Baum und Pferdgarten finds its rhythm in AW25, stripping back to what truly sets the design duo hearts racing: everything from Alexa Chung-inspired eclecticism and nods to Queen Elizabeth’s no-nonsense countryside dressing
It’s not Baum und Pferdgarten’s first rodeo – the beloved brand has had a strong hand in defining the Danish aesthetic since it was founded in 1999. Still, when it came time to start thinking about autumn/winter 2025, founders Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave hit an unprecedented roadblock. “It was difficult for us this time, to be honest,” says Baumgarten. “It has something to do with the surroundings and the world – it seems everything around you is falling apart.” Conjuring some playful starting point, as they often do, didn’t feel quite right. It wasn’t until they shut the door on outside inspiration that things fell into place. Dubbed simply Heartbeats, the collection explores what fabrics, silhouettes and and products speak to the designers’ core. What gets their hearts beating.
That beating heart was at the centre of today’s show, which took place in an old parking garage. Set against the grey concrete, three big red inflatable hearts, filled to bursting. Then the song kicked in: Robyn’s 'Heartbeats'.
So what does set Baumgarten and Hestehave’s hearts ablaze? Great suiting, for one. “We’ve been working with suiting for a while and it’s going really well for us, in terms of sales,” says Baumgarten. “So we’ve tried to twist it a bit.” Yes, there are more classic suits, but also shirts rendered in structured suiting fabrications, met with matching trousers. Then there are the dresses, in slim silhouettes adorned with bows and sequins or well-placed ruffles. On the moodboard were British It girls like Alexa Chung, whose devil-may-care approach to dressing mirrors the eclectic looks that came down the runway. Think dainty sequinned cardigans or camo jackets paired with slouchy pants tucked into boots.
But there’s another British icon referenced: the late Queen Elizabeth. Her no-nonsense English countryside dressing inspired the more practical pieces on offer. The car coats, for instance and the mossy green cargo shorts.
Though it was born of a moment of uncertainty, Baumbarten and Hestehave ultimately fell in love with what they sent down the runway. “There are so many beautiful things,” says Hestehave. “It’s not always that you’re happy for a collection, but both of us have a really good feeling.”
See the full Baum und Pferdgarten autumn/winter '25 collection below.
