Although street style photos from the most recent shows show ample inspiration for this look, with an eclectic mix of colours, prints and fabrics, there’s one designer who has perfected this look – and made it part of the broader fashion vocabulary.
Hailing from Copenhagen – also known as the capital of dresses worn with trainers – Cecilie Bahnsen is the queen of mixing frivolous, feminine pieces and gorpcore elements like backpacks, hiking boots and fully functional sportswear. Her latest show, for AW26, presented a whole new chapter of this pairing, with a collection that asked the question: what does a ballerina wear to climb Mount Everest? Lace-y midi dresses and voluminous minis came along with leg warmers tucked into ballet trainers and high-tops. This dichotomy played out beautifully, showing looks that can serve as great inspiration for spring looks, as you patiently await these exact pieces to launch in stores.
A fellow Scandi brand, Stockholm-based Rave Review is always a highlight of Copenhagen Fashion Week, and their SS26 collection was full of fun spring dresses made out of deadstock and vintage fabrics. The pieces played with volume and structure, as models walked in running shoes that brought a level of real-life dynamism to the pieces. Paired with some practical trainers, even your most out-there outfits can look totally ‘normal’.
Umberto Fratini/Launchmetrics
Umberto Fratini/Launchmetrics