Cecilie Bahnsen: The Danish Fairytale Brand Conquering The Fashion World

Only few seasons ago, people didn’t take Copenhagen Fashion Week seriously. Yet the Danish capital has managed to emerge as an unlikely fashion hub, with the Ganni phenomenon paving the way. What might seem as a natural evolution given the city’s long design tradition, is actually an admirable phenomenon, since regional fashion weeks rarely manage to attract noteworthy interest. But Copenhagen has its unique differentiation methods to thank; the city has managed to stand out by tapping into the growing consumer and market demand for ethical and responsible fashion. And it is undeniably well-positioned to take this bet, given its already high engagement with the issue of sustainability, with many of the country’s top brands having already put in place strategies to improve their environmental footprint. Today, one could go as far as to say that Danish fashion is the new Danish furniture, with fashion having become the country’s fourth largest export, with 26 billion Krone (approximately $7.3 billion) in exports in 2016 according to Danmark Statistik, as reported in Business of Fashion.

One of the brands benefiting from this evolution and at the same time also contributing to it, is fairytale brand Cecilie Bahnsen, whose Fall/Winter 2020 show left us with serious “danish girl” fever. The brand, that made its CPH Fashion Week debut approximately 3 years ago, has truly become an industry favorite, with the designer’s meticulously crafted dresses being carried by global stockists like Dover Street Market, SSENSE and Farfetch.

Cecilie Bahnsen SS20 (currently available to shop)

Born approximately five years ago now, Cecilie Bahnsen has undeniably taken the fashion world by storm, with its dream-like dresses, captivating visuals, and effortless danish sensibility. The now-Copenhagen-based designer, made her first steps with the brand in London, where she got her MA at the Royal College of Art in London. In 2017 the label was selected as a finalist for the LVMH Prize. The designer’s rise to fashion fame came during a time when, as already mentioned, Danish fashion is rapidly attracting a global following, something that even the designer admitted she didn’t expect when she first founded her brand.

Her collections stand out thanks to her feminine and romantic approach to fashion, combined with her minimalistic and modern Scandinavian aesthetic, something that was particularly visible in her last show. In a recent interview with Hypebae the designer expressed that the Fall/Winter 2020 collection is the closest to what she imagined when she first established her brand. Every season, Bahnsen builds on her previous collections to create something new yet still remain true to her design aesthetic. After including knitwear in her FW19 collection and introducing tailored suiting for SS20, this season, she teamed up with MACKINTOSH. And to those that have argued that the brand’s collections aren’t very innovative or different from each other, the designer replies that that is exactly the point, explaining that her strategy of making collections that build on top of each other is part of her sustainable mindset.

Backstage Images of the FW2020 show (via HypeBae)

Often it is all about being in the right place at the right time, and it certainly feels like Cecilie Bahnsen was and is. With Copenhagen style becoming increasingly trendy, and with more and more women looking to Denmark’s capital for advice on how to combine comfort and femininity, Cecilie shows the world how to be effortlessly cool, and she does so with typical Scandi ease. And with more and more buyers looking at Copenhagen’s upcoming brands due to their uniqueness and sustainable appeal, Cecilie seems to be here to stay.

In addition to that, speaking to a new generation of millennial women, Cecilie Bahnsen has even been seen as an alternative for those opting out of traditional bridal offerings and shopping with more practical considerations in mind. This shift not only points to the growing demand for outfits that one could walk down the aisle in and wear again after, but also illuminates the lack of innovation in the bridal industry that render it ripe for disruption.

Cecilie Bahnsen via @moon_intl

Cecilie Bahnsen SS20 - via @moon_intl

Cecilie Bahnsen SS20 - via @moon_intl

All in all, it is safe to say that the Cecilie Bahnsen brand is growing stronger by the day, with its visuals having captured the internet’s attention. And considering the brand’s strong presence in today’s over-crowded market, with contemporary womenswear brands competing for the spotlight, it is undeniable that its unique offering and astounding craftsmanship have managed to set it apart. It is now only natural to wonder if Copenhagen’s unique fashion scene will continue to nurture its companies, and further expand its influence. All eyes are on the city, as we all await to see if it will manage to expand from its unique market, where customers seem to shop and trust contemporary brands, into the rest of the world, where with such price points, these brands are faced with the competition of established industry players.

See more of the brand’s collections here