Kiko Kostadinov Fall 2026 Menswear Collection
“There are no vibes or characters,” said Kiko Kostadinov after a collection that rejected the superfluous—from the storytelling to the surface treatments. Instead, he pursued what he called, “restricted variations,” that were loosely influenced by Dom Hans van der Laan, a Dutch architect and Benedictine monk who devised his own ideal ratio and applied it across his body of work.
But Kostadinov was not going back to basics. The Bulgarian-born Brit is an expert pattern cutter, and his experimentation was on full display. Backstage, he demystified some of the torques and tweaks to his typical long lines and masculine draping. A gusset, for instance, was repositioned from the underarm to the neck, and he also mentioned something about a part of a shoulder structure relocated to the knee.
Essentially, each look appeared distinctly precise in construction while also allowing for movement. There were coats and pants with panels that folded like origami; tunics with smocked detailing that released into fluid folds; jackets with collars that curved in on themselves; shirts and knits that vented and draped with sculptural ease. They were unadorned to the extreme—no surface treatments, no visible zippers, not even top-stitching. Buttons were concealed behind plackets so that every plane was uninterrupted. Amidst the emphasis on black and some cool mineral shades, there were serene striped knits and a color-blocked series in crinkly silk that closed the show. Color-blocking extended to the models’ hair, enhanced with sharply angled and dyed fringe by Tomihiro Kono (wigs are now officially trending this season). And let’s not forget the Crocs: Kostandinov cleverly transformed the inimitable resin clogs into multi-paneled shoes; still unwieldy, yet not a ventilation hole in sight.
Today’s show unfolded in a light-bathed and boxy venue, a former university hall punctuated with three faceted white sculptures by Oscar Tuazon. They were made out of cardboard, tape and paint: modest materials coaxed into compelling forms. In the early days of his brand, when Kostadinov had more limited resources, the clothes were simpler by necessity and/or less expertise. Now he is using beautiful wool from Loro Piana, virgin mohair, cashmere and silk: it made sense that he let these sumptuous materials lead the way.
It will be interesting to discover whether Laura and Deanna Fanning, who oversee the womenswear, follow a similar impulse or stick to their arty expressionist, highly tactile vision. In the meantime, Kostadinov recently opened up a London flagship with an atelier overtop while managing life as a new father. And perhaps these milestone moments contributed to the maturity behind this pivot.
Often, a collection gains a newfound appreciation when people realize the ingenuity behind certain ideas, when it’s out in the world, or else when others catch up. As the notes explained, “This is a collection that is happy being challenging…” Much better to challenge than to force a vibe.
