THE FLOWER IS A KEY MOTIF FOR THE BRAND, REPRESENTING THE RECLAMATION OF FEMININITY. WHAT DO FLOWERS SYMBOLIZE TO YOU?

My affinity for flowers comes from an obsession with nature and using it as a source of calm when I create. We draw all of our flowers in-house, so they always have that special touch. Flowers can also help us appreciate how time passes. In collabs, we really lean on the flower motif. I love how they transform objects and make them ours. They add a lot of personality to pieces.

HOW HAS THE FLOWER MOTIF EVOLVED ALONGSIDE YOUR DESIGNS?

What I love most about it is that it isn’t a logo. The flower is different every season. We always start by hand and draw it out, but now it’s becoming more 3D and tactile. As I explore my creative process, that’s also what I hope the wearer finds with each piece—that it keeps evolving with them.

HOW DO YOU BEGIN YOUR DESIGN PROCESS? WALK US THROUGH THE STEPS FROM CONCEPTUALIZATION TO SKETCHING AND CREATION.

Before we start with the theme of the collection, we choose the colors. And then from there, we start thinking over the textiles and motifs for the collection. We work closely with manufacturers in both Italy and St. Gallen, Switzerland. We spend time visiting their archives and bringing old techniques back to life in new ways. It’s always really magical when you go from 2D sketches to getting the full look back. Then the fittings start, and we drape the silhouettes and add movement to them. I’m
even very sensitive to the sound of the fabrics—how does it feel to move, live in, and wear this?

Then the technical elements are considered. I always start with dresses as the first silhouettes because I can create the feeling of the whole collection through that one piece, and then I can build out the universe from there. After that, we begin layering and styling. Even though the Cecilie Bahnsen universe is very romantic and couture-inspired, the human touch is so important when designing. So there’s still a simplicity and wearability in my process; it’s very Scandinavian-inherited. I don’t want the customer to be too precious about it. That’s why it’s so important to me when the girls start wearing it and their attitude and energy really come to life.

WHAT IS YOUR STARTING POINT FOR COLOR PALETTES?

We always include black and white in each collection because you can see all of the details and textures. It’s really about the energy that we want to push forward and the attitude of the collection. When we’re looking at colors, it does come quite intuitively. I like sitting with swatches and tones and comparing them. Last season, we released styles in a really shiny brown. That tone, in contrast with a soft pink, became an iconic combination for us. I think it’s also always about having pairings that feel very familiar, but unexpected at the same time.

ARE THERE ANY PARTS OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS THAT ARE DISTINCT TO YOU? ANY QUIRKS, SPECIAL HABITS, OR GOOD LUCK RITUALS THAT YOU’VE ADOPTED ALONG THE WAY?

Those quirks or intricacies are definitely in the fabric and the textiles. Especially having trained and worked in Paris, there’s a couture element in all of the fabric. In the beginning, it was very much about the silhouette acting as a canvas for the textiles, but the universe has become much more complex. There’s now a conversation between all of the styles in the collection, and each style has a different girl’s name, so they kind of become your friends [laughs].

We also often work with archive pieces from past seasons, deconstructing them or just imagining them in another fabric or color. As an independent designer, I enjoy having my own language and being stubborn about constantly revisiting and refining that, rather than looking at new concepts every season. Our customers also don’t care if a piece is from one season or another, and that’s the attitude I’m trying to create with the brand.

WHAT REFERENCES INFORM YOUR DESIGNS, BEYOND NATURE AND THE FLOWER SYMBOL?

I take a lot of inspiration from powerful female voices and creatives. These women and their ways of expressing creativity or putting styles together play into my collections, so I’m always displaying different expressions of femininity.

YOUR WORK SHOWS THAT FEMININITY CAN COME IN DIFFERENT FORMS — IT CAN BE STRONG AND BOLD, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE SOFT AND DELICATE. WHAT DOES TRUE FEMININITY MEAN TO YOU? HOW DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR PIECES HELP PEOPLE EMBODY THAT?

As a brand, our early depictions of femininity started off quite innocent, and then we matured and added more attitude and strength to the collections. I think it’s a very personal thing, and that’s also what’s very special for me. Whether we create a campaign or a show, when a woman puts a piece on and she puts her energy into it, it can change in so many ways. It’s still the biggest compliment when I see someone wearing my pieces in public, adding their own connections and memories to it.

I think it’s important, with femininity, that you can express strength, as well. I also think it’s important, at this time, that you can express insecurity and vulnerability. So, I hope that the collection embodies enough facets that connect with everyone. Personally, getting dressed in the morning can totally change my mood depending on what I put on and how I portray my own femininity that day. I want to give that tool to others, too.

YOU’VE WORKED WITH BRANDS FROM ASICS TO THE NORTH FACE. BEYOND YOUR OWN DESIGNS BEING CHARACTERIZED BY DUALITY, A LOT OF THESE COLLABORATIONS EMBODY THAT IDEA. HOW MUCH IS DUALITY CONSIDERED WITHIN YOUR DESIGN PROCESS?

The first collection with The North Face was really special because of the athletes who walked the show, like Brooke Raboutou and Molly Thompson-Smith. It was amazing to cast them because this experience was all new for them. They usually perform, but in a different way, so they got to show what femininity and strength look like from their unique perspectives. It was such a mutual crossover of inspiration and admiration. For our collaborations, it’s about adding to the universe; our partners always add something that we aren’t already ourselves.

GIVEN THAT WE’RE REFLECTING ON PAST COLLABS, DO YOU HAVE A DREAM COLLABORATION?

We choose brands that we can build upon the same values of craftsmanship, sustainability, and durability. It’s important to me that if we pursue something, we also really get to transform it and make it our own. But we also want to learn from the best in different categories. There are, of course, certain things that we haven’t done yet, like sunglasses or hair clips. There are many opportunities in the beauty space that could be fun to explore in the future.

THERE ARE SUCH BROAD HORIZONS FOR YOU IN THE ACCESSORY LANE BECAUSE YOU’VE ALREADY STEPPED INTO THAT SPACE WITH FOOTWEAR.

Maybe an accessory is the first piece someone buys from our brand. I like the way that collabs open up the universe for people to become part of the brand and connect with.