A question for the sartorialists: How does a Scandi girl in the midst of a Copenhagen summer dress for an unprecedented torrential downpour?
The answer was found on a highway along the banks of Øresund. On the Kystvejen, or ‘coastal road’, Saks Potts ushered in the newest chapter for a brand synonymous with the signature whimsical modernism Copenhagen style the city’s style adherents have become revered for.
The brand’s effervescently sophisticated design codes lent perfectly for an otherwise picturesque setting marred by grey skies and nylon umbrellas proliferating the front row, but it was in this lack of elemental control that the brands co-founders, Barbara Potts and Catherine Saks, found their strength.
In juxtaposing their surroundings with their infectious, upbeat energy and innately jubilant summer collection, the brand personified sunshine at what Saks Potts’ described as their most personal location yet.
(Saks and Potts met in kindergarten five minutes away from their Spring/Summer 2023 location. We wonder what the five-year-old versions of themselves would think about their meteoric rise to the upper echelon of European design).
The first inkling of this Y2K-infused balmy summer essentials came a full 18 hours ahead of the first model stepping on the runway, let alone stepping into the highway-side makeup chair.
I had only been in the city for an afternoon after an arduous 24-hour journey from Sydney when I realized the idyllic harbourside frolics to Nyhavn and pastry-filled writing blocks between shows would have to be reserved for another trip. Muddy grey clouds felt like a surreptitious bait-and-switch the city had pulled on me.
But, Saks Potts had another plan: adopt the unceremonious weather and make the best of it. “It’s going to rain, let’s embrace it!” read an email from the brand alongside a gif of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly caught in the rain from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, signalling to fair-weather attendees that rain, hail or shine, the show must go.
If someone had to bring the next iteration of slinky Euro summer resort wear to Danish fashion adherents, Saks Potts was the label for the job.
Just as the front row began to feel restless in the brittle cold wind, a cacophony of laughter and Euro house erupted from the highway behind the runway. It was Saks Potts’ models arriving, in style, on a gaudy party bus.
The vibe shift was imminent, from gloom came gaiety as the artificial bass of Nordic-inspired ambient lo-fi beats came from the speakers.
To the thumping drum line, Alana Hadid stepped onto the runway in a balmy take on a classic ‘jeans and a nice top’ ensemble, with denim trousers and a soft-as-butter sandy jacket the canvas for which Saks Potts’ recontextualized this notion of sumptuous summer wear.
The brands’ recent idée fixe, the mermaid-core approved circular sequin motif, was explored in an azure blue hue, fashioned into midi skirts that sat over trousers or ultra minis that paired with stringy bikinis and ludicrously capacious beach bags.
The brand’s 90s-meets-now methodology came to the forefront in almost every piece, subverting the minimalist silhouettes with a sense of Y2K tongue-in-cheek joviality.
Slouchy nylon cargo pants subverted trendy capris, which, when paired with ruched shirts or the perfect sequin oversized button-down, highlighted the aim of the collection: flirty forever pieces injected with a holiday spirit.
“The name of the collection is Jorden Rundt’’ which means “around the world,” explained Saks. “Barbara and I have travelled so much together, especially after starting Saks Potts as 19 and 20 years old. But also as children growing up together. This collection celebrates the summer essentials. The perfect pieces that you would pack in your suitcase, and summarize your vacation.”
The vacation mode, despite the less than salubrious climate, was innate, an apt capsule wardrobe inspired by the unpredictable season (both in terms of what the weather and your sojourns will bring). “We know that the Danish summer can be quite unpredictable when it comes to weather, and that’s precisely what inspired us to create something truly special,” Saks continued.
“We’re very nostalgic when making our mood board, and a lot of 90’s and 00’s fashion magazines summing up the summer essentials, but also paparazzi pictures of cool girls on their boats and vacation were an inspiration. “It’s very much the vibe that goes directly from the mood board to the collection.”
Later, the day after the show in Saks Potts’ Bredgade showroom, it was clear how much the collection remained true to the visual direction of the moodboard, with images of languid Italian la dolce vita lunches, 90s supermodels on super yachts and even a photo of a recent Saks Potts muse, Lily-Rose Depp (who wore a slew of looks from the brand during a recent visit to Denmark), lounging around in a bikini somewhere in the Mediterranean.
“But the special thing for us when doing the looks is really the contrast between having a very feminine and elegant pleated leather skirt styled with our new vintage-looking polo pique shirts. Or our denim-looking leather pants and jacket set, styled with a pink bikini underneath. One favourite look is the sexy feminine Blair dress in silk chiffon, that dress is so special yet timeless to us.”
This melange of eclectic, sisterhood of the travelling Saks Potts silhouettes felt like something concocted under the summer sun itself, where moments between your first and second guava cocktail might spark an idea that lingers in your mind long after the image has fizzled out.
Saks Potts captured the feeling of the last summer vacation you embark on with your best friends before you embrace the ‘real world’. These are the pieces made for rolling up to the breakfast Buffet in your best mates’ pique polo and the skirt you brought for lounging around the cabana in.
It’s shimmering blue sequins and summer essentials you’ll want to hold onto forever, just like the memories you make in them.
To me, a perennial Saks Potts enthusiast, I couldn’t help but wonder whether this was the wardrobe that all European young adults gravitate towards when embarking on their first holidays abroad.
Except, I don’t think these intrepid high-fashion travellers wear completing their ensmbles with vintage Manolo Blahnik’s like Saks Potts styled their collection with.
There was something so sentimentally familiar with the way the pieces were styled. I couldn’t help but think of the deliciously melancholic Aftersun, and whether Sophie, the precocious daughter of Paul Mescal’s Calum, would’ve worn this the next time she visited Turkey in search of the pensive hope that one forgotten vacation with her father gave her.
Perhaps in this universe, it could’ve been, with the balanced panoply fused with both flirty and thoughtful silhouettes. It’s this collective sentiment that reinforces every single one of Saks Potts’ pieces.
“We do not have a special girl or woman in mind when we design. She is however empowered and embracing her own individuality and personality. Age, body type, background – these things don’t define who she is.
“Our designs are there to complement her spirit, not to dictate it. So, here’s to every woman who graces our creations with her presence, for you are the heart and soul of our brand.
“We’re honoured to be a part of your journey, and we’re committed to crafting pieces that make you feel powerful, confident, and utterly extraordinary. Because, in the end, it’s your individuality that makes our designs come to life and truly shine.”
