We’ve been long time fans of AV VATTEV – the Bulgarian-born, London-based designer who has been dropping dynamic collections since launching in 2020. A Central Saint Martins graduate, the designer has had a quick ascension to becoming a focal point of London Fashion Week – with celebrities such as Pa Salieu and Maneskin being a fan of his dark and futuristic designs to name just a few.
From rockstar-inspired collections, which developed cutting edge silhouettes with an increased appreciation for sense of free expression that the 90s personified, to the brand’s London show earlier this year which took AV VATTEV classics and amped them up, AV VATTEV has proved that London still has something to be excited about.
Looking back through his visual archives and updating them with new techniques, design motifs and reworking silhouettes, AV VATTEV’s self-referencing examines the past through a futuristic lens: a dichotomy that has only been developed in its latest collection entitled ‘Icons of Mystery’. Here, he incorporates traditional textiles inspired by his Bulgarian heritage and blends them into futuristic yet wearable pieces that echo London’s underground club scene.
Unveiled digitally today, AV VATTEV has linked up with industry heavyweights Robbie Spencer and Lola & Pani, creating a distinctly editorial lookbook which showcases his keen craftsmanship and understanding of proportion, cuts and symbolism. Staples are revisited and refined: Harrington jackets are adorned with webbed panelling, and shirts and bermuda shorts are given the cable knit treatment in lime.
Elsewhere, softness is emphasised through the chiffons, gauze and billowing sleeves. However, not one to stick to a certain aesthetic, the collection is counterbalanced with a series of black leather pieces: high necked gilets, wrapped, asymmetric kilts and cuban heeled boots. Said to reference the sculptural works of Richard Serra, this inclusion also marks AV VATTEV as a designer who knows how to manipulate expectation.
Pushing further into the futuristic world he continues to manifest, SS23 may be AV’s most distinct and successful collection yet – continuing to combine “art, music, history and future into one universe”.
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