Stine Goya closes Copenhagen Fashion Week from afar, wiith show-goers heading to Aalborg to witness an intersection of fashion, art and architecture
Stine Goya’s autumn/winter '25 show was a little bit out of the way. In an entirely different city, in fact. Held at the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, about a four-hour train ride from Copenhagen, the show realised a long-held fantasy for the designer: a true intersection of fashion, art and architecture (the extraordinary building was designed by Elissa and Alvar Aalto). The backdrop is an exhibition curated by Goya herself, ‘If You See What I See’, in which she took a personal approach to curating works from the museum’s collection. As the brand’s CEO (and Goya’s husband) Thomas Hertz puts it: “For us, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. How often can you find yourself in an amazing museum where you’ve done the exhibition and are at the same time working within you own area of fashion?”
To honour the space, which was awash in soft Stine Goya pink, the designer presented a collection that was big on painterly details and ambitious handcraft. She also drew on a big theme: the seasons. “We drew inspiration from the seasons and the impact it has on me, but also people in general,” says Goya. “It’s these delicate transitions between seasons and how you experience them.” Summer, for instance, is reflected in delicate ruffles and sun-bleached floral prints. Elsewhere, a decaying flower motif, which appears hand-painted on a standout silk shift dress, embellished with crystals, illustrates that seasonal change. Hook-and-eye closures allow the wearer to adjust garments to the changing weather and sturdier dark tailoring, with feminine nips, carries us through to fall and winter.
The nod to transitions in weather isn’t mere aesthetics; Goya also notes how climate change is flattening our seasons – a reality strongly felt in Denmark, where anticipating and embracing the four seasons is practically a way of life. “Here in Denmark you really feel the different seasons,” she says. “The fact that it’s actually changing now scares me a little.” There’s a reason why that aforementioned flower is wilted and half-dead, it’s petals poetically falling.
Meanwhile, in this exhibition, the paintings weren’t just hung on the walls; the models themselves were painted with the illusion of gloves and knee-high stockings, matching their looks. “In the beginning, I always used to have this crazy makeup with lashes and I slowly went into this very plain look, where you have to see the clothes,” says Goya. “I wanted to get back to the other way and create something a bit more artistic.”
In many ways, Goya has been building towards this show for a decade, oft drawing direct inspiration from artworks and collaborating with artists to bring her garments – and their signature prints – to life. “If you could have dreamt of anything 10 years ago, then it would be to be in this special setting where everything is crossing over,” Hertz says to Goya. “It seems like a long, long trip towards this.”
See the full Stine Goya autumm/winter '25 collection below.
