This season, Stine Goya was inspired by an era in which “artists, writers, and thinkers were all influencing one another, ideas moved freely across disciplines, and there was a real sense that the rules of creativity were being rewritten.” Though it’s a description that could easily apply to contemporary Copenhagen, the designer is speaking of the year 1913, as depicted in the book “1913: The Year Before the Storm” by Florian Illies.

Photography by James Cochrane

Told through the eyes of artists and politicians, scientists and entrepreneurs, it documents the year before World War 1, month-by-month. “It felt like a moment of incredible possibility, where people were experimenting, collaborating, and imagining new ways of making and presenting their work,” says Goya. “There was also this quiet anticipation, a feeling that something significant was about to happen, even if no one quite knew what it would look like.”

The spirit of collaboration manifests in every look. Take, for instance, the floral miniskirt, jacket and shift dress embellished with 100,000 hand-applied beads. Elsewhere, prints come to life via craftspeople specializing in intricate embroidery, the motifs themselves created by artists or, more often than not, Goya’s own hand. Idyllic blooms, pastoral landscapes and ladylike puff-sleeved dresses are offset by playful sparkling bra tops and playful geometric hats.

This notion of cross-pollination has been central to Goya’s universe since she founded her eponymous brand a decade ago. “For me, the most exciting creative moments often happen when different perspectives meet,” she says. “There is a special energy that comes from building something together, and we wanted the show to capture that feeling of anticipation, curiosity, and the sense that something new is about to emerge.

Photography by James Cochrane