Natasha Zinko looked camp right in the eye for SS24 — but not that kind of camp. Tents were set up in Soho Square for the occasion to showcase her collection aptly titled “The Camp.”
“Where am I? Who are these people? Where am I going? Who am I? Why?” the designer asked herself according to the show notes. The answer came down to one single fact: our ability, as humans, to adapt. “The Camp” was a visual translation of transient beings, from our origins of travelling by foot to the modern day transportation systems. The one thing everyone needs when travelling is a bag. We saw all sorts of backpacks, a backpack graphic on a knitted jumper, an XXL camo-printed _ bag, gasoline tanks accessorised as bags, and even a front and back backpack used as a shirt.
Camo was a recurring pattern this season, from the actual tents placed around the park to the clothing, including a grey print on a hooded zip up. Let’s be honest, airport fits have died and no one looks their cutest while travelling, so the ability to blend in with your surroundings is key while being on the go, as much blending in as you actually do with camo.
This season, we saw Natasha Zinko go full dystopian, not in spirit but in aesthetics. Tees were thrown on as they could and jackets saw their hoods not on models heads but trailing down their backs, perhaps a nod to how messy packed clothing gets in a suitcase. Fabric was slashed, torned and slung as it could be, pointing to the lack of resources when attempting to travel light.
The accessories in this collection felt both elevated, with NZ silver hair clips, and relaxed as ever, with flip flops being the go-to footwear and also seen hanging from bags. We also saw knee-high boots with plenty of storage, the ultimate currency of travel excursions.
Despite all us travelling different directions in our lives, similar to how we’ve been travelling from West to East and back to West London this Fashion Week, one thing that unifies us Natasha Zinko’s eyes: underwear. No matter what anyone wears, they’ll always (hopefully) have underwear on. This idea was pushed to its furthest extreme by several looks, one consisting of a bra attached to a skirt to make a dress made entirely out of men’s briefs stitched together.
“The Camp” was a story of travelling for the designer herself, as she explored new avenues. The ‘Hulk’ abs that we’re centre-stage last season came back in a more subtle way (no more green, just greys and blacks), but the collection on the whole felt like a step in a different direction for Zinko. Whether or not this was a temporary pit stop or the final destination is a question that will be answered next season.
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