In Pictures: Baum und Pferdgarten founders on their ‘love letter’ to individuality for AW25

‘Heartbeats’ is the title of Danish brand Baum und Pferdgarten’s (BUP) autumn/winter 2025, the presentation of which, having taken place during Copenhagen Fashion Week on January 29, was aptly accompanied by giant inflatable hearts that transformed the industrial interior setting hosting the show. The collection itself was described to be “a love letter to free-spirited individuality and the thrill of embracing what makes the heart skip a beat”.

As such, a sense of nostalgia was present throughout, with contrasting references to both the British countryside and more “retro and rustic times” brought together in a playful manner. Checks were layered with leopard prints, while textured knits and embellishments clashed elsewhere. Suits and structured vests intended to serve as “soft rebellions” in mesh and corduroy, blurring the boundaries of style, as a press release explained.

British tailoring and classic silhouettes, like the Harrington jacket, took on a renewed form in typically unseen materials, while patterned knits, cable stitching and tartan-inspired patterns further contributed to this ode to the countryside. While the founders and creative directors of BUP, Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave, are used to working with such elements, the duo told FashionUnited prior to the show that a new thing for them this season was the colour palette, in which a lot of green tones and fabrics were put to use, again touching on the British highland as inspiration. Plums and browns accompany these colourways, generating an earthy palette that brings out texture and pattern.

Akin to past seasons, BUP’s AW25 line does not fall short on its now synonymous take on the contemporary professional wardrobe. “We can see our customers are looking for an everyday uniform and pieces they can recognise,” Baumgarten and Hestehave said in the joint interview. “So we aim to do what we call ‘Baum classics’ but always with a new and exciting twist.”

These customers have been with the brand since its founding in 1999, when the two leading designers were in their 20s. According to the duo, fans of the brand have since grown with them. They explained: “There is no doubt that knowing your customer group is one of the most important things when you work in fashion. And we are more aware than ever of this. We design for the established woman who knows who they are and how they like to dress, but are always thirsty for a new and exciting piece to elevate their everyday wardrobe or a good occasion piece.”

Such a mindset has put BUP in a confident position in the industry, which for the past year has been tackling widespread difficulties brought on by macroeconomic factors. Alongside its flagship store in Copenhagen, and its e-commerce site, BUP can be found among many multibrand retailers, including Zalando, The Outnet, Coggles and Miinto. “We are so pleased that during these tough times in the fashion industry, we are able to keep our position in the fashion scene,” the designers said.

They remain strongly tied to the Danish market, however, and have retained a place on the prestigious CPHFW schedule season-after-season, making them regulars to the event. “We see CPHFW as the fifth fashion week,” Baumgarten and Hestehave said. “We are founded in Copenhagen and it is our favourite city in the world. We think it is important to support the local Danish fashion scene, which has, over the years, become like a family to us. It is a super creative place and we believe that the fashion scene here is the best it has ever been.”