Stine Goya is a Copenhagen Fashion Week OG so it was a surprise not to see the brand’s name on the official calendar. “I think it is time to rethink a little bit,” said the designer, “and then of course we are also doing this big art curation project opening this fall in Jutland at the [Kunsten Museum of Modern Art], which is taking a lot of our time, and we think it’s so fun to get into the whole art world just for a change. It feels quite good to take a little break so that I can be a bit more personal.”
Visitors to the brand’s pink-walled offices were welcomed by a fantastical tablescape. On a whimsically painted tablecloth were plates of lemons, baguettes, bow-tied candle sticks, and hand-painted matchboxes. As the team was discussing their “woman,” Goya explained, “we started talking about how she’s personalizing her everyday life, the way she’s doing her table setting with matchboxes that she’s painting herself and how she’s a collector.” The idea of customizing is a timely one but not pushed much further than using unmatched buttons on a jacket; while a novelty cardigan festooned with matchbooks and candles (one with a 3D flame) that read more twee than cute. The larger issue here might be that this “character” being conjured is generic, in comparison to Goya herself, at a time when things personal (style, experiences, etc.) are increasingly valued.
Goya fans will be happy to see the brand’s checkerboard knits back, and this time they are delightfully fluffy. The peplums the designer is fond of appear on a micro-pleated set that has boho appeal. The mimosa-colored suit was cheery. Most directional was a cinched waisted brown leather jacket with a strong shoulder line. Then came the bows; a blue suit with black bows was certainly smart, but it was styled in the lookbook (featuring local artist and It girl Klara Kristen) with a matching bow bag that’s similar to others seen elsewhere. It feels like there are too many cooks in the kitchen who are intent on following the market’s latest trend recipes instead of serving up the house specialties.