Rather than imagine a fictional locale or character, Kiko Kostadinov wanted to return to construction and materials for his fall collection.
He named as an influence on the season Dutch architect and Benedictine monk Hans van der Laan, whose practice centered on numerical ratios and the idea of a harmonious transition between humans and the natural environment.
Another clue that Kostadinov’s lineup would all about incremental changes was offered by a trio of large-scale cardboard-and-tape sculptures created for the occasion by American artist Oscar Tuazon, identical in their shapes but stood at angles from one another in the show space.
Long tunics and flowing pants that opened the show had something monastic to them, but a closer look turned up cunning constructions that gave them visual intrigue. Necklines looked sparse but had diamond-shaped plackets, folded-over gussets or pin tucks.
Sportier options such as anoraks and drawstring trousers leaned more sophisticated with such details, while a collarless blazers read as an easygoing option when cut from heavy jersey.
On a tailored wool coat, the ubiquitous item of the season, box pleats at the shoulder created a subtle cape-like volume on the back. Cuts on a shirt hemline allowed it to be tucked at the front while keeping an impeccable flat back.
Along with diagonal seams and eye-catching pocket placements, such tweaks were the only adornments seen this season.
At a moment where conversations grow around whether fashion should be quiet or loud, Kostadinov’s collection offered an attractive balance of subtle experimentation and salable potential.
