SPOTLIGHT ON... Kiko Kostadinov
MEET THE SISTERS BRINGING COLOUR CLASHES AND OPTICAL ILLUSIONS TO YOUR WORKING WARDROBE
When Bulgarian designer Kiko Kostadinov started his eponymous North London-based brand it was purely a menswear label. But since its launch in 2017 it’s grown into a fully fledged ready-to-wear business with a dedicated womenswear line, a string of hit collaborations with sportswear powerhouse Asics, and a list of superstar fans including Emma Corrin, Tessa Thompson, Kristen McMenamy and Beyoncé.
Behind the success of the brand’s womenswear, launched in 2018, are 31-year-old twins and joint creative directors Laura and Deanna Fanning – with a knack for creating striking knits and prints so vivid, their energy bursts from the cloth. Born in Melbourne, Australia, their urban studio is a far cry from the leafy suburb where they grew up.
‘Our parents were teachers; our lives were extremely normal,’ says Laura. They were introduced to fashion by their dressmaker great aunt – the sisters would patch together offcuts in her garage-cum-studio. ‘The benefit of being isolated in the suburbs is that it gives you the chance to dream,’ Laura adds.
Dream they did, setting their sights on London, with Deanna enrolling on the BA knitwear course at Central Saint Martins in 2013. After training at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Laura joined her sister in 2016, when they enrolled on Central Saint Martins’ MA fashion course as a duo. The opportunity to launch womenswear with Kostadinov came about after they assisted him as students. ‘We had a professional relationship with him, so it made sense,’ says Deanna.
The womenswear is distinct from the brand’s menswear. ‘It’s not our interpretation of what Kiko would design for women. But we have the same ideals in terms of craft and wanting to push ourselves to do new things,’ says Laura. Traditional styles feel new, and the sisters have created sumptuous shearling knits, shirts, jackets and accessories, carrying the Kiko Kostadinov USP: graphic prints and a playful approach to colour. ‘Our mother’s side is Italian, and Italian designers have an interesting way with colour,’ Deanna says.
For AW21, the sisters have produced their own sleek pop-coloured
‘it’ bag – their interpretation of the classic baguette bag – adding to a growing range that includes sunglasses, a unisex fragrance and sell-out shoes. ‘We want women to have great pieces they know they can wear with anything,’ Laura explains. Mission accomplished, we’d say.