Charlie Constantinou is on a roll. Graduating from Central Saint Martins’ prestigious MA Fashion degree in 2022, the fledgling menswear talent made it to the semi-finals of this year’s LVMH Prize – impressing a distinguished jury with his durable collections that often lean into future-facing silhouettes. Having established an innovative quilting technique that both shrinks or expands around the body, Constantinou’s designs are spearheaded by functionality and adaptability – making him a perfect match for a collaboration with 66 North.
The Icelandic technical wear experts have tapped Constantinou to create a capsule collection which utilises deadstock fabrics leftover in the brand’s factories. “For me the basis of this collaboration was formed on the values that me and 66°North share,” says Constantinou, adding: “The focus of my work is centred around functional wear with a greater sense of imagination, and being able to break out of the proportions 66 North usually work with played an important role in the collaboration.”
Available exclusively at 66 North’s London flagship store, the collection sees Constantinou revisit and reimagine pieces from the brand’s extensive archive. Like a 30-year-old shell jackets, now created from 3M water-resistant textiles and equipped with removable hoods and extendable side pocket. Or 25-year-old running tops, now repositioned as knits that utilise techniques born out of Constantinou’s namesake label and feature Iceland’s lopapeysa pattern, also seen on balaclavas.
Heading out to Latvia to produce the collection alongside 66 North’s design team, the colour palette draws directly from the area’s landscape, utilising fabrics prepped and primed to protect wearers through extreme weather conditions.
The collection’s accompanying look book was shot inside the creator of a volcano in Iceland, and during a storm during which winds reached up to 50pmh. “The jackets are tried and tested, we know they work,” says Constantinou.
Charlie Constantinou x 66°North collaboration is available at 66 North’s London flagship store at 100 Regent St., London W1B 5SR. The collection will be available online at a later date.
