Kiko Kostadinov FW25
Kiko Kostadinov’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection reflects a deliberate shift from the minimalism of previous seasons toward a rugged, organic sensibility. This season, the designer continues his exploration of utilitarian aesthetics, drawing inspiration from unexpected sources, including Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr’s bleak yet poetic worlds and Kon Trubkovich’s disjointed imagery.
Military and artisanal traditions from Hungary and Bulgaria serve as the backbone of this collection, fabrics once consigned to practicality—woolen blankets, workwear cottons, and camouflage—are reimagined into structured blazers, long coats, and distorted shirting. Embroidery, too, finds its place in the narrative. This attention to detail and historical reference creates garments that seem to carry the weight of their origins, reinterpreted for a contemporary audience.
The materials are key to understanding Kostadinov’s vision this season. From triple-construction coats combining fleece and velvet to hybrid footwear marrying Japanese tabi shoes with traditional army boots, every detail reinforces the collection’s layered complexity. The interplay between rigid forms and softer distortions creates tension, urging the observer to look closer. Kostadinov’s commitment to asymmetry is particularly striking in tailored jackets and trousers.
Accessories and footwear further articulate this story of contradictions. Square-toed boots in raw-edged leather are juxtaposed with crossbody bags that highlight function and utility. A collaboration with Asics introduces reworked marathon shoes, drawing a direct line between performance and design.
Kiko Kostadinov’s FW25 is a meditation on construction—not only of garments but also of identity. The focus on materials, process, and their inherent imperfections speaks to a deeper understanding of clothing as assemblage, as lived experience, and as art.
Words CLAIRE H.
Photography DONALD GJOKA
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