Kiko Kostadinov SS27: Form Before Narrative
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Kiko Kostadinov unveiled his SS27 collection during Paris Fashion Week. This season was intentionally more concise, featuring 33 looks compared to 44 in FW26, reinforcing a desire to focus on the essentials. At first glance, the collection clearly continues the direction established last season, with understated silhouettes, a predominantly monochromatic palette, and garments where construction takes precedence over visual impact.
This year also marks ten years since Kiko Kostadinov first began showing collections, a milestone that feels increasingly significant in an industry where many independent labels are struggling to survive.
Those who have followed his work over the years will have noticed a clear shift in his creative language. Bold prints, layered technical details and vibrant colours have gradually given way to something quieter, more refined and more geometric. Personally, his recent collections resonate with me less than what he was producing a few years ago, although this evolution feels entirely consistent with the direction he is now pursuing.
In terms of collaborations, ASICS is absent this season, while Kiko's partnerships with Oakley and Crocs continue to evolve naturally alongside the collection.
To fully understand the direction of SS27, we need to talk about one man : Agostino Bonalumi (1935–2013).
Born in Vimercate, near Milan, Bonalumi developed an interest in drawing and painting from an early age. Largely self-taught, he moved to Milan in the mid-1950s, where he became part of a new generation of artists seeking to push beyond the limits of traditional painting. At just twenty-three years old, he was already exhibiting alongside Piero Manzoni and Enrico Castellani.
It was during this period that he began developing the artistic language that would define his career.
In the early 1960s, Bonalumi abandoned the idea of painting as a flat surface. Instead, he placed wooden and metal structures behind his canvases, creating tension, relief and volume. The mechanisms shaping each work remained completely hidden; only their imprint became visible on the canvas. His paintings appear to breathe, stretch and expand, transforming the canvas into a sculptural object rather than a simple support for an image.
His work is often compared to that of Lucio Fontana. However, while Fontana physically opened the canvas by cutting into it, Bonalumi worked from within. He didn't break the surface, he shaped it through hidden internal structures. In his work, form emerges from invisible forces.
"He constructed the canvas more like sculpture. So I thought, maybe we can experiment with some sort of internal structure." - Kiko Kostadinov
It is precisely this idea that fascinated Kiko Kostadinov. After several seasons built around characters and narratives, the designer wanted to move away from storytelling and return to something more fundamental : reducing garments to geometric forms and constructing them from the inside out. Speaking about Bonalumi, Kostadinov explained : "He constructed the canvas more like sculpture. So I thought, maybe we can experiment with some sort of internal structure."
This philosophy runs throughout the entire SS27 collection. Rather than telling stories, the garments explore how invisible internal frameworks can generate visible silhouettes. The volumes appear to emerge from within, echoing the reliefs found in Bonalumi's works.
Another recurring element throughout the collection is the diamond-shaped motif. It appears on the Oakley eyewear, belt buckles, metal hardware and several accessories. While Kostadinov has never explicitly stated that the motif is inspired by Bonalumi, the resemblance is difficult to ignore.
Several of Bonalumi's sculptural installations are composed of folded rhombus-like planes whose faceted geometry creates movement through light and tension. More than a decorative detail, the diamond seems to encapsulate the collection's entire philosophy : a pure geometric form where structure and pressure generate the final silhouette from within.
The runway set also deserves attention. Built from monumental geometric blocks and angular planes, it felt less like a fashion show set and more like an installation. Its sculptural language closely echoed Bonalumi's practice, reinforcing the collection's fascination with geometry, volume and forms shaped by invisible forces.
Ultimately, SS27 confirms the new chapter Kiko Kostadinov has been developing over the past few seasons. It is a quieter, more architectural and less demonstrative vision of fashion. While I still prefer the richness and experimentation of his earlier collections, SS27 offers a clearer understanding of the direction he is now pursuing.
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