{ Exploring Copenhagen }

Imogen writes about her trip to the inspiring city of Copenhagen:

I was lucky enough to visit Copenhagen in March 2013. The weather was supposed to be cold but improving - well, not when I was there! The entire city was covered under a thick blanket of snow and it snowed heavily for much of the 4 days I was there.

Although it was really cold, the snow actually contributed to my experience of the city. It did mean that walking the streets for any great length of time was difficult, which is something I normally love to do in a new city, however it forced me inside, into warm cafes, galleries, design shops and interesting looking buildings  - and it forced me to slow down and look at the people and think about how they lived in a big city in this cold climate.

The snow enhanced the fairy-tale / storybook feel that Copenhagen oozes. Mythical looking ships bobbed on the frozen black sea of the canals, the soft silhouettes  of snow cloaked trees lined the pavements, warm yellow light emanated from cafes and through windows. Above the snow covered rooftops wisps of smoke curled out of chimneys into the cold night air and sea birds navigated their way over the city like tiny flecks against the stormy sky. The whole city felt like it was covered in a fine magical mist.

I had always associated Copenhagen with great design - clean lines, simplicity, quality… and I knew that it could be a little bit quirky in its design style, but there is a wondrous fairy- tale almost carnivalesque atmosphere to the city as well. On every horizon line there are ornate spiralling turrets and church spires, picturesque buildings line the streets - many pastel coloured in soft pinks, greys and blues, and buttery yellows with rows of orderly little windows willing you to peek inside. Hanging street lights shine on cobbled stones of the pavements and make the snow twinkle, it has a romantic air with its bicycles, decorative buildings and the oldest operating amusement park in the world - Tivoli Gardens.

I thought, no wonder Hans Christian-Andersen was inspired to write so many fairy-tales!

On my return home, and upon reflecting on my trip, it seemed obvious that a modern day fairy-tale was to be the underlying inspiration for our collection this season.