Aknvas Spring 2027: Life Is a Fairy Tale

by · WWD
Aknvas Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear CollectionCourtesy of Aknvas

Christian Juul Nielsen is a fan of fairy tales. So much so that the designer behind Aknvas decided to make Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans” the inspiration for his spring 2027 collection.

“I love listening to audiobooks of tales like these on Spotify all the time, they’re so inspiring,” he said during a backstage preview minutes before his show in Chelsea on Friday. For this collection, named “Swans Before Innocence,” the line was divided into three acts: Eleven Shirts, Forest Nymph and Wild Swans.

In Eleven Shirts, Nielsen’s love for shirting shone through an assortment of mixed-striped cotton fabrics, often seen in classic shirting, updated with floral and swan embroideries done by hand. A hint of sparkle added whimsy to the shirts, which the designer refers to as “elevated daywear.”

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Moving more into fairy-tale-land, the Forest Nymph section took inspiration from part of the Andersen tale that sees women living in nature as one with the earth. Here, floral rain jackets were paired with miniskirts, while denim took on ruffles and sculpted volume evoking the look and feel of a ballerina’s skirt.

Nielsen admitted that this season, the team spent a lot of time developing the denim range, including its special “washover” effect. The denim pieces were trimmed with a new leather patch that features two swans and the Aknvas logo. Aside from the washed-out denim, there were true blue versions. “I’m really fascinated by working with denim,” the designer said.

Florals were also heavily present here, both in embellishments on coats and adorned atop sheer layers. Models were also seen carrying oversize rustic bouquets in the brand’s range of leather tote bags as well as a handmade raffia bag adorned with an oversize swan motif, which served as a nod and callback to the Andersen tale.

Finally, the romantic Wild Swans overture began with asymmetric-cut lace gowns drawn up with ribbons. Next was a playful range of sweeping high-low skirts that formed clouds of tulle in the model’s wake. The airy skirts, which took similar design cues from previous high-low gowns seen in the designer’s resort 2027 collection, aimed to suggest the movement of wings. “I wanted this section to be very dramatic,” Nielsen.

Indeed, drama fit for a fairy tale.

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