Four technicolor rats with glass eyes stare at me. It’s Copenhagen Fashion Week, and designer Anne Sofie Madsen is walking me through the collection the day before her eponymous label returns to the runway. Madsen, who previously worked at McQueen and under John Galliano, is back from a hiatus she took to focus on her artistic practice.
The new collection, co-designed by creative director Caroline Clante (Spring 2026 is their first full collaboration), reflects that creative focus. The clothes are sentimental without being precious. Perfect biker jackets are reworked into corseted party dresses and mini skirts. Tubular flowers are sewn onto delicate dresses.
At the center of the runway sit beloved objects: old books, vinyl records, even a baby photo of Clante—things that are both trash and treasure. That emphasis on retooling is part of Madsen’s house style. “When we started this project, we knew we wanted to work differently,” Madsen says.“We wanted to allow ourselves to develop ideas we loved from last season.”
One of the most surprising pieces in the collection is a soft pink ruffled top. Madsen looks at it, amused. “It’s like Carrie Bradshaw.” Clante agrees. “It’s so cheesy but it’s right.” In cheesiness, there’s honesty. “We look at it this way—what are we longing for? The perfect little top to wear with fitted trousers.” What else are we longing for? A fab rat bag to go Ratatouille mode. Meet the Glam Rat Clutch: a high-gloss rodent turned it-bag, equal parts fashion and provocation.
Madsen’s fine art background is how she met multi-disciplinary artist Esben Weile Kjær, current king of the rat sculpture. Last year, the Danish artist debuted a pack of fiberglass rats at the Danish pavilion at the Gwangju Biennale, followed by golden bejewelled rats at a solo exhibition at the Solar System af Kunsten. Both sculptures are now at different museums. He shrugs. “The rats travel a lot.” Clante, obsessed with the gold rat, and Kjær—a fashion lover who has collaborated with Madsen before—offered to make a new one. This time, it’s a plush little thing in bright colorways, with a star on the zipper.
The trio share an interest in counterculture and a punk ethos. Kjær, petting a fuschia rat absently, explains, “It’s a celebration of glam and trash.” He gestures to the racks around us. “All of your clothes are so beautiful, so crafted/ It presents a pop contrast.” In juxtaposition to the careful and emotional collection, the rat is also democratic. “It’s an object that is not that expensive, that we can produce, and that people can actually get,” Kjær says.
Elevating the humble rat to a glam bag is perfect iconography for the moment: an animal reviled, yes, but resilient. Trashy, but chic. An urban survivalist. Cute—but also a contemporary art piece. And according to Kjær, “You can put in your iPhone, a pack of cigarettes, and a lipliner.” What else does a girl need?
