20 August 2025 |
The designer answers our ten questions as her brand celebrates 10 years.
It’s hard to imagine a time when Scandinavian girl-inspired dressing didn’t exist but 10 years ago, when Cecilie Bahnsen was starting out, the concept was brand new to the world at large. The maximalist, unabashedly feminine meets masculine styling has since then garnered universal appeal and Bahnsen has played a critical role in its dissemination. Debuting during Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall 2017, the brand quickly gained a following for their dreamy, voluminous dresses in delicate fabrics that featured beading, embroidery, and bow detailing. Successful collaborations soon followed from her embellished sandals with Suicoke to her long running partnership with Asics to her most recent work with The North Face.
It’s fitting then, that to celebrate a decade in business that Bahnsen went back to where it all started, staging an anniversary show during Copenhagen Fashion Week. Called Hana-bi, the Japanese word for fireworks, she and the team went back into the archives, selecting pieces that held special meaning to them. Reworked with new fabrics, they were shown alongside new creations and custom one-offs for the show. In a stark palette of white and silver, the 28-look collection was a bonus for her fans — she still plans on showing spring 2026 in Paris this September. In honor of this milestone we caught up with the designer to talk legacy, favorite memories, and her go-to thank you gift.
1. What does celebrating 10 years as a brand mean to you?
As an independent brand, this is the culmination of all the incredible things we’ve handled and come out of, and also the toughness needed to do so. It’s realizing we are here and we have a voice. I’m proud that we exist not just in Copenhagen, but also in the US. Japan, Korea, etc. The brand resonates with women who make it part of their life and that’s really the biggest compliment for me.
2. What’s your favorite memory from the last decade?
We worked on a dress for spring 2019 that was completely beaded in the studio that had windows out to the street. People kept popping by to see what we were doing and learn about the brand. There was this quiet beauty to the moment and an electricity in the air as well. Of course, it also happened to be the show and season where things really took off for us.
3. What was the most difficult moment from the last decade?
Like everyone, it’s the pandemic. Navigating as a brand between designing and, and production, while working in isolation was really, really complicated.
4. If you had to choose one favorite look from all of your collections, what would it be?
My God, it’s so hard! I’d say the red dress that opened our first Paris runway show, which was for fall 2022. It had beautiful embroidery, bows in the back, and featured plenty of volume and movement in this romantic red.
5. Casting for the Copenhagen show was amazing, tell me more about it.
We work with Emma Matell to cast our shows and we’ve really found a good partnership. For this one we looked to girls who have walked for us both in Copenhagen and Paris as well as new names. Isadora (Bjork’s daughter) opened the show and we also had other women like Serena that brought their own energy. The collection really comes alive when we cast real women, it makes it more relatable.
6. You’ve always been a fan of styling dresses with sensible shoes. Why is that?
For me, it’s always dressing down our looks with flat shoes. Our first show had big hiking boots and since then it’s about making everything feel relatable — like you could throw it on and move with ease. People really understood this when we also started doing the collaborations with Suicoke and Asics. We have customers who will wear the whole universe and some just wear the shoes. It’s a beautiful extension of what we do.
7. What do you send as a thank you gift?
I like to write handwritten notes. I collect stationery from traveling to places like Japan and it’s always fun to select the right one for each person.
8. What are your three deserted island essentials?
My family, a good book, and ice cream, although that probably wouldn’t last very long.
9. What’s one book you’re reading right now?
I found this bookstore in Copenhagen that translates some of my favorite books into English so I’m rereading This Should Be Written in the Present Tense by Helle Helle. I really enjoy these novels and discussing them with my boyfriend because there are so many memories attached to them.
10. How do you relax?
Going to the countryside where my summer house is and reconnecting with nature. But it can also be heading right outside of my house with my son and talking to the people who live in the building. Relaxing to me is a connection to nature and people.
