Munthe when Naja is at her best
Naja Munthe unleashes her inner horse girl in a fine, cohesive collection with a few western references that make wearing denim a little more fun.This show review was translated from Danish to English by Graham Addinall.
LÆS DEN DANSKE UDGAVE HER
Munthe, Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 11.00, Bella Arena, 2300 Copenhagen S
Naja Munthe may have been a little upset when she saw the reports from men’s fashion week in Paris in mid-January. Here, she had been working for months on her collection and show concept, which is based on her lifelong passion for riding, and then Louis Vuitton’s new creative director Pharell Williams shows his take on luxury-meets-prairie, complete with widescreen background film of galloping cowboys and Native Americans on the runway.
She didn’t have to ponder that now, because even though Naja Munthe showed videos of blood-red sunsets, cacti and characteristic rock formations cut together with freely running horses in slow motion as a backdrop in Bella Arena, her collection had a completely different focus. The all-consuming interest in life in and around the stables has given her an inner peace since childhood, and she wanted to channel it further in a story based on denim to show how the indigo favorite can be used in new, relaxed ways.
It can easily end in clichés if the inspiration is based on pure classic western style, but she balanced just fine between a down-to-earth Danish look and an urban reinterpretation of the American lifestyle around the Rocky Mountains. She made a strong statement with a suite of soft, baggy double-waisted jeans paired with feminine quilted jackets in the new logo pattern or more boxy masculine jackets and darted waistcoats. This was followed by a really well-fitting midi skirt with a fixed hip piece in darker denim and a reinterpretation of skinny jeans – which Naja Munthe believes will make a comeback and have a place alongside the wide trousers – made a little city cool with a leopard print blazer.
She has borrowed the twists you often see as stitching on real cowboy chaps and blown them up to super sized as embroidered decoration on pastel soft wool sweaters, or minimised them again as stitching on pointy ballerinas and some very elegant boots with thin heels that are miles away from probably authentic, but slightly clumsy cowboy boots.
She makes no secret of the fact that she has also watched the TV series Yellowstone about ranch life in Montana, so it is perhaps with the fictional Beth Dutton in mind that another large part of the collection is dedicated to feminine blouses and dresses with a little rebel in the side seams. They were in modern ecru coloured lace with a slight puff sleeve, without any Little House on the Prairie vibe going on in them, and a little tougher worn with black trousers and mini and maxi skirts. The most beautiful, however, was a small series of indigo blue and beige sequins in large, graphic pieces such as a midi skirt with a buttoned-up denim shirt and a short sexy evening gown with a built-in lace petticoat. They would be worthy of a wedding for the aforementioned Beth. On the other hand, there might have been a little too much rodeo in the crystal fringes on a denim jacket with jeans or a mini skirt, but the overall impression is a Munthe collection at Naja’s best.
See a selection of the show looks below and see the entire collection here.
