bahnsen on her eponymous label.

GRAZIA: You reinterpreted 11 of your signature styles for this exclusive capsule collection for Mytheresa. What is the story behind the capsule collection, and what was your inspiration?

Cecilie Bahnsen: The inspiration behind the capsule collection started with my memories of the Danish seaside and paintings by the painter Anna Ancher in Skagen depicting the blue skies and water, moments of bright yellow and the effervescent beauty of every-day life, ease, and exploring the evening light and the nighttime sky rising over the ocean.

G: The capsule features voluminous skirts, puff sleeves, ribbons, and cutout backs that we find across a lot of your collections. What do they represent to you?

CB: Each collection is an evolution of the collection before, evolving and weaving in and out of storylines. They represent modern femininity and wearability. I like to draw inspiration from the romanticism in traditional femininity, but I feel like modern femininity is much more about individuality, showing your personality and expressing yourself.

G: What is your favorite piece/look from the capsule?

CB: I have always loved the Beth dress since I first introduced it back in the SS18 collection, simple sculptural and introduced in this capsule in a strong floral yellow.

G: When designing a new collection, what does your design process usually look like? Do you have a specific Cecilie Bahnsen woman in mind?

CB: We always develop new fabrics and techniques for the collection and I’ve always taken a sculptural approach when designing clothes, working with the fabric on the stand or on the model to create the most beautiful silhouette that supports the textile but also tells the story of the collection. With my dresses I am looking at ways of concealing and revealing a woman’s body, wrapping and enveloping, looking at sensuality and femininity, finding new ways to interpret this. I do not have one woman in mind, but have the Cecilie Bahnsen women, plural, imagining how they will wear and style their garments to make them their own.

Cecilie Bahnsen x MyTheresa

G: You hand-design your own fabrics for each of your collections. How did you begin with this?

CB: A new fabric can start with a hand-drawn sketch or an archive sketch and slowly comes to life with texture and color. I am most definitely a perfectionist and a bit of a nerd when it comes to my love for developing new and interesting fabrics and embroideries. It is my favorite part of the design process working with the development of unique fabrics and combining them with beautiful designs that will sweep you away. I love how you can play with a great volume and yet make it feel light.

G: To what extent has your Danish heritage and your experience working with French couture houses influenced you as a designer?

CB: The feminine and modern universe of Cecilie Bahnsen mixes emotion, romance and inherent beauty with the openness, simplicity and pragmatism of my Danish heritage. Having worked in Paris prior to starting my own label, it allowed me to define my love for fashion, perfect intricate couture techniques and appreciate the use of fabric and texture which I now incorporate within my designs each season

G: Everyone talks about Scandinavian minimalism, but your designs are also very feminine and sculptural. How would you define your unique aesthetic?

CB: I have worked both in Paris and in London and I love what the cities have taught me about the passion and love for fashion, romance and decadent details. I think this background, combined with my Scandinavian upbringing and love for functionalism, effortlessness and simplicity is what has given the brand its unique character.

G: What makes the perfect dress for you?

CB: I love beautiful sculptural volumes and dresses that have a sense of ease, something that you feel comfortable in and want to wear every day.

G: What is your go-to destination to fully cut-off from your busy life?

CB: Being with my baby boy and my boyfriend and taking weekend trips to the seaside or forest.

G: What’s next for your brand? Anything exciting you can share with us?

CB: There are so many exciting things happening and new projects, but we are really looking forward to introducing our range of knitwear and outwear from the fall-winter collection. They were designed in-house, categories that encapsulate the Cecilie Bahnsen DNA and expand the craftsmanship and technique.