In menswear, the future is female. Or, as KIKO KOSTADINOV suggests in his FW23 men’s show, the future may be forgotten female designers from a not-so-distant past.
Kostadinov’s latest collection shone a bright light on four unsung heroes in womenswear: High priestess of Italian fashion, Anne-Marie Beretta; Krizia’s Mariuccia Mandelli; Hollywood actress-turned-costume designer Irene Lentz; and the founders of Sorelle Fontana, three sisters with immeasurable contributions to couture.
You could call it a technicolor tribute considering all the color on display—as vibrant as those you’d find on billiard balls whizzing to and fro.
A hybrid bolero-hoodie in contrasting teal and orange hangs over a sweatshirt in the same fluorescent tangerine, looking as appetizing as a creamsicle. A cropped vermilion jacket with swashbuckler sleeves keeps your attention rapt with its cavalcade of epaulets. While a trench completely in magenta draws you even deeper into the details: an asymmetrical collar and vented sides that resemble petals.
Besides showcasing the work of Estonian painter Mariann Metsis via canine-inspired digital prints and sculptural hardware, Kostadinov even manages to pay homage to his own maternal grandmother. Reproduced on blanket scarves and felted knitwear are her whimsical arts and crafts.
