A visual tone poem. That’s what watching the models at Mark Kenly Domino Tan walk their final round in the vast courtyard of the Kunsthal Charlottenborg felt like. There was serenity in the palette that went from cream to brown, and from gray to black. The natural tones were typical of MKDT and also fit the season’s theme of earth. The collection marked the third in designer Caroline Engelaar’s trilogy, which has included her musings on water (spring 2024) and air (fall ’24).
With this in mind, the circular pattern of the catwalk seemed to also represent the cycles of nature. A woven fringed fabric that looked a bit distressed, sort of like bark, was evocative of the living world, and models carried artworks made of straw by Sara Martinsen, which created a folksy, harvest feeling in contrast to the airy, dimensional floral appliqués that were used on the opening pieces.
Such a decorative touch was surprising to see at MKDT, where minimalism usually reigns. It doesn’t mark a new direction, but rather relates to this earth theme, according to Engelaar. The designer explained that she wanted something loose and unfinished, in addition to the fringed materials, that represented the wildness of the outdoors.
Countering that, and symbolizing the man-made, were tighter silhouettes, boat necks (see look 20, for example), and structured tailoring that nodded to the 1950s. Among the loveliest touches were the scallop edges that appeared as lapels and were used on bra tops. Overall, this outing felt different than the others in the trilogy, with more of an emphasis on prettiness and less on polish—not that the looks weren’t refined—but somehow the collection stayed on the surface rather than digging into the soil.
