Kiko Kostadinov — New East 100

Bulgaria-born designer Kiko Kostadinov is one of the most promising newcomers on London’s fashion scene.

After studying for an MA in fashion design at Central Saint Martins, he graduated in 2016 straight into the limelight. Kostadinov’s collaborations with streetwear giant Stüssy sold out at Dover Street Market Ginza and New York, he scored a British Fashion Council NEWGEN sponsorship for his London Collections show, and at the end of 2016, was appointed creative director of Mackintosh 0001, the British raincoat manufacturer’s new designer line.

Much of Kostadinov’s work is informed by his family’s emigration to Britain from Bulgaria, resulting in collections that explore physical and emotional detachment and fluid identity. In his collections, he’s experimented with military fabrics from Bulgaria, alongside other point of reference like Japanese workwear garments and innovative pattern cutting and garment construction techniques.

Text: Anastasiia Fedorova