Cecilie Bahnsen – Faraway, So Close!
One of the inspirations for Cecilie Bahnsen’s SS24 show is Wim Wenders’ film ‘Faraway, So Close’, a fascinating blend of spiritual exploration, enigmatic connections and ethereal angels in Berlin.
The visually poetic storytelling and introspection was a key reference when visual artist, Freja Sofie Kirk, went backstage before Cecilie’s SS24 show at Paris Fashion Week. In this unique exploration, she invites the viewer so close to the models, dressers, make up artists and hair stylists. While she explores their world you can almost feel their touch and hear their breaths. Through the lens of Freja’s camera, she not only explores the intricacies of a fashion show but also reveals less-seen aspects of the creative process.
The film portrays a busy environment before a show: Models are getting dressed, having their hair and makeup done. Suddenly the pace slows down, camera moves closer and the loud sounds of the space disappear into the quiet breathing of the models and the tactile sounds of the fabric against their skin.
This season, Cecilie Bahnsen peels back the curtain on her process, with an intimate presentation showcasing the care and craftsmanship (more often craftswomanship) that goes into creating her romantic, ultra-feminine universe. The collection is presented in Paris at a raw space, 35/37, guests seated so close to the runway that fabrics brush up against them in whispers and the intricate details are seen, before taking on new shapes as they float down the runway faraway.
Merging the realms of fantasy and reality, Cecilie continues to hone her vision of “everyday couture.” This season, once again, she explores denim. Uniting this most functional of fabrics with couture traditions – most notably, a cropped denim jacket and matching flouncy skirt trimmed in red stitching. While shades of white and black ground the collection, a palette that runs the gamut from blush pink to poppy red feels like an explosion of love, and for the first time the label works with gingham. A culmination of seasons past, Spring Summer 2024 offers a refined vision, a more mature expression of Cecilie’s universe of modern romance.
With a nod to her Scandinavian heritage, Cecilie plays with knitwear in a spring season context, working with intricate embroideries, floral motifs and transparencies. The silhouettes take the lead from last season, slimmer with less volume. Ethereal dresses take on new attitudes, some styled with raw denim, all dressed down with upcycled ASICS and the label’s own designed shoes. Developed from scratch, heavy soles act as a counterpoint to floral motifs, grounding the collection.
Freja Sofie Kirk
Freja Sofie Kirk works within video, photography, and installation, often in connection with one another. Through her ongoing work, Freja’s practice investigates how images generate meaning in contemporary society. Notably, Freja directs her focus to the often-overlooked areas. In ’Industries of Freedom’ she put the spotlight on nightclub dancers on renowned Ibiza club Privilige. Here she meticulously documents their activities. Looking as the dancers’ bodies are slowly transformed into scenographic objects, which melt together in a gigantic choreography that includes cranes and a giant inflatable shark.
“In creating this collection, I have been reflecting on the paradox inherent in couture. That when you look up-close at a dress it’s filled with so much intricacy that you can almost feel the touch of the maker’s hand, the love and tenderness that has gone into creating it. But from a distance, the same dress appears to be floating, so effortless, so easy, weightless almost. In this sense, a runway show tends to create an illusion of ease, a perfect presentation of dresses gliding down the aisle. With this show, I wanted to be brave, to show the beauty so close, not only faraway.” – Cecilie Bahnsen, Founder
