Cecilie Bahnsen has always embraced collaborations, reflecting the strong sense of community that has been central to her practice from the very beginning. Over several of her shows, she has worked with various artists and musicians, and this time she has expanded her references even further. She enlisted Japanese photographer and artist Takashi Homma to perform his tonal music live, while his photographs of the mountains around Tokyo were projected on the walls; more fashion-focused was a partnership with The North Face that produced a series of hybrids fusing sturdy outdoor backpacks and duffel bags with Bahnsen’s ethereal style.
The mountaineering theme extended to the show’s casting, which featured three professional rock climbers: Bahnsen referred to their sport as “vertical ballet.” The athletic, outdoorsy spirit ran throughout the collection, crossbred with whimsy. The designer’s signature pouf and cloudlike silhouettes were adorned with functional details like drawstrings, technical buckles, and pullers, some in the form of flat-shaped flowers. These floral motifs, often with a sheer sheen, were appliquéd on fitted technical organza silhouettes or embroidered with a 3D fil coupé effect on bustiers, airy balloon skirts, and lightweight outerwear made from recycled nylon. Bahnsen cited the skeleton flower as her inspiration, a bloom that becomes transparent in the rain, revealing its skeletal structure—a fitting reference, as the relentless rain over Paris made us empathize with the shivery, wet state of those skeleton blossoms.
