Last season, Ukrainian-born London-based designer Natasha Zinko invited us to The Camp in London’s Soho Square, where she gave us a collection of striking urban-utility imbued with optimism as defiant models strutted down the grass-covered runway offering new hope. The collection, created in collaboration with and styled by Betsy Johnson, is a comment on the environment and humanity’s most urgent challenges, exploring how we’ve come full circle from wanderers to migrants with its urban-utility aesthetic.
The seeds of that collection have now come to fruition and are ready for winter with the arrival of seasonal pieces back from the camp. An extension of the tent dresses, motorcycle cargo and the brief-themed looks of summer have been augmented for the cooler climes with shearling and knee-length boots with cargo pocket detailing that offers warmth and a fresh infusion of the designer’s trademark irony with the addition of zips, buckle detailing and ornamental coats and skirts. This time, briefs are utilised for a more subtle elegance in the form of looks that include a calf-length dress, jacket, and tote bag.
Natasha Zinko continues to demonstrate her talent and exemplify the transformational power of upcycling through her use of denim and repurposed materials. Clothing scraps transmute into trucker jackets, and asymmetrical skirts continue the collection’s powerful aesthetic, reiterated further with playful muscular details highlighted by rhinestones; what’s better than a scattering of sparkle to brighten up our days in these challenging times? Winter-wear never looked this considered, relevant and fun.
Text by Leigh Maynard, Images by Raphael Bliss
