A Star Is Reborn at Copenhagen Fashion Week—Her Name Is Alectra Rothschild

In a pre-show chat, Alectra Rothschild of Masculina promised a “banger” of a cast. She delivered on that and then some. The whole show—which featured a live set by DJ g2g and high-jinks including imaginary cat-fights—was probably history making. It’s quite likely that Rothschild is the first openly trans woman to show at Copenhagen Fashion Week, which she did through the support of the New Talent program. The designer is also participating in Ganni’s “Future, Talent, Fabrics” exhibition, and the look Rothschild created for that project walked the runway.

Britney Spears, who inspired the video for Rothschild’s previous collection, also had a role in this one, having inspired an ensemble consisting of a black corset, chaps, and artfully distressed jeans. The designer’s reference was specific, the years “2001 to 2004…that era of Britney where she wore very low-rise, slashed denim pants with a really nice boot cut.” It was quite a swashbuckling look, which is consistent with Rothschild’s aesthetic. “I mean, there’s always pirates involved with me.”

The shiny white floor covering, swim caps, and scuba references in this fall 2024 lineup, which she called the Rebirth Carry, were references to the watery womb. “Essentially I see this collection and [the previous one] wrapping up the story of transition as a trans woman,” Rothschild said. “Once you start actively transitioning, that’s when the rebirth comes; it’s like you cut all the bad things out and then you continue with what’s good. I tried to visualize that by also bringing pieces from the last collection into this new context.”

Masculina makes skillfully draped zero-waste dresses (of which Michele Lamy is a fan) that adapt to all kinds of bodies. There were thongs aplenty, but in some cases it was clear that nothing came between the model and their Masculina jeans or miniskirts. The denim looks, including a dyed “fishnet” pair and the upcycled low-waist flares, could stand the light of day; the same could be said of the designer’s “bag boots.” Many of the other outfits were quite extravagant. That’s part of the fun of a show.

A recent graduate of the Royal Danish Academy, Rothschild is still making everything herself, yet this was a community affair with a majority trans cast, some of whom flew in to walk for show. “I feel like there’s not many trans people that have been in my position in this way, who have been able to put on a show like this, so I want to highlight them as much as possible,” said Rothschild. “I want to tell the story of transformation through the trans lens.” It was writ large.