Strength and Vulnerability at Kiko Kostadinov

March 06, 2024

For their FW24 collection, Kiko Kostadinov is all about balance and dichotomy. Showing in Paris, twin sisters and designers Laura and Deanna Fanning play with hard and soft. Regarding their conception of “The Kiko Kostadinov woman,” this collection is meant to exist at the “tipping point of her strength and vulnerability.”

Some looks featured pastels and draped sheer fabrics, others featured stiff, armored silhouettes and earth tones. There’s something that feels vaguely geometric about this season’s work — from graphic distortion to fabric sculpting and anatomical augmentation, the entire collection is a game of the eye. But that doesn’t mean the pieces aren’t wearable. A three-piece denim suit comes out of a collaboration with Levi’s and the debut of the carry-all Mezulari bag is a stylish take on the utilitarian messenger. Kiko Kostadinov sums their work up best: “A variety of desires play out; intact or wounded, tender or aggressive serving as distinct markers of vulnerability within us.”

By Izzy Capulong
Photography by Boris Halas

Check out the looks below

Fashion

Thailand's Treasures: PHET-CHA-BUN

November 19, 2023

Fine jewelry designer O Thongthai, renowned for her creations, embarks on a deeply personal project in collaboration with long-time friend and director Ciesay. Their inaugural film collaboration, 'PHET-CHA-BUN', takes viewers on a sensory expedition to an undiscovered Thai village, defying clichés associated with the country.

Set against the backdrop of a remote village, the film serves as a multisensory exploration of music, creativity, craftsmanship, and history. O Thongthai expresses her vision, stating, "We wanted the film to help people discover the unseen parts of Thailand that people don't often get to see or experience. It's not the typical ping pong shows, beach holidays, Thai boxing images that people conjure up when they think of Thailand."

Words by office
Photos courtesy of O Thongthai

Critical to the film's authenticity was its location — the village of 'Khun Narin,' a five-hour drive from Bangkok, rarely visited by tourists. Ciesay emphasizes, "It was essential that the film was shot in the village where ‘Khun Narin’ are from, as their music is where this whole journey began."

Featuring a soundtrack by the local band 'Khun Narin' and their DIY sound system, the film showcases the village's creativity, with bladesmiths forging knives from hot steel. The theme of craftsmanship extends to O Thongthai's handcrafted jewellery, worn by everyone in the film. Wongchayuth "Yaa" Sukhowattanakij, preserving Thailand's hand-drawn movie poster art, contributes with a bespoke film poster.

The collaboration between O Thongthai and Ciesay originated as a cultural exchange, delving into each other's visual references, films, and sounds since their meeting in 2016. Stuck in England in 2020, O discovered 'Khun Narin,' a psychedelic band from a remote Thai village, sparking the inspiration for the new jewellery collection rooted in the sounds and feelings of home.

The collection is a homecoming for the brand, reverting to its roots in Thailand, renowned for its gemstones and rich history in jewellery craftsmanship. Handcrafted by O Thongthai, the pieces feature natural materials sourced exclusively from Thailand, including pearls, freshwater shell with blister pearls, and beach glass framed in silver. The natural stones, such as red jasper, rose quartz, green agate, and obsidian snowflake, accentuate the collection's organic allure.

To bring the project closer to the audience, a poster featuring stills from the film and a copy of the hand-drawn film poster are available. Each unique jewellery piece is priced at $300, with all proceeds donated to UNICEF's Children of Gaza Crisis campaign.

Explore the collaboration by visiting www.othongthai.com

Fashion

Office Updates: MACKAGE Goes Skiing

MACKAGE has launched this year's Winter 2023/2024 Ski Collection, now available online and in select stores. The collection features an extensive range of outerwear styles curated for men, women, and children.

The Winter 2023/2024 Ski Collection includes fleece ski pants, gloves, down jackets, pullover coats, and ski suits designed to withstand temperature drops down to -35 degrees Fahrenheit. It is offered in a spectrum of colors, including metallics, creams, and bold reds.

MACKAGE's new collection embodies the brand's cornerstones of quality, blending high-performance protection with an aesthetically pleasing design.

Pricing for the MACKAGE Winter 2023/2024 Ski Collection ranges from $250 to $1550.

TELFAR Gives Back

This Thanksgiving, TELFAR gives away "5-10 thousand bags" as part of their new "GIFTED" project.

