Cecilie Bahnsen has had a whirlwind three months. Not only has she had to adapt her business during the global pandemic, but she also gave birth in May. “My son is only three-and-a-half months, but it’s gone so fast,” the Danish designer tells Vogue via Zoom from her studio in Copenhagen. “You realise how precious things are and that everything you create has to have meaning because it’s your imprint on the world. You shouldn’t do something that doesn’t feel right.”
It’s an ethos that’s reflected through her SS21 collection, where there’s a renewed focus on sustainability via three carefully thought-out sections: essentials, featuring the brand’s signature silhouettes; upcycled, created using only leftover materials; and showpieces, which have a strong emphasis on craftsmanship. Bahnsen is also moving towards a zero-waste business model, going down to two main collections a year and creating limited ‘drops’ in between using 100 per cent upcycled fabrics.