Cecilie Bahnsen RTW Spring 2023

It seemed like a stroke of luck — the sky opened up as guests arrived to view "We" by Cecilie Bahnsen Are Water" collection Wednesday, the only day of the week in Paris without a rain forecast.

Inspired by Yoko Ono's 2013 retrospective at the Louisiana Museum in Denmark, Bahnsen's silhouettes rippled in the court of the Paris Mint, comprised of asymmetrical layers, many punctuated with wavy patterns made from uncut fil coupé jacquard fabrics.

The set, consisting of glasses filled with water and vases commissioned from the artist and blower glass designer Nina Nørgaard, represented the team effort involved in creating the collection, explained the designer in a preview.

Bahnsen's dreamy yet quirky iconic dresses immediately turn heads on the street - and how they're styled by her cool girl following in real life has been a key inspiration this season, she said. Her "intentionally imperfect" dresses - many with contrasting sleeve detailing - were layered with airy organza aprons, lightweight ribbed knits and a new addition, Japanese denim.

Denim pieces came in the form of thick wide ivory trousers and a pretty jacket cut and gathered at the waist, almost like a blank canvas under or on which to apply her ethereal creations. Crinolines gave structure to modern hoop skirts that danced around, while lighter ones seemed to float down the runway. Bahnsen's familiar floral motifs have meanwhile found their way onto more experimental pieces in a silver fabric made from recycled paper.

Collaborations this season included the brand's continued tie-up with Mackintosh, which yielded a chunky ball sleeved a pastel blue overcoat, perfectly cut to match one of her dresses on a rainy day, plus a teaser with Asics that saw the designer add whimsical touches like floral embroidery to 50 pairs of unsold sneakers . A larger scale project is planned for next year.