September 20, 2025 |
Chopova Lowena’s SS26 show took place somewhere between a locker room and a fever dream. Guests balanced pickle-flavoured chips on their laps as mascots wandered past with trays, weaving through a front row sat on everything from battered office chairs to velvet pouffes. It was chaotic, homemade and completely intentional.
The collection, Cheerlore, riffed on high school spirit and Bulgarian folklore with the label’s signature sense of play. Pleated carabiner skirts came layered with varsity knits, puffy mesh tops and zip-off dresses that could switch from floor-length to thigh-high in a flick. Lace-up football bras and padded track pants made a case for contact-sport glamour, while chainmail panels and giant belt buckles nodded to traditional Karakachani jewellery and costume.
Pom-poms appeared everywhere – from oversized faux-fur jackets to tiny briefs – alongside 3D-printed cleat boots, jersey panniers and sculpted ball bags. Everything was amped up: trims, hardware, proportions, personality. The accessories were equally obsessive, including headphones carried in fleece versions of the Alto bag and Chopova-patterned water bottles strapped into leather harnesses.
The scent of the label’s new perfumes lingered in the air, as models stormed the runway. It was full-sensory storytelling with a sense of humour. This is team spirit, Chopova-style.
Photography by Christina Fragkou.
