October 8, 2025 |
Kiko Kostadinov SS26 made abstract work of curves and edges. Inspired by geometry – that of the female body, that is – Laura and Deanna Fanning shaped this collection with precise cuts.
The biggest inspiration for the collection came from American painter Christina Ramberg, known for her paintings of hulking and fragmented female bodes, with sharp edges and muted hues. Ramberg focused on fetishised body parts, zooming in on the female body in over-sexualised and controlled visuals, elements which defined the fabrics and shapes of the collection.
Patterns of diamonds and snakeskin in desaturated sage greens, earthy browns and cobalt blues, caught our attention first. Flannel pieces, like elements of the fragmented body, seemed to have been torn apart to then having been rearranged and Frankensteined back together again. Then came softer wool-like jackets and dresses, shifting into the brand’s signature suit jacket and trousers with strong shoulders and tailored bottoms and a roughed up tie around the neck.
The collection transitioned into patterned fabrics draped alongside each other, forming skirts full of motion, in warm and muted dark reds, blues, browns, and pale pinks and greens. Other looks challenged form and structure in dystopian ways, hips jutted out in exaggerated curves, with shaped cutouts along the chest and waist and balloon sleeves and trousers that tightened around the wrists, highlighting the curves and edges of the body.
Towards the end we saw ’60s and ’70s references, water-colour patterns blended into each other, fringe lay in rows over tops and dresses, with knee-high lace-up flats. Fabrics and patterns were stitched together in looks reminiscent of the freedom-defining hippie era.
It was femininity reimagined, restructured and built to last.
Photography courtesy of Kiko Kostadinov.
