With a minimal, technical approach to his collection last season, Kiko Kostadinov really let himself loose with this FW25 collection. Whether it be his eagerness to be more maximalist for a change or a ploy to add more colour and playfulness to an otherwise drab world at the moment, this new collection brings a sense of liberation to what feels like a restricted offering at this year’s Fashion Week schedule.
It looked like this collection pushed the limits of his imagination, taking fragments from several different references and environments and Frankenstein-ing them to create something that was entirely new yet still managed to be emblematic of his design language. To let the clothes really talk, the show set was kept simple: an assembly hall with brown, Autumn leaves scattered around the floor as audience members were seated on wooden chairs.
The show started with outerwear pieces that had signature Kiko details like asymmetrical closures, high-neck collars and a sharp-collared blouson silhouette that were given some added flair with plaid patterns that are mixed and matched. A standout straight off the bat are the new Asics collab that, with their bright colourways and high cut, take centre stage and, upon closer inspection, feature a tabi toe box that’s sure to send fashion TikTok into an absolute frenzy. It’s an athletic take on a silhouette we all know and love that takes more the Japanese brand’s 1950s archive rather than its contemporary, Margiela counterpart.
There’s also a certain preppiness to the collection, with a lot of button-up shirts worn in an almost uniform-like collegiate fashion that, paired with a tie at times, bring a boy-ish charm. This idea is further enforced by a school-like emblem that can be found on several pieces like the knit sweater with striped hits on the neck and hems. All of this still remains in the Kiko Kostadinov world with the implementation of bohemian patterns and darted cuts that show off the designer’s elite pattern cutting abilities.
A clear nod to military wear is also present throughout the collection, with Hungarian army boots featured in a lot of looks as well as more traditional references like military blazers and motorcycle jackets to round off the collection that have been refined from last season. These orthodox shapes are reimagined and transformed with modern cuts, western-inspired patterns and unorthodox fabrics to really reinforce this idea of assemblage and the merging of composite garms.
It’s a season filled with juxtapositions and deep referencing, complimented by Kiko Kostadinov’s immaculate pattern-cutting and colour work that really shows his growing maturity with each collection and, this one, is no exception.
Featured image via Kiko Kostadinov©
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