At Cecilie Bahnsen, our approach to responsibility is a personal one, shaped by genuine beliefs and dreams. Although the path to responsibility is imperfect, every action, big or small, makes a difference. While we acknowledge that the products we put out have an impact on the environment, we strive to reduce their effect. As our universe evolves, we want our knowledge and transparency to evolve with it, building a traceable value chain, knowing all the people and places we have touched. We are dedicated to working with craftspeople in Europe to preserve the beauty of century old traditions and techniques, bringing the intricate details of couture into the every-day. Creating clothes to cherish, to keep, to share, to lend, to pass on. 

At ceciliebahnsen.com, our responsibility page is updated regularly, evolving in line with our progresses on this journey.

Cecilie Bahnsen is known for creating pieces that live beyond trends. Part of our mission is to extend the life of each piece by creating clothing of the utmost quality that stand the test of time. Launching in the beginning of 2023, Cecilie Bahnsen will be offering a repair service to support our clients in mending their precious garments to give each piece the longest life possible. We have selected highly skilled seamstresses in various cities worldwide to assist our clients in repairing Cecilie Bahnsens pieces when needed. This global network of trusted partners will ensure that transportation is limited between the customer and seamstress, in an effort to minimise long distance transportation to our head office in Denmark.

Debuted in 2020, Cecilie Bahnsen launched its Collection “Encore.” Created out of surplus fabrics pulled from past seasons, pieces are given a second life as they are shaped into enamoured silhouettes from previous collections. A thoughtful approach and launching throughout several points throughout the year, the limited capsule collections are developed as another step towards integrity and consciousness at Cecilie Bahnsen. The unique pieces are crafted in the Lombardy region in Italy or at our atelier in Copenhagen, Denmark. Implementing a made to order approach, no excess products are created prior the order being placed, ensuring resources are not wasted. 

In September 2022, Cecilie Bahnsen collaborates with Japanese Activewear brand ASICS to create footwear that is designed through a conscious lens. Finding a common thread through the importance of movement and well being, the pieces were first introduced alongside the runway presentation of the Spring Summer 2023 Collection. The limited range of styles were created using excess stock and were given life through Cecilie Bahnsen’s creative sensibility. Pulling surplus beading and embroidery from the brand’s archives, the design team carefully embellished each shoe using couture techniques. The result, a piece that felt entirely new, all created with existing materials. Alongside the creative projects, Cecilie Bahnsen and ASICS donate the proceeds from the sales to the international non-profit organisation, Right to Play. 

Producing close to home, all manufacturers that Cecilie Bahnsen partners with are based within Europe. Carefully sourcing luxurious and qualitative materials. Manufacturing with the highest standards in mind, cherishing materials and techniques. Our knitwear is produced in Italy and Romania, while our ready-to-wear is produced in Italy, Lithuania and Bulgaria. Fabrics, the starting point of our collections that blossom into the brand’s signature romantic silhouettes are mainly developed in Italy, in the Lake Como region. 

Women led and driven, from our supply chain, to our board room. 

Women play an essential role across our entire value chain from our team, to our collaborators, to our community. Many of our long-term manufacturing partners are led by women and are family owned, including two out of our four main factories. Creating for and working with every notion and idea of femininity is of the utmost importance. 

Nina Norgaard - Glassware Artist

Sophie Bille Brahe - Jewelry Designer 

Josefine Seifert - Photographer 

Lana Ohrimenko - Photographer 

Fumiko Imano - Photographer and Artist 

Cæcilie Trier - Musician 

Okay Kaya - Musician 

Laurel Halo - Musician

At Cecilie Bahnsen, we recognise that the industry as a whole must commit to championing diversity and inclusion. As a very first step, in 2023, we are implementing a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion policy which applies to all employees, collaborators and partners of Cecilie Bahnsen. Our Employees will be required to participate in awareness training, where the brand will continue to work with this subject to formalise targets in 2023. 

