Cecilie Bahnsen’s “Hana-Bi” Collection Is a Poetic Retrospective

Summary

The “Hana-bi” collection by Cecilie Bahnsen celebrates ten years of her label
The runway show featured archive fabrics reimagined in new configurations
Looks combined broderie anglaise with quilted silks and featured embroidered ASICS sneakers

At Copenhagen Fashion Week, Cecilie Bahnsen marked a decade of her eponymous label with a poignant runway presentation: “Hana-bi” — the Japanese word for “fireworks.” Set against the industrial sprawl of Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, the show reflected the brand’s trademark tension between fragility and strength.

A wash of luminous white opened the collection before transitioning into silver, a signature palette shift symbolizing evolution and renewal. Drawing on ten years of design, Bahnsen laid bare her archive, crafting a tactile dialogue between past and present. Broderie anglaise fronts met quilted silk backs, airy skirts revealed sequin briefs and familiar silhouettes appeared inverted or reassembled — each a sculptural ode to couture-level craftsmanship and quiet emotional power.

Fabric served as the narrative thread, with textiles such as Myrtia organza, Fiama fil-coupé and quilted taffeta from previous collections reimagined in new configurations. Most looks were conceived instinctively by hand, guided more by intuition than seasonality. Even footwear was embedded in this language of transformation: white ASICS sneakers – marking the brand’s long-standing collaboration – were reworked with embroidery, foil and deconstructed linings. The presentation unfolded like a physical poem, set to a haunting score by August Rosenbaum and Beth Gibbons, with models drifting through mist and light in painterly motion.

More than a retrospective, “Hana-bi” was a love letter to Copenhagen and a gesture of gratitude to those who have been part of the brand’s evolution. Select guests wore archive pieces, becoming part of the show’s living image, blurring the line between audience and runway. The collection is available for purchase directly from the runway or by private appointment at Bahnsen’s newly opened Copenhagen boutique. For more information, head over to the label’s official website.