Barbara Potts and Cathrine Saks know how to put on a show—and a party. This season all of their energies were devoted to the latter, in celebration of their brand’s first decade. Their blow-out bash was held at the Swiss Embassy in Hellerup, a suburb of Copenhagen. The location was meaningful in that the friends had spent a lot of time there as young adults; they have earlier presented a Swiss-themed collection, not to mention the venue has an ocean view. The designers imagined this as their “wedding party.” “Both of us are not married and we just felt like we needed to have some kind of a wedding in our life, and now it’s Cathrine and I,” Potts said, smiling, on a Zoom. And so there were speeches and a “bridal” cake. The food was by Frederik Bille Brahe, the entertainment included acrobats, face painting, and fireworks. The guest list, which Potts described as “quite authentic,” consisted of friends near and far and those connected to the brand; it was a who’s who of Copenhagen society that included the former Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and rising art star Esben Weile Kjær. Many guests wore Saks Potts pieces, old and new; these ranged from luxe, if unseasonable shearling, to light polka-dot chiffon. Omnipresent at the shows was the brand’s orange polo shirt from last spring.
Potts and Saks were teenagers when they started their brand. Well-connected and affable they had great success with their candy colored, fur-trimmed Foxy coats. As fur became unfashionable and the designers’ lives were changing, they pivoted to doing wardrobe-based collections. Today, they offer a core collection of classics that’s always available alongside seasonal offerings. Their recent work often has a utilitarian feel to it; think cargo-pocket pants but in suede or pressed-leather “croc,” with a loop for hooping earpods from, and shearlings that keep out the Danish winter chill.
The combined pre-spring and spring 2025 lookbook was photographed where the party was held to create a link between the anniversary celebration and the season. It was a nice, neat thought, though showing a Spanish-themed line up in the Swiss Embassy felt a bit dissonant. The pair had been looking at pictures both of Penelope Cruz’s ’90s style and of Rosalía, who has performed in the brand’s Foxy Coat. Unfortunately, the designers take on “Spanishness” felt a little reductive, boiling down to ruffles and red lace mantillas.
