Cecilie Bahnsen - Patchwork Encore Collection

Cecilie Bahnsen’s Encore programme certainly deserves a round of applause. Launched in 2020, the limited edition capsule collections are comprised of garments made entirely from leftover fabrics from previous Bahnsen collections. It’s a concept borne of the pandemic. “It really came out of just creating from what we had around us,” Bahnsen says. “We were inspired to continue the project. You have some pieces with five different fabrics in them. There’s so much story and passion and reflecting on what you’ve created before.”

Launching today, the Encore Patchwork Collection repurposes quintessential Bahnsen fabrics of previous seasons – silk plisse, matelassé, faille – into some of the designer’s most beloved silhouettes. “We have these bow details in the back, and that’s what we will always come back to,” Bahnsen says. Rendered in black and white (save for the teeny tiny flowers fashioned from yellow beading) each piece is a little bit unique. “I think the beauty of it is that none of them are really the same,” says Bahnsen. Here we find the pouf sleeves and delicate bows, the cloud-like skirts and empire waists that have come to define the beloved Danish designer. Presented via pop-up at creative space Studio X, the collection includes dainty curtains and bedding, also crafted in the designer’s atelier using leftover material. An entire dreamlike Bahnsen universe.

As much as Bahnsen’s garments are defined by their ethereal silhouettes, they’re also defined by their fabrics. “These really sculptural silhouettes are kind of like canvasses for the textiles,” Bahnsen says. How does it feel for the designer to see these pieces come to life? “It’s a really emotional feeling,” she says. “We keep absolutely everything in the studio, so it’s a really creative process to not just design from a blank canvas, but design from what you have.”