TELFAR will be unveiling a spectrum of colors and sizes for its highly sought-after bags on November 17th. During a live segment on Tamron Hall, Telfar Clemens, the founder of TELFAR, announced that customers, upon purchasing a bag, can share the love by gifting another bag to a loved one for free. All they need to do is submit a video describing the person they'd like to surprise with a bag.

Additionally, TELFAR gifted bags to all of Tamron Hall's audience during the live segment. The TELFAR “GIFTED” project ends on November 20th at 3 PM ET.

Siren Sisters Sing

Siren Basics, a Gen-Z intimates label based in New York, has launched its latest collection inspired by underwater creatures. The sister duo behind the brand, Brenda and Clara Liang, officially introduced the “SIREN” collection on November 14th.

“SIREN,” a phonetic adaptation of the Chinese word for "private," lends its name to this collection, featuring four distinct styles in 15 colorways. With textures reminiscent of jellyfish, the undergarments serve as wearable tributes to the wonders of the sea. The campaign visuals for “SIREN” were captured in sensory deprivation tanks, immersing the audience in an underwater ambiance.

The “SIREN” collection is now available in sizes S to 3X, with prices ranging from $10 to $12.

Zen Chic: Minor Planet x POTR

POTR, the in-house label of the renowned Japanese lifestyle brand Porter Yoshida & Co., is collaborating with Minor Planet to introduce a new collection that exudes style while embodying the essence of mindfulness. Minor Planet, founded by Takashi Yamada and Jason Levine, was born from the duo's passion for yoga and a vision to create a "cool yoga brand." The brand's mission revolves around mindfulness, emphasizing the importance of feeling more alive, patient, and connected.

The collection, launching on November 17th online and at Porter Omotesando, is a testament to the shared values of both brands. The collaboration features two bags and two t-shirts, including Porter Yoshida & Co.'s first-ever yoga mat bag. The collection is crafted to reflect the blend of style and mindfulness that defines Porter Yoshida & Co. and Minor Planet.

Fashion

Embracing Heritage with Commission &PaulSmith

Dylan, hailing from Vietnam, and Jin, from South Korea, both came to New York, attended Parsons, and found their way into the fashion industry. Their connection deepened after meeting at a mutual friend's birthday party, as they bonded over shared experiences of growing up. Fueled by a mutual dissatisfaction with the Western portrayal of Asian culture in fashion, they fondly recalled the simplicity of their mothers' wardrobes in the 80s and 90s — an aesthetic often overlooked in the industry at that time. Determined to reshape the American fashion landscape, they founded Commission, drawing inspiration from their parents' fashion sensibilities of those decades.

This vision caught the attention of Paul Smith during his search for the next brand to partner with for the second iteration of &PaulSmith. From a list of designers recommended by the CFDA, he chose Commission NYC. Enthralled by the intergenerational dialogue that Dylan and Jin brought to the table, he discovered a wellspring of "new ideas" that resonated with him, reminiscent of a project as personal to him as his own.

Dylan and Jin, frequently draw references directly from family photo albums. In turn, Paul revisited 'Father & Son,' a collection of photographs by both him and his late father, Harold Smith, published after Harold's passing in 2000. This visual dialogue, combined with Commission’s commitment to generational references, set the inspirational backdrop for their collaboration.

There’s a richness to Paul’s archive during the late 90s that resonates with us, where its masculinity felt like a fusion of preppy, sex, and post-punk, yet highly functional and romantic...

Within the Paul Smith archive in Nottingham, Dylan and Jin found a sense of familiarity. The collaboration dives into the Paul Smith archive, extracting inspiration from the 1997/98 and 2002/03 seasons. A 22-piece collection pays homage to vintage Paul Smith classics while infusing a contemporary spin, reflective of Commission’s punk and minimalist sensibility.

From elongated wool-cashmere overcoats to structured double-breasted suits, each piece narrates a story from the past, reimagined for the modern wardrobe. The color palette, dominated by rich browns, yellows, and blacks, is punctuated with vibrant reds, blues, and greens. “There’s a richness to Paul’s archive during the late 90s that resonates with us, where its masculinity felt like a fusion of preppy, sex, and post-punk, yet highly functional and romantic,” reflect Dylan and Jin on the parallels.

“Our approach to products and storytelling was similar in that it’s an eclectic mix of various narratives and undercurrents.” The collection unfolds as a narrative through clothing, a compilation of moments, akin to the “light, witty juxtapositions” and “caught moment” compositions in Paul’s photographic book.