24 Hours With... Cecilie Bahnsen
If you’re looking for maximalist proportions and fuss-free wearability, you’ve found it in Cecilie Bahnsen. The Danish designer launched her eponymous label in 2015, after years working for the likes of John Galliano and Erdem and has been fine tuning her feminised drama aesthetic ever since.
With beauty and versatility in equal measure, her pieces are designed to be worn now and cherished forever: passed between friends, reinterpreted and restyled.
Discover a day in the life of the talent behind the instantly recognisable soft-but-sculptural silhouettes…
“My day usually starts with a nice breakfast at home before I cycle my son to kindergarten.”
“Then I’ll get dressed for the day, usually putting on one of our dresses. I’ll often go for colour, these days, I love bright pinks, reds, blues - we’re always introducing new lovely colours to the collection.”
“I often start my morning at our favourite café, Dallas. A quiet moment to be together with my family before the chaos of the day begins.”
“Simone, one of the lovely owners of Dallas café, teaching my son to make coffee.”
Morning
What time do you wake up and where?
I usually wake up around 7am at home in the Østerbro area in Copenhagen. It's a really lovely creative neighbourhood with lots of nice new restaurants and spaces opening all the time.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
I have coffee with my husband while we wait for our son to wake up and jump in bed with us!
Where are you usually based?
Both my home and studio are in Copenhagen’s Østerbro neighbourhood. I’m in Copenhagen a lot of the time but also travel regularly to Paris, London and the US with my team visiting our partners and growing community
What does your average day look like?
A lovely mix of family time, work, and friends. I’m very lucky to have such a great community around me in Copenhagen - lots of my friends are also in the creative industry so we get to work together on exciting projects and inspire and support one another.
Do you have any morning rituals?
I always make a nice breakfast at home with my family before my husband and I bike my son to kindergarten.
Where is your studio located and how do you get there?
My studio is located 15 minutes away from my home, so I always bike to work. The route takes me through a very beautiful park so it’s a nice way to start the day. Everyone cycles in Copenhagen - it’s the best way to get around the city!
“At the studio, I started off my day filming a short video about our brand to share with our wholesale partners and community.”
“Followed by morning meetings with my team discussing the upcoming collection and all the exciting projects we have coming up.”
“There is no shortage of cascading bows around here! This is Filippa Rogers, our Head of Sales, wearing one of the new runway looks at the office - it’s so nice to wear the collection in everyday situations!”
“After enjoying lunch, I spent most of my afternoon in the atelier working with my design team - we’re designing pre-spring at the moment and also thinking ahead to SS24 already!”
“A quick afternoon coffee break for a little reset before finishing out the work day. We’re very lucky that there are lots of great creative spaces near the studio and coffee shops where you often run into a friend or creative partner."
Daytime
How has your background influenced who you are today?
I am lucky to have lived and worked in both London and Paris, which has inspired my love for fashion and for creating beautiful, crafted pieces. This combined with a very supportive and loving family have given me a good balance of work and creativity. I also think the Scandinavian background has definitely influenced my designs and how I approach my brand’s universe.
How did you get your start in fashion?
I think I always knew I wanted to work in fashion. My grandmother taught me to embroider and knit when I was very young. Spending time with her creating things are some of my favourite childhood memories and I think this was the starting point of me falling in love with textiles and design.
My love for fashion came later as a teenager when I got to do an internship at the Danish Design School. Seeing all of the moodboards, creativity and passion for design inspired me so much. At this point, I knew that it was my dream to work in fashion. From here I went on to study at the RCA in London before having the pleasure to work with John Galliano in Paris and then Erdem in London. I started my own brand in 2015.
What are the most important factors for the brand?
Passion, love, craftsmanship, wearability, femininity, joy. I want people to wear and enjoy our clothes. To love them forever and pass on to family, friends to cherish. It’s important for me that people are not too precious with our designs and instead be inspired to wear and enjoy them everyday!
How do you get into a creative headspace?
My creative process always starts with the textiles. To get into a creative head space I most often start by draping on the mannequin or playing with swatches and textures and techniques.
I have an incredible team around me and working with them on the collection, bringing ideas and dreams into reality, is so inspiring. We moved into a new studio space last year and having light and space around the collection and the creative process has been so great.
“After work, I often took my son for swim lessons. There are so many lovely places to swim in the city.”
“Followed by a quick post-swim snack at our favourite, studio x kitchen, before making our way home for the evening. They do the best cakes!”
“Stopping on the way to pick up some flowers - I love poppies this time of year.”
“Admiring the pretty skies and the picturesque streets of Copenhagen on the bike ride home to close out the day.”
Evening
What do you usually do for dinner?
I love to strike a balance between having dinner at home and going out - my husband is a very good cook. He often prepares some incredible vegetarian dishes using local seasonal vegetables. We’re also very spoiled for amazing places to eat and drink in Copenhagen and have lots of lovely friends who run great local restaurants so enjoy dining out too!
What time do you go to bed?
I am a late sleeper, I enjoy my evening listening to music and talking to my husband about our work and day. My husband and I studied together at the RCA - it still means so much to us to discuss our work and creative projects. He is an amazing illustrator.
Last thing you do before you sleep?
Take a hot shower and read a good book!
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