Cecilie Bahnsen was awarded the Butterfly Mark, a globally respected trust mark, in September 2021 by Positive Luxury. The assessment is based off of the highest standard of sustainability best practices across ESG+: Environmental, Social, Governance and Innovation. As our partner, Positive Luxury supports us in accelerating our steps towards becoming a more responsible company. In working with its community of brands, suppliers and retailers, Positive Luxury will continue to measure our impact across ESG indicators. 

Anti Modern Slavery and Human Rights Statement

With respect for human rights Cecilie Bahnsen requires all our suppliers to to comply with following policies and procedure in place to protect not only our employees, but workers in the supply chain and communities. We are committed to continue to review and strengthen our procedures on human rights and modern slavery issues, across our operations and supply chain.

Code of Conduct

This document has been shared and signed by all our partners that set out the ethical and environmental expectations of suppliers and partners. This document gives us the right to both announced and unannounced audits of our suppliers. Should there be identified a non-compliance with the Code of Conduct, Cecilie Bahnsen will together with the supplier agree on an improvement plan to rectify the matter in question. Should the supplier fail to address the matter in an appropriate framework, the collaboration will be terminated.  

In partnership with Norwegian company, CemaSys, Cecilie Bahnsen, began to measure its carbon footprint in 2021. As a result, we have continued to learn about our operations impact to ensure a baseline for setting targets for reduction. In gaining this knowledge, we will be able to share this information with our community as well as our ambitions for our environmental strategies in the future. Through measuring our carbon footprint, we can identify our highest emission sources, which allows us to implement an emission reduction strategy to reduce our environmental impact.

The procedure of collecting data is complex to implement, and therefore we began the procedure a few years prior of the reporting being mandatory. In doing so, we can ensure we have an effective and reliable procedure in place. 

For more information on CemaSys, please explore at: https://portal.cemasys.com/aboutus/ 

At Cecilie Bahnsen, we understand that the materials we work with will all ways have an impact to the environment and its people. As a result, we strive to increase the amount of certified fibres that hold a lower impact in our collections when possible. Our team continuously searches for solutions to source fabrics with a reduced impact, as well as finding possible substitutes for the use of virgin polyester. While we acknowledge that we still have long way to go, we have already begun by exchanging a number of our fabrics to certified fabrics such as Organic Cotton, Recycled Faille and Recycled Cashmere. 

Recycled Cashmere

- Cashmere is a natural fiber which comes from the Capra hircus Lanier goat. Cashmere has grown in demand in the industry and the environmental impact from the goats’ grazing has increased, leading to a degradation of grasslands.

- The recycled cashmere we use in our knitwear are made by using pre and post-consumer materials. 

- Recycled cashmere fiber has a lower environmental impact than the conventional option and decreases the volume resources that end up in the landfill.

Organic Cotton

- Since AW22 we have started to implement organic certified cotton into our main collections. Starting with SS23, all our woven cotton poplin fabrics used in our main collections are certified. 

- Our next step will be to swap conventional cotton from the rest of our products in our collection. 

- We have consciously chosen to use cotton poplin fabric that is certified organic to prevent the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. 

Recycled Faille

- In AW22 we moved from our faille being made out of 100% polyester to using polyester that is 100% recycled from plastic waste. In doing so we achieved a goal to minimize waste and using it as a resource in our Faille fabric. 

- We still use non recycled polyester in other fabrics, and are actively working in reducing this amount. 

Cecilie Bahnsen is committed to the safety of our people and environment across all operations. In addition to following legislature from REACH, Cecilie Bahnsen has a written manufacture restricted substance list that is currently being implemented throughout 2023 with all of our suppliers. Chemical management is essential to ensure that our suppliers throughout the supply chain are working towards reducing the use of harmful chemicals and protecting the environment.

In 2022, Cecilie Bahnsen’s headquarters moved to a new and reimagined space, allowing the brand to implement responsible efforts. In the fall of 2022, the building switched to renewable energy with the purchase of certificates to receive our energy from European windmills. The office is supplemented with automatic lighting that was installed to reduce the use of energy throughout the space. Catered lunches are offered to the team, provided by a nearby partner offering vegetarian meals, sourced locally and seasonally, limiting food waste.

In 2023 Cecilie Bahnsen has plans to set targets in reducing waste from our HQ.