‘Function and fashion can coexist‘: Cecilie Bahnsen on her new ASICS collab

As the scope and pace of technological development increase exponentially, it can sometimes feel oppositional to slower processes of growth and creation found, for example, in the natural world or a traditional atelier. The concept of ‘hi-tech’ can seem somehow at odds with craft and beauty, yet these qualities are brought together in ASICS’ much-anticipated ​​women’s model of its Gel-Quantum 360TM VIII. 

The cutting-edge Japanese brand has once again collaborated with Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Bahnsen to reenvision this beloved sneaker. Drawing on the traditions of fine French couture and the design culture of Scandinavia, Bahnsen’s eponymous label was founded in 2015 with the guiding principle of juxtaposing time-honoured techniques and handcrafting with the designer’s vision of a contemporary take on femininity. Combining ASICS’ state-of-the-art technology with Bahnsen’s “everyday couture”, ASICS x Cecilie Bahnsen reimagines the Gel-Quantum 360TM VIII in sandal form to create footwear that is highly functional yet elegant; luxurious yet wearable. 

The women’s Gel-Quantum 360TM VIII launched on June 20 during men’s PFW. Located at 7 rue Froissart in the heart of the upper Marais, the ASICS x Cecilie Bahnsen pop-up was a haven of tranquillity. Running for three days, the space offered refuge from the frenetic activity of fashion week and the city’s preparations for next month’s Olympic Games. With its calm minimalist design inspired by ASICS’ Japanese heritage, every detail was informed by the brand’s concept that movement is a journey and their belief in the transformative power of movement on the mind.

Over two floors, the Pop-Up was decorated in a serene colour palette of white hues, with draped curtains offering a sense of softness and movement to contrast with the clean lines and geometry of the gallery space. Combining classicism and modernity, it was perhaps the perfect location to launch a sneaker which celebrates the couturier techniques Paris is famed for with futuristic technical expertise ASICS’ is similarly renowned for. 

Below, we talk to Cecilie Bahnsen about her philosophy behind the latest in an ongoing series of collaborations with ASICS, pushing the boundaries of design, and the juxtapositions that inform her designs. 

Can you tell the story of how you and your brand are associated with ASICS?

Cecilie Bahnsen: I’ve always been drawn to the juxtaposition between femininity and elements that are more technical and sportive. I find inspiration in how I see my clothes being worn in real life, by the girls in our atelier and our community around the globe, often pairing a billowing dress with functional trainers or a delicate organza skirt and chunky sandals. So, it felt like a natural decision to collaborate with ASICS, finding common ground between our two distinct universes. This is our third collaboration and, with each project, we continue to push the boundaries of what we can achieve together.

As a label specialising in womenswear, how were you able to incorporate your own unique brand identity into the timelessness of Asics’ sneakers?

Cecilie Bahnsen: The flower is an important motif that we continue to reference in new ways over the seasons. For this sneaker, it stands as the perfect symbol of our collaboration: an organic, feminine notion, crafted from a rigid, sportive material. We also wanted to completely reimagine this sneaker into a sandal, which allows for creative styling and layering with socks and tights, which is how we love to wear our own shoes.

“It felt like a natural decision to collaborate with ASICS, finding common ground between our two distinct universes. This is our third collaboration and, with each project, we continue to push the boundaries of what we can achieve together” – Cecilie Bahnsen

The brand is known for its sculptural silhouettes with couture techniques, how were you able to translate this into the collaboration?

Cecilie Bahnsen: Just as when we design our clothing collections, the process starts in our Copenhagen Atelier, experimenting and iterating. We always seek to find unique ways to use our signature techniques of layering and embellishment and incorporate them into the trainers. 5D print overlays and two-tone mesh create depth and texture, which are important to our visual language and design DNA.

How did you marry the technical and the functional to Cecilie Bahnsen’s vision of femininity?

Cecilie Bahnsen: Technicality and functionality are essential to everything we create. Even if a dress is crafted from seemingly endless meters of fabric, when you put it on, it has to feel easy. I have always said that my clothes are meant to be worn and not to be precious about. You have to want to wear it and live in it. For this collaboration, we are simply applying these principles to a trainer. Rather than exclusively using couturier techniques, we get to tap into ASICS’ technical expertise which is always exciting and we get to learn a lot from that. This collaboration continues to exemplify how function and fashion can coexist.

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