Mia Kappelgaard introduced a clean slate for Lovechild 1979 - and clean it was

With a few seasons under her belt as the new creative director of Lovechild 1979, Mia Kappelgaard pulls the brand in a more subdued but delicious direction.

LÆS DEN DANSKE UDGAVE HER

Lovechild 1979, Tuesday 8. August 2023 at 15.00, Pasteursvej 7, 1778 Copenhagen V

It can sometimes be difficult to look at a brand with a fresh perspective when a new design director arrives. I imagine it’s equally as difficult to be the design director. How do you preserve a brand’s DNA while developing it and bringing something fresh? Sometimes you just have to look ahead, wipe the slate clean, and move on. And that’s it. It seems Mia Kappelgaard has now done exactly that with Lovechild 1979.

Mia Kappelgaard took over the seat as creative director last summer from Founder Anne-Dorthe Larsen, with an SS23 collection that was made in collaboration between the two. Now she has singlehandedly made two full collections, and with today’s show there was no doubt that Lovechild 1979 is officially all Mia Kappelgaard’s. The collection was drawn in a much cleaner direction than we are once used to, and all colours, prints and patterns were subdued. A single shade of pink popped out between the otherwise completely beige, white and black styles – and there was no sign of prints.

The muted tones instead paved the way for a new focus on cuts and textures. A consistent – and quite literal – cut appeared in the form of the long slit across several designs. In the side of ankle-length, fluttering silk dresses, in the back (and sometimes the front) of narrow long pencil skirts, on the back of a long, quilted nylon coat, and on the sides of the romantic off-white skirt crafted in crisp cotton with small embroidered edges.

“Long” is also a keyword here, because, with the exception of a pink miniskirt and a short dress in dark grey leather, all styles fell somewhere between the ankle and down to the floor. Even two short skirts were styled respectively with wide trousers and a loose skirt underneath, which fluttered around the models’ legs. All in all it was a very comfortable collection with light fabrics, soft alpaca knits and the aforementioned quilted nylon.

But it’s not Lovechild 1979 without a little party in the street, even under Mia Kappelgaard’s reign. If not a more understated party, the pearl fringing on both trousers and the dress would definitely do well as a turning point. And ditto with the champagne-coloured infinitely shiny silk dress, detailed with a deep back and subtle frills. Many of the more muted looks were also spiced up with large pieces of jewellery and gold. Hanging pearls from the sleeves and buttonholes infused some extra zest and made it all a little more festive.

Although I miss a bit of the romance that is synonymous with the old Lovechild 1979, Mia Kappelgaard’s version is certainly not a bad substitute. It is delicious and smooth, and makes me want to be the type of person who always wears beige silk and never spills. Perhaps Lovechild 1979 is now moving in a direction that we have not seen them take before, a new direction that we have to get used to. But it’s actually quite okay. Clean slate, right?

See a selection of the show looks below and see the entire collection here.