If there’s one thing that ticks Kiko Kostadinov off, it’s the glamorization of isolated living in the outdoors – think YouTubers ditching city life to go build a cabin in the woods.
“Actually, in places like Eastern Europe, it’s not very fun to live in those isolated villages,” he said backstage after his fall show.
One thing worth admiring in his opinion is the make-do spirit at play in such areas. “It’s about having very little and being fine with it, making it work,” said Kostadinov. “Not just your clothes but being independent, by choice or not.”
That pragmatic spirit infused the collection. The designer revisited a wardrobe already built around practicality – think utility wear and vintage surplus finds – with a make-do-and-mend attitude.
A jacket looked like it was repurposed from a sweatshirt, the casualness of its raw edges belied by darts on the side subtly shaping it. Checked pajama bottoms were made hardier by leather trims.
Other garments were clever trompe-l’oeil collages meant to suggest layers through up to three different fabrications. Even motifs lifted from Hungarian bank notes and old documents looked like clever ways to refresh an old favorite.
Elsewhere, it was all about on-the-go tweaks such as tabs at the knee of tailored trousers that made the leg slimmer, or flat seams hiding removable sleeve elements on a vast overcoat.
Such deftly-executed details felt like reason enough to stick around town – until the collection hits stores at the very least.
