A longtime dream to show at Paris, Cecilie Bahnsen presents her first runway show in the French capital at Palais de Tokyo, bringing her modern Scandinavian interpretation of Parisian couture fabrics and techniques. Incorporating structural silhouettes into her romantic universe, building a dialogue of pieces to treasure and cherish.
The show opens with a reading of Tove Ditlevsens “Night Wandering”, capturing an ambient mood, playing with the balance between the real and unreal, transcending its audience. Reproduced with the kind permission of Tove’s family, the poem is translated for the first time into English by Michael Favala Goldman.
Cecilie first began to read Tove Ditlevsen’s poetry as a teenager. Later, in her 20s, she identified with Tove’s search to find her voice. Tove was a prolific chronicler of girls and women, writing fearlessly about their complexity and waywardness and struggle for a place in the world.
The poem is read by Danish experimental musician, composer and sound artist, Frederikke Hoffmeier, better known by her stage name Puce Mary.
The surrealistic and raw essence of the poem reverberates throughout the show, an industrial space left untouched and in its natural state, perfectly playing into the brand’s effortless approach. The mood of the poem is captured thoughtfully; that thrill of being on the streets at night with a lover, alone in the city, you and I together while the world sleeps, hand in hand.
Led by American electronic musician and producer, Laurel Halo, the soundscape is hypnotising, nocturnal, transformative. Careful choreography sees the models float in a dreamlike state.
It was important for Cecilie to embark on Paris in her way. To take the journey from Copenhagen and to bring some of her home with her. Tove Ditlevsen’s work has long resonated with Cecilie, from childhood. Now as a woman she continues to stay true to her foundations.
Alongside the show, Cecilie Bahnsen’s Parisian presence this season is complemented by a studio space in Le Marais, a reflection of Cecilie Bahnsen’s workplace in Copenhagen, and where Cecilie founded her brand and universe. A captured moment of the studio space, untouched, and reinterpreted through this Parisian lens.
“Kristianagade 14C is my second home, it is where I spend most of my time creating the collection with the team, where I launched the brand. I want to create a window and visibility into our creative mind. Show the sketches of how the collection is coming together and how we work. I want to share the honesty, a picture of a day in our studio.”
Opens March 3rd – to request a visit please reach out to rsvp@ceciliebahnsen.com.
Tove Ditlevsen
Tove Ditlevsen was born in 1917 and grew up in the working-class Copenhagen neighbourhood of Vesterbro. She left school at 14 and shot to fame in her 20s with her first book of poetry, “Girl Soul”. She wrote 11 books of poetry, seven novels and four story collections. Her trio of memoirs was published together last year in English as “The Copenhagen Trilogy”, praised by the New York Times for their “extraordinary clarity and imperfect femininity.” The writer Dorthe Nors called her the “Billie Holiday of poetry.” Tove took her own life in 1976.
Michael Favala Goldman
Michael Favala Goldman is a translator of Danish literature along with being a poet, educator and jazz clarinetist. Over 120 of his translations have appeared across literary journals. Among his translated works include Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen and most recently, The Copenhagen Trilogy by Ditlevsen as well.
Laurel Halo
Laurel Halo is an American electronic musician known for her stimulating and disorienting musical compositions. Based out of Berlin, she has released a number of works where she draws influences from the music out of Detroit, London and Berlin.
Puce Mary
Frederikke Hoffmeier, better known by her stage name Puce Mary, is a Danish experimental musician, composer and sound artist. She started her career in Copenhagen’s underground music scene. Today she lives and works in Paris.