With fashion shows, some designers make exquisite presentations of functionally wearable garments and others push this needle a bit further. Han Kjøbenhavn’s founder/creative director Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen represents the latter as his recent Fall/Winter 2023 collection uncovered a brooding exhibition of sculpturally enchanting fashion.
Titled “Chthonic Penumbra,” Davidsen’s latest during Milan Fashion Week found the beauty in both darkness and undaunted design freedom. Fit for a future dystopic society, collection garments came to be via curved silhouettes, ultra-straight silhouettes, warped detailing, bodycon fits and eye-catching textures. A cardinal red cropped vegan leather jacket with razor-sharp shoulders and elongated cape sleeves created the allure of scary seduction – also showcasing a desire for refined constructions. Vegan leather proved to be a central collection fabric as other pieces like bodycon mermaid dresses, overcoats and coordinating sets graced the runway in shades of slate gray and crisp white.
Other textures like faux fur, feathers and silk were livened by garments like an elaborate crow-like full-body exaggerated turtleneck dress and a sculptural ruched dress with a short train. Other dresses included layered cutout numbers or brutalist sheer moments. Although dresses remained a strong point throughout, two collection highlights stood particularly tall. The first was a completely white ensemble consisting of a feathered sculptural waist-length jacket with a sheer calm mermaid tail dress. Stealing the show was a gunmetal-hued curved sculptural bodice/headpiece top that was paired with a floor-length structured vegan-leather skirt. What made the collection reach its fullest potential was a collaboration with the upcoming game, Diablo IV – seeping into select pieces and the exhibition’s overall style.
“Working with Blizzard Entertainment is one of the most natural collaborations that I have ever done,” said Davidsen. “We share visions, aesthetics, and creative views, which has made it such a joy to work on this. The visual expression in the game and how I work have a lot of similarities and that has given me the opportunity to really combine the two worlds and the emotions attached.”
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