“We design for a very assertive female”: Kiko Kostadinov’s Laura and Deanna Fanning shared prior to their London Fashion Week show

It’s a common trope that creatives who work together and know each other so well can finish each other’s sentences. In the case of Laura and Deanna Fanning, the 29-year-old designers behind Kiko Kostadinov’s womenswear, it is true and made all the more uncanny as their voices sound practically the same. But that is to be expected of sisters, and the Fannings are identical twins. 

Born and raised in Melbourne, and now based in London, their accent has a soft Australian twang that complements their chilled and modest approach to designing. Don’t confuse this for lackadaisical or plain: they are far from it.

Brought on to design the womenswear collection of Kiko Kostadinov — a celebrated Central Saint Martins graduate himself, and Deanna’s boyfriend — the Fannings presented their first collection for the brand in September 2018, only seven months after graduating. Since then, they’ve developed their own take on Kiko Kostadinov’s signature patterns and futuristic styles, putting their feminist take on a gorpcore-meets-tailored-grunge aesthetic. 

“When we propose a woman, we like to rewrite a narrative,” they say of their approach. Spring/summer 2020’s spin? “We want her to see herself as a heavenly being [inspired by Greek astrology muse Urania] rather than the image transposed by man.” That translates into a collection that is out of this world: equal parts made for the future, but rooted in the ancient and occult.

We meet ahead of their third London Fashion Week show, mid-castings. They’re calm and collected, aware of how much work they have ahead of them, but focused on getting it done with grace and razor-sharp efficiency. 

Here, the pair tell about the inspiration behind their spring/summer 2020 collection, how they work together and what it’s like collaborating with the likes of Camper and Asics. 

What is it like working together? 
“We start researching together at the start of the season and we’ll pick out what we like from each other’s work and collage it together. Then we’ll split off and develop ideas further.”

“We both work on shape and colour, but I’ll work more on cutting while Deanna tends to focus on the knits [having studied her BA in knitwear at Central Saint Martins].”

“Even though we’ve been focusing on slightly different areas, we always regroup. In that way, I think we complement each other.”

How would you describe your design language?  
“In the past, we’ve said aggressive femininity, but that takes on so many different interpretations. From that, I mean that it’s a very assertive female [we design for]. We tailor a lot of suits, the shoulders tend to be sharp, we use a lot of bold — sometimes toxic — colour. So in that sense, it’s a bold image. But this season will see a slight contrast in that.”

What inspired your spring/summer 2020 collection? 
“We have taken the circle as a motif. We were interested in the idea of a logo or a signet without logo, and we looked at these through time. We were looking at Greek mythology and the muse [of astronomy] Urania, and then [we] thought about all this through fashion history, incorporating different elements like Madame Grès drapery and sport meshes, but in our own way.” 

“We were building a modern woman in that kind of idea and creating her wardrobe. Not just for the day, but also into the evening. We also have our first all-black look.” 

“We actually really like it! For us, it gives [the collection] a sense of freshness because we do so much colour. It gives us an opportunity to breathe and focus purely on the shape and the silhouette.”

You’ve collaborated with Asics and Camper previously and again this season. What’s that been like? 
“What’s great about them is that they’re all quite different in the way they work. It’s been such a pleasure and an opportunity to be able to use their tools and their systems and be able to transcribe that into pieces that interest us. We’ve learned a lot from that.”

“With Camper [this season], we chose to bring back a heel from the archive. The top piece originated from these bohemian crystals that we sent out to them. It was interesting to see how it went from a 3D-printed prototype to plastic and eventually silicone moulds. The final piece is interesting because it looks like jewellery on your foot, but it’s super comfortable because it’s made of silicone.”

How do you feel going into your third London Fashion Week show?
“We finally feel like we have a moment to reflect. It’s rewarding to see that you’re on a path… It’s been nice to be able to have a moment to look behind to see what’s working and how to move forward.” 

“We’re starting to get a better sense of our customer now, too. The collection has been in the stores for one season, coming into the second season. When you start and you’re proposing a new image, you don’t know how people will take it, whether they will like it. So to see people wearing it is really exciting.” 

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