Rotate - SS24

The origin story for Rotate’s spring/summer '24 collection begins in a beloved standard for international fashion folk: Hotel Costes in Paris. “We like that place – a lot. There won’t be a fashion week where we don’t go there, that’s for sure,” says Rotate co-founder Jeanette Madsen. “We were looking into the new collection and were very inspired by the whole...” co-founder Thora Valdimars hops in to finish the thought: “baroque”.

The tassels, the velvet curtains, the general sense of decadence – it was the perfect starting point for a brand that loves to let the good times roll. Shortly after the duo returned home to Copenhagen, the great Vivienne Westwood – a designer who revelled in turning baroque elements on their head – passed away. At once the collection turned into somewhat of a love letter to her. “Her whole persona and the way she built her brand was built on the contrast of the baroque and royal, very dark, detailed clothes, mixed with the punk scene,” says Valdimars. “Even in the way we dress ourselves, we love that sort of contrast.”

Presented in another luxe hotel, Hotel D’Angleterre, the collection revels in baroque-tinged contrasts. Cinched waists and floor skimming silk gowns. Elsewhere, baggy destroyed denim with sharp cropped jackets. Meanwhile, the stretchy suiting, a favourite of Valdimars, employs a masculine silhouette to emphasise the female form. Also on deck for the first time – surprisingly, given how very Rotate it appears – tulle. “We don’t work with leather or fur or feathers,” says Valdimars. “So we’re always trying to find this way to have an extravagant, elegant look – like feathers.” Tulle mermaid gowns, natch, but also tulle panties.

There’s an air of extravagance throughout the garments. Where there would normally be sequins, the girls opted for stones. As for those aforementioned tassels… yes, they did adorn a nipple or two. Closing out with Mona Tougaard, it was opulence at its finest.

Discover the full Rotate Birger Christensen SS24 collection below: