Sanne Sehested Serves Dirty Martinis At Gestuz AW '26 Runway For Copenhagen Fashion Week
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By PAGE Editor
In a season where Nordic minimalism meets metropolitan grit, Sanne Sehested’s Gestuz Autumn/Winter 2026 collection stood out at Copenhagen Fashion Week as a narrative in attitude, texture, and sartorial confidence. Hosted on January 28 at Tap 1’s industrial space along Raffinaderivej, the show turned the runway into a smoky bar scene — cocktail culture as haute couture — and redefined what eveningwear can feel like in the colder months.
Sehested’s vision, titled “Smoking Mirrors,” drew inspiration from the dimly lit liveliness of a 1970s New York bar — where a dirty martini isn’t just a drink, it’s a mood. Rich olive greens, earthy mahoganies, deep blacks, and worn denim formed the colour palette, evoking the very olive that inspired the show’s concept. Models didn’t simply walk; they took seats at a long bar built down the runway’s middle, glasses in hand, blurring the line between presentation and performance.
Tailoring With Grit and Grace
At the core of Gestuz’s AW26 story was powerful tailoring — silhouettes that suggest a reinvention of classic womenswear. Think broad-shouldered double-breasted wool coats paired with sleek trousers that could have been lifted from a Wall Street executive’s closet, reimagined here with a hint of rebel edge. Leather cropped jackets with structured shoulders added rock-and-roll bravado, while lace-up details and asymmetric cuts offered subtle nods to subversion.
Outerwear dominated, not just as functional armour against winter chill but as a style statement. From curly shearling jackets and teddy coats with oversized hoods to floor-length “fur” layers, the collection balanced practicality with playful, tactile luxury. These pieces — some cropped, others dramatically long — were ideal companions to both city streets and late-night soirées.
Texture & Accessory — The Devil’s in the Details
Gestuz’s ability to weave texture into its narrative was on full display. Sheer fabrics peeked from beneath oversized tailoring, softening the otherwise powerful silhouettes with a whisper of fluidity. Stirrup leggings and tights became part of the collection’s lexicon, pairing perfectly with pointed boots that hinted at motion and purpose. Accessories mirrored the collection’s concept in whimsical fashion — ceramic olive-shaped bag charms and bold, oversized necklaces provided a nod to both vintage kitsch and sophisticated playfulness.
The juxtapositions throughout the show — tailoring versus fluidity, structure versus whimsy, boardroom versus bar stool — captured a zeitgeist that feels both timeless and decisively modern. As Sehested herself suggests, these are clothes for multiple personas: the Wall Street power dresser, the downtown musician, the femme fatale, or simply the confident wearer defining the next chapter of her style story.
A Copenhagen Moment With a Global Pulse
While Copenhagen Fashion Week has become synonymous with cool-headed Scandinavian minimalism and a growing focus on sustainability standards, Gestuz’s offering reminded the fashion world that emotional resonance and narrative depth are equally vital. In an era of practical outerwear trends — from shearling coats to layered knits across the week — Smoking Mirrors stood as a theatrical, yet wearable testament to the playful sophistication of autumn/winter fashion.
In this season’s gestural blend of grit and glamour, Sanne Sehested didn’t just show clothes — she served a scene. And like any good bar story, people will be talking about it long after the lights dim.
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