I’m hoofing it down Vognmagergade in central Copenhagen, where, it seems, a cooler-than-thou crowd hovers in front of every other storefront. (Fashion week, amirite?) I’ve been down this road before, not only because it’s just a hop and skip away from my stay here, but also because it’s home to Baum und Pferdgarten’s knockout of a shop — and my own personal happy place. That founders and creative directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave have chosen a venue just across from their headquarters to host their fall-winter 2025 show at Copenhagen Fashion Week is, I’m sure, imbued with meaning.

Stepping inside from the cold of the outdoors feels like a warm hug. The space is raw and industrial — complete with brick walls, large circular lights, and exposed piping overhead. In the corner, massive heart-shaped designs are inflated to the height of the ceiling, delivering a warm glow of red light. Again, like a hug. Unlike last season’s show, which took place at a sprawling stadium, this outing feels more intimate, more welcoming, more enveloping. 

“Maybe we could make it happen, baby,” Swedish singer Robyn’s dance-floor heartbreak hit, “With Every Heartbeat,” marks the start of the show. Another wave of nostalgic warmth washes over me. (Oh, my heart, be still!) Against the backdrop of two massive inflatable hearts, out come the opening looks: a perfectly tailored suit vest and pants, and a black bracelet-sleeve jacket-and-skirt ensemble. These are the kind of elevated working wardrobe staples that you would wear on repeat. They’re cool, and they’re unfussy. Out of the gate, it’s a solid beginning. 

With Every Heartbeat

Where do designers get their inspiration? Oftentimes, it’s nature, art, history, personal experiences, or even the everyday details of the world that trigger ideas in the creative mind of a designer. This season, Rikke and Helle searched and searched for a concrete source of inspiration, which didn’t come. “It was difficult for us this time, to be honest,” Rikke told Vogue Scandinavia. “It has something to do with the surroundings and the world — it seems everything around you is falling apart.” But sometimes, ideas are conjured by mood and by feelings — and that’s exactly what the duo eventually leaned on for this season’s collection. 

They decided, simply and straightforwardly, to listen to what gets them excited — to what lifts their heart rate just a little bit. “We wanted to create a collection that feels personal and expressive, full of pieces that resonate and inspire creativity in how we dress,” the designers said in the show notes. As a result, the collection ends up being more of a well-crafted, mix-and-match vision of clever pieces than an easily categorizable style: effortless-to-recreate sets, flirty dresses, and day-to-night sequin separates. The duo also show an assemblage of outerwear handled with a deft hand, with highlights including a striking moss-green topper with roomy patch pockets and shearling collar and cuffs.

Prints Aplenty

“Heartbeats is about capturing the thrill of what makes our hearts beat, the quiet charm of the British countryside, and bold, nostalgic elements,” the designers said in the show notes. And is there a bigger, more timeless emblem of true Britishness than the Harrington jacket? We see several iterations of the iconic jacket, cut into flattering silhouettes that finish just below the hips. The designers also translate their love for the British countryside with patterned knits and a stellar mackintosh coat. A flirty bubble-hem miniskirt is rendered in a tartan-inspired print. 

Elsewhere, leopard prints roar. They’re carried out in a double-breasted coat, a jacket, a versatile hooded dress, and a fit-everything-in clutch. Camo prints, too, make a bold statement on the runway, with jackets and skirts featuring the pattern, adding a touch of rugged edge to the collection. All of this could easily overwhelm, but it doesn’t. Grounding this mish-mash of patterns, prints, and ideas, is a warm, earthy palette of browns and olives. To me, however, the color that stands out most is a deep, satisfying purple — like the rich, winey flesh of a plum. 

A Few of Their Favorite Things

Throughout the collection, the details sometimes steal the show, like that aforementioned bubble hem, columns of bows on dresses, and playful lace peeking out from under hemlines. Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention the brand’s collaboration with artist Lulu Kaalund, who’s a longtime friend of the brand. “The inspiration came to me very naturally when I first saw the collection,” she said in the show notes. “My process is very organic and instinctive, which also feels true for the Heartbeats collection,” she said. Lulu’s abstract crochet creations resemble an aerial view of a patchwork of farms sprawling across the countryside, forming a grid-like pattern. 

The artist’s work brings a new inflection point to the collection: a body-hugging strapless dress and a flirty skirt that bounces around buoyantly when the model walks to the pulsing, almost heart-thumping beat of Robyn’s hit song. “My connection with Baum und Pferdgarten has always been close, so working on this felt like a natural extension of that,” Lulu said. “Each piece was made specifically for the collection, as a little kiss from me.”

“And it hurts with every heartbeat” The song takes on a more euphoric, danceable energy as the models — a mix of industry models and friends of the house, both familiar and new faces — march down the runway together. I’m not sure if it’s the music, the flashes of optimism in the clothes, or the smiles tugging at the corners of the models’ lips (despite trying to maintain a straight face), but there’s something about this moment that makes my heart flutter a bit — and dare I say — skip a beat.