Kiko Kostadinov

BULGARIAN BORN KIKO KOSTADINOV IS BASED IN LONDON AND, AFTER HIS CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS MA FASHION GRADUATE SHOW IN 2016, HAS RISEN TO PROMINENCE WITH MANY COLLABORATIONS AND SUPPORT FROM THE PRESTIGIOUS BRITISH TALENT SPOTTING SCHEME NEWGEN MEN. WHILE STILL A STUDENT IN 2013, HE DESIGNED A LIMITED-EDITION CAPSULE COLLECTION TITLED “DISPLACEMENT” IN COLLABORATION WITH STREETWEAR BRANDS STÜSSY AND SHOWSTUDIO. IN 2015, TWO FOLLOW-UP COLLECTIONS OF ONE-OFF RECONSTRUCTED SWEATERS, SWEATPANTS, HOODIES, AND HATS WERE SOLD AT DOVER STREET MARKET. HIS CSM GRADUATE COLLECTION, IN CONTRAST TO THESE COLLECTIONS, CONSISTED OF MINIMALIST JACKETS AND PANTS IN A RESTRICTED PALETTE OF NAVY, PALE BLUE, AND GREY ACCESSORIZED WITH HYPER-TECH HOKA ONE ONE RUNNING SHOES.

KIKO IS KNOWN FOR THE UTILITARIAN ACCENTS IN HIS GARMENTS, WHICH OFTEN RESEMBLE WORK UNIFORMS. IN 2017 HE CREATED HIS FIRST COLLECTION FOR THE ICONIC BRITISH BRAND MACKINTOSH TITLED SIMPLY 0001, MADE UP OF 10 UNISEX LOOKS. SINCE MACKINTOSH IS RENOWNED FOR USING RUBBER FOR WATER RESISTANCE, KIKO MADE THE RUBBER A PRINCIPAL ACCENT AND PLACED IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GARMENTS, EXPOSING HOW THE GARMENT IS GIVEN STRUCTURE.

HIS SPRING/SUMMER “00042018”/ “FUNNY HOW SECRETS TRAVEL” COLLECTION LAUNCHED HIS ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH ASICS, AN ASSOCIATION FOR WHICH HE IS BEST KNOWN. HIS F/W 2018 “00052018”/ “OBSCURED BY CLOUDS” MOVED TOWARDS MORE EARTHY TONES WITH FOREST GREEN AND OCHRE AND A FEW MORE DETAILS AND EMBELLISHMENTS. WITH THIS COLLECTION, HE ALSO LAUNCHED A COLLABORATION WITH THE SPANISH SHOE MANUFACTURER CAMPER, AS WELL AS CONTINUING HIS ASICS PARTNERSHIP. HE ALSO LAUNCHED A WOMENSWEAR COLLECTION, TOGETHER WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND DEANNA FANNING AND HER SISTER LAURA, BOTH RECENT CENTRAL SAINT MARTIN’S GRADUATES.

2018 SAW THE LAUNCH OF AFFIX WITH MACKINTOSH HEAD DESIGNER TARO RAY, LONDON-BASED STYLIST AND CREATIVE CONSULTANT STEPHEN MANN, AND GIMME FIVE FOUNDER AND STÜSSY UK DIRECTOR MICHAEL KOPELMAN. AFFIX IS ACCESSIBLE, VISIBLY BRANDED MENSWEAR MADE UP OF T-SHIRTS, HOODIES, WORK-STYLE PANTS, UTILITY JACKETS, AND CAPS. IT IS MORE OF A STREETWEAR LABEL COMPARED TO KIKO’S MAINLINE.