The sun skitters over the sprawling stadium, bathing everything and everyone in golden light. Cool shadows lengthen into the evening. From my seat in the bleachers, I catch the full view of the Østerbro Stadium — with the Idrætshuset hall’s (the stadium’s imposing indoor athletic center) stretching out just beyond the green. If you’ve ever been to the stadium, for any game, you know why it’s easy to fall in love with the spectacle. The lights, the crowd, the drinks — every aspect of it is fascinating. And while yes, it’s not a game we’re here to see per se, the energy at Baum und Pferdgarten’s spring-summer 2025 show is just about the same. 

Oh, and there’s even beer. 

Pregame jitters arise as the stadium’s din quiets to a grumble. The event’s about to start. To the pulsing techno sound of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” the first looks march down the cobalt-blue running track — with a colossal screen amplifying every outfit detail. A red-and-white jersey peeks out from underneath a glossy coat, its sleeves pushed up in a let’s-get-down-to-business fashion. A striped button-down is worn underneath a casual red tee, all paired with a sheer sequined skirt. It’s a marriage of sports and office wear that feels cool and very much of-the-moment. 

During two and a half weeks of extraordinary Olympics performances, sports has dominated the conversation in the workplace. Boisterous exchanges fill open spaces. Whoops and groans erupt during post-work happy hours. “‘Office Olympics’ is all about merging the elegance of corporate wear with the dynamism of athletic aesthetics, creating a collection that is both functional and fashionable,” founders and creative directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave said in the press release. “We wanted to encapsulate the energy and excitement of the sports world and bring it into the office environment.”

the Big Leagues

It’s virtually impossible to talk about Danish fashion without mentioning Baum und Pferdgarten — one of the leading brands in the city. Rikke and Helle met while studying at the Royal Danish Academy; friendship and business overlapped when the duo decided to start their own company as fresh graduates. “Back then, the Danish fashion industry was much less diverse and creative and we couldn’t see ourselves working for any of the companies that existed — so we simply had to create the brand ourselves!” the duo told Coggles in an interview. 

But what to call the company? A medley of their last names, of course. That’s how Baum und Pferdgarten’s aesthetic was formed, too — falling somewhere on the spectrum between the bold and playful style of Rikke and the restrained, more minimalist leanings of Helle. Soon enough, the brand’s fun-but-easygoing garments became the uniform of every effortless cool girl. This season, however, the designers signal a clear shift away from the boisterous prints they are known for. There is a new and thoughtful sophistication to the colors and patterns that show up on the runway.

Refining Sporty Office Wear

Given the theme, this is understandable. Interspersed with pastel hues, we see a bevy of neutrals. Think: A decadent espresso-brown leather set. A gray pinstripe blazer and long shorts combo, finished off with sporty ankle socks. An off-white blouson jacket paired with a semi-sheer lace skirt. A casual hickory sweatshirt styled with, again, lace. There’s something interesting about that off-balance pairing of heavy athleticwear with dainty, see-through fabrics, which we’ve been seeing a lot of — both on and off the runway.

Stripes, too, are everywhere: dark on light ground, light on dark ground, multi-colored, thin and chunky, laid out vertically and horizontally. One look cleverly layers a striped sports jersey on top of a pinstriped button-down — a perennial office staple. The pale blue denim skirt ties together an outfit that aces the business-sporty vibe. So does the midi check skirt paired with a navy jersey emblazoned with “99,” a nod to Baum und Pferdgarten’s birth year. (The brand celebrated its 25th anniversary last season.)

A Touch of Glamor

Peppered throughout this lineup of elevated essentials, thoughtful staples, and tailored separates, there are more colorful and shimmery, party-ready offerings, too — if your sports-viewing hour turns into a classier affair. Rikke and Helle add a sparkly touch to an otherwise simple, everyday pair of long, loose jorts. Like those lace pieces, sheer sequined skirts are used to glamor-ify long-sleeved polos and tees. Elsewhere, we see a few denim numbers and one-and-done dresses, the most noteworthy of which combines all three ideas in one look: a sliver of office wear, a heavy dose of sports, and a sprinkling of glamor, thanks to a billowy, asymmetrical skirt. A personal favorite. 

Closing the show, the models line up alongside each other like a true sports team. Together, they walk triumphantly up and down the running track to a heart-pumping beat. But the evening is far from over. After Rikke and Helle take their bows and the models exit the runway, the stadium turns into a playground for the Baum und Pferdgarten afterparty. The music blares, and the beer flows as guests toast to a medal-worthy show I won’t soon forget.