Drawing inspiration from the rugged outdoors, backstage veteran Cim Mahony and his team conquered the peaks of braiding techniques for Cecilie Bahnsen's wind-swept beauty looks
For her spring/summer '25 collection, Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen welcomed guests to a derelict building on Avenue Marceau. Steering clear of the sheer fabrics many brands leaned on in anticipation of the season's summer heat, Bahnsen instead drew inspiration from snow-capped peaks, unveiling an alpine-infused collection in collaboration with The North Face, Asics, and Japanese photographer Takashi Homma.
Backstage, head hairdresser Cim Mahony and his deft team took the alpine theme to new heights, crafting floor-length, eight-strand braids to complement the mountain-inspired collection. "We designed them to resemble climbing ropes," he explained, referring to the intricate strands cascading from sleek, streamlined cornrows, set in place using Dyson’s new Supersonic R. For the models with shorter hair, Mahony embraced a wind-whipped aesthetic, using steel wire to form "frozen shapes" that captured the chill of the outdoors. "We aimed for a rugged, roughly braided look – small and sticky," he added.
Below, step backstage at Cecilie Bahnsen and explore how these outdoorsy 'dos came to life:
All images courtesy of Cim Mahony
