Walking into twins Laura and Deanna Fanning’s studio on a frosty, sunny morning in Paris, a little over 24 hours before the co-creative directors of Kiko Kostadinov’s womenswear put on their second Paris Fashion Week show, feels like a treat for the senses. The latest Don Toliver collaboration with Justin Bieber is blasting through speakers as models prance up and down in visually striking garments: striped knitted dresses that fall asymmetrically on the body; multi-buckled boots with kitten heels poking through (blink and you may miss it); and dresses with vertical lines and tulle hems – a first for the pair (‘Frills are so palatable, and we thought how would we do it?’). The energy is vibrant. My eyes immediately land on the board displaying the 34 looks soon to be paraded in the Lycée Henri IV secondary school.
Predictability simply isn’t a part of the designers' fashion vernacular. The London-based duo’s disruptive, hypnotic designs have made for a thrilling ride since the start of their tenure in 2018. In the last few months, the Central Saint Martins graduates have spawned sold-out collections with Marc Jacobs' subsidiary line, and Gen Z favourite, Heaven and Japanese label Hysteric Glamour. Their springboard for their ensuing AW23 collection was vintage underwear. ‘We found [the silhouettes] interesting because they’re made with very practical, industrious functional materials that have seemingly aged very little in a hundred years, but they bear these beautiful feminine details,’ explains Laura. Their fascination with the dichotomy between femininity and functionality in second-hand négligée is evident in the first four looks, she continues. ‘The layers and twisting spoke to us, and we wanted to add that into the collection, all anchored around the bust point.’
The Melbourne-raised twin’s propensity for tapping into the traditional and turning it on its head is evoked via stark-white cargo trousers that are detachable with a slight flair and antique shirts have been turned into halters. My interest is piqued by the outré knitwear sporting off-kilter twisting derived from the masculinity of Long Johns and singlets, something Deanna relished working on as a former knitwear student. ‘We hand sample a lot of things in the studio before we send them off. The pieces are a nod to my favourite designers: Sonia Rykiel to Alaïa, and Paco Rabanne.’ Laura’s passion for womenswear in the 60s and nostalgic cinema made a notable impact, she interjects: ‘Feminine Sci-Fi films such as Barbarella might have served as a man-repeller at the time, but it speaks to us as it’s so visually bold.’
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Elsewhere, small swirls are scattered across a desert tan and lavender (a key hue for them this season) coat and bag – something they chalk up to their love of Mobius loops. Headwear and outwear are given the vintage treatment too. 1950s-inspired bonnets are placed atop models’ heads with straps wrapped around their chins like mouthguards. ‘We worked with a family-owned ribbon factory in Venice that’s existed for 300 years, and they weave custom ribbons for fashion houses,’ says Laura. True to form, the colours nod to the brand’s whimsicality and bonnets come in various iterations from lavender to navy and grey with contrast wispy mohair detailing.
It wouldn’t be a Kiko Kostadinov collection without show-stopping accessories. Lella Lombardi, the renowned Italian race car driver, is the catalyst for the ribbon-laden ‘Lella’ shoes in brown and white colourways. A head-turning hybrid of a ballet shoe and a traditional driving shoe with bowling stripes, they’re guaranteed to be a hit among fashion plates and, as always, blur the lines between utilitarian and stylish. ‘Watching the documentary Beyond Driving, I began researching and thinking about how we as women would fit into this world,’ Deanna reveals.
The ubiquitous ‘Trivia’ bag – catnip for A-listers such as Bella Hadid and Iris Law – is scaled up. This time, it’s made from grainy leather in a demure slate grey, with a silver buckle strap. Additionally, they’ve introduced the ‘Amlet’ wallet to the Trivia realm in a pearlescent red and pale pink, alongside a crinkled tulle crossbody bag sporting a clever multi-pocket compartment made to slip your laptop into.
There’s no doubt Laura and Deanna are making magic. Few can grab the attention of fashion lover’s decades apart – they reveal as much. ‘We’re 33, and women our age respond to our designs, but so do our 21-year-old assistants.’ The Fanning sisters aren’t just worth knowing, they’re worth investing in, and if you’re unfamiliar with the pair, their innovative antique-lingerie-inspired AW23 line is a great place to start.
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