Kiko Kostadinov: Menswear Designer

London-based menswear designer Kiko Kostadinov studied Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, graduating from his MA in 2016. The Bulgarian-born designer has successfully amassed a cult following for his work, rather impressively, gaining a considerable audience prior to even graduating from his masters. After being commissioned by friend and stylist, Stephen Mann, to rework some Stüssy garments for an editorial in Clash Magazine, the London distributor Gimme5 asked Kostadinov to design a whole collection. Stocked exclusively at Dover Street Market Ginza and New York, his collection sold out within hours. The recent grad also produced a small batch of handmade, one-of-a-kind items for limited sale via SHOWstudio, building upon his deconstructed aesthetic.

For his MA collection, Kostadinov was inspired by Japanese workwear, utilising military fabrics from Bulgaria; he thoughtfully investigates the functionality and shape of everyday workwear whilst applying his innovative approach to pattern cutting and garment construction. Kostadinov’s work is informed by his family’s history, notably their migration to the UK, resulting in collections that explore physical and emotional detachment, assimilation and change.

During the last edition of London Collections: Men, Kostadinov showcased his latest work in a solo presentation sponsored by NEWGEN. The presentation came just months after the designer completed his MA earlier this year. In a stark space scattered with industrial neon lighting, Kostadinov developed on the themes addressed in his graduate collection. Speaking of his latest offering, which is stocked at DSM, London, Kostadinov says: “My AW16 pieces are essentially extracted from my MA collection, just with more developed product values – better fit, higher quality fabrics and finishings.”

With an unwavering focus on cut, Kostadinov has established his recognisable silhouette from an early stage. In white and black, and shades of blue, brown and beige, his uniforms come with subtly oversized tops paired with cropped and slightly flared bottoms. This collection saw the addition of accessories, including scarves and hats, as well as a return to the deconstructed hoodies, which featured heavily in the Stüssy collaboration. Rather than ornamenting them with intricate fraying as he previously did, this time Kostadinov offered a cleaner finish, working with sharply cut military tarpaulin.

 

On the process behind his Stüssy collaboration:

“I created my own dye, bleach, paint process during the summer, which involves working with wooden frames and heavy-duty staple guns. By wrapping the pieces around the frame and stapling through them, I then apply different treatment to the fabric. It’s something very personal to me, as it’s a technique that I used while working with my father building recording studios.” – Highsnobiety, 2015

On forging industry connections:

“I’ve been assisting around Europe two years prior to starting my BA. I’ve built those relationships by working hard and studying. It needs to start from a very early stage, as that’s how the industry is constructed. You spend years and years helping for free and at some point, if you did a good job and have been honest and passionate, people will want to help you.” – i-D, 2015

On the styling of his SS17 collection:

“I didn’t want it to just be workwear. With the styling, there are these hats and scarves that are inspired by Renaissance paintings, so it’s a mix of romantic and industrial.” – The New York Times, 2016

On Yohji Yamamoto:

“When I first started wearing Yohji, it was a second-hand coat with lots of holes in it. I like that when you wear Yohji you look strange. You don’t look expensive in it, you look scruffy. I like the idea of people misjudging you. I can feel it on the tube … they are confused, they can’t read me. ‘Is he homeless? Is he rich?’ They can’t read whether I’m wearing expensive clothes or not.” – Dazed & Confused, 2015