Munthe - AW23

Art often plays a significant role in Munthe's collections and this season is no different. This time around, the brand turned the attention on American painter Georgia O’Keeffe's characters and work: the blooming flowers, the personality, the diverse colour palette, the textured layers, and the uniform dressing. "She was very unusual for her time," muses Naja Munthe ahead of the runway show. "She was very much ahead of her time." For the autumn/winter 2023 collection, Munthe also teamed up with Taiwan-born artist Una Ursprung. "We try to choose a print aligned with the collection," says the designer. "Her art is very, very beautiful." The soul-soothing floral prints bloom on silk sets, pleated skirts and sleek '90s-inspired dresses.

There's a certain calm in the dusty colour palette: "We took inspiration from O'Keeffe for this as well," says Munthe. Winter white, black, army, burnt umber, camel, and powder rose blossomed in silk prints and tailored suiting, offset by details such as brocade and silver brooches. "It is not a very colourful collection," she asserts, "it is more toned down."

Looking at photos from O'Keeffe's life, Munthe pin-points the artist's stylistic change following a trip (more an inspiration mission) she took to Japan. When she returned to America, she would almost exclusively wear Kimono-style robes, Naja Munthe explains, saying that "her style became very Japanese-inspired." A stylistic choice Munthe carried into the collection is seen in the construction of sleeves and how a jacket folds.

Beyond these inspirations, the collection offers pared back staple pieces, including a tailored suit, a longline coat, the perfect pair of jeans, and an everyday collar shirt. Merging details derived from O'Keefe – along with Ursprung's prints, a myriad of accessories and graphic check prints – it all blends into a creative cocktail in which to transition into the new season.

See the full collection below: