People are peering down, curious. Would you if you saw a massive crowd of a few hundred gathered below your building? C’mon. As is expected, their phones are out, capturing the scene on the ground. They do have the best view, after all.

But even from down here, everything is so beautiful. Beautiful in the slow-your-heart-rate kind of way. Peek through the colonnade, and you’ll see the octagonal square of Amalienborg Palace, home to the Danish royal family and anchored by Frederick V’s equestrian statue. Elsewhere all around, there are historical buildings and homes that once played host to this famous writer or that notable royalty.

In short, there’s no denying the historical heft of this district, where Baum und Pferdgarten – a major league player in Copenhagen’s fashion scene – operates its head office and where it has decided to showcase its spring-summer 2024 show, titled “A Postcard from Copenhagen.” Founded by Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave in the late ‘90s, this Copenhagen-born brand is perhaps one of the biggest success stories to come out of the city, selling brightly printed, romantic, and playfully feminine creations.

Last season, in a show titled The Royal Baumgartens, the duo pulled inspiration from Wes Anderson’s comedy-drama, The Royal Tenenbaums. This season, the mood board came from somewhere closer to home: the city of Copenhagen. Or more accurately, Copenhagen as seen through the fresh lens of a tourist, which the city has been seeing a lot more of lately – thanks to its design, history, fashion, and world-class culinary scene. So, really, with that in mind, this location — one of the most frequented sites on any tourist’s itinerary – is even more fitting. And an oh-so-pretty one to boot.

Taking to the Water.

“Copenhagen dreaming, Copenhagen time, Copenhagen mine!” A reimagined version of Love Shop’s ode to the city blares through the speakers. There’s no mistaking this love letter for anything else; Baum und Pferdgarten is letting everyone know that this is a tribute to the city – to its wooden-plank piers, open-water swimming, and gorgeous harbors. Walk through the city, and you’re bound to see Copenhagen-ers partaking in the coveted local tradition of sprinting to the sauna after an ice-cold dip in the water. And you won’t miss the tourists, in their obligatory boat ride down the canals of Nyhavn.

Copenhagen is known for its water-centric pastimes. “At the heart of Copenhagen is the harbor, which over centuries has brought in life and prosperity,” the show notes read. The nautical bent is strong. As models walk down the cobblestone street, I notice an abundance of Breton stripes, realized in cool, new ways. Like, a denim jacket-and-pants set, cinched by a rope belt festooned with glass seashell and starfish pendants (a collaboration with Copenhagen-based jewelry brand, Lemon Lua). Also present: blue pinstripe shirts and navy gingham outerwear.

More Souvenirs From the City.

Maritime references continue with denim sailor hats emblazoned with the word “Copenhagen,” and an overarching, gorgeous palette of navy and white. But not all references to the city were spelled out quite so vividly. A pastel-pink denim set bears soft, barely-there icons of the revered Little Mermaid statue in Langelinie harbor. Japanese cherry blossoms – a nod to the ones that bloom at the King’s Garden – appear throughout the collection, and even the city-wide graffiti is represented in prints and dreamed up into handbags.

In playing tourist in their own city, Rikke and Helle tapped into another aspect of Copenhagen that’s been garnering attention: fashion. Mainly, the elusive “Scandi girl” style – a can’t-put-your-finger-on-it mix of effortless and fun way of dressing, which has come to define Copenhagen-ites’ daily uniform. It boils down to clever individual styling, which Rikke and Helle try to channel with every look.

We see socks layered over lace, and skirts and dresses worn over leggings. We see ballet flats worn paired with calf-length socks and peekaboo underwear. “The collection puts forward the concept that there are no rules for dressing in Copenhagen: every individual dresses for themselves, for their surroundings and for their mood,” the show notes read.

‘I Love Copenhagen!’

The runway show is an exhilarating prelude to another celebration. As dusk falls, a huge after-party rages from the moment the finale is over. Everyone gets up from their seats, taking over the runway. Crowds of Insta girls, models and semi-celebrities gather in groups, chatting, snapping photos, and musing about the show. In essence, Baum und Pferdgarten’s show acts as a forum for its Baum family to come together, celebrating the city just as much as the collection itself.

If it serves any purpose, it’s to remind everyone of how much this city is adored by those who pass through it — despite its weather tantrums and impossible-to-pronounce language (at least for me). Having been here almost three times over the past year or so, it’s a city I’ve come to love almost equally as my own. And no, being the tourist-averse tourist that I am, I haven’t floated down the canal on a Netto boat or – gasp – seen the mermaid statue, but I’ve experienced the city in many other ways.

Just like Rikke and Helle have pointed out, there are no rules for dressing, and I’d argue, there are no rules for soaking in what Copenhagen has to offer. The city has so many personalities, that almost anything goes. You know, as long as it’s done with the right attitude. But tonight is about embracing the kitsch, and I’m buying whatever Rikke and Helle are selling – the Breton stripes, the glass shells, the “Copenhagen” hats. All of it.