Mark Kenly Domino Tan - SS24

For spring/summer '24, Mark Kenly Domino Tan turned towards the sea. The collection finds its inspiration both in the universal experience of a leisurely day by the ocean and in the treasures beneath the water’s surface. “There’s an interaction around the ocean that I really like,” says creative director Caroline Engelgaar. “There’s something a bit posh where people went down to the shore.”

This is hardly a playful romp at the beach, however, but rather a poetic exploration of the sea’s impact on our very existence. “The ocean is what connects us all,” says Engelgaar. “And if we don’t have the ocean, we’re really f***ed.” To Engelgaar, the ocean is a particularly resonant subject matter; her husband is a photographer who is, as she puts it “obsessed with the ocean” and somewhat of a nature activist.

The gentle roll of the sea’s waves could be felt in every step as the models floated through the garden of Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (bathed in sunshine, for the first time this week). Sweeping poplin dresses, nipped at the waist, fluid relaxed trousers and crinkled skirts give way to gentle movement as models make their way down the runway. Elsewhere, exaggerated sailor collars and subtle stripes read explicitly nautical. The dusty blues, sandy beiges and crisp, clean whites underscore the seashore narrative whilst letting those exquisite silhouettes do most of the talking.

Then there are the pearls. “We’ve taken inspiration from these Korean women who pearl dive – they do it without any oxygen, which is really hardcore,” says Engelgaar. The imperfectly shaped pearls find their way into earrings and necklaces and, most notably, the pieces from Mark Kenly Domino Tan’s made-to-order atelier. Working with Swarovski, the garments feature upwards of 4,000 pearls and beads, hand-crafted onto peplum blouses, bags and crisp bandanas – as complex and delicate as the ocean itself.

Discover the full Mark Kenly Domino Tan SS24 collection below: