Natasha Zinko Opened a Gothic Campsite for SS24

Ukranian-born, London-based designer Natasha Zinko might have just stolen London Fashion Week on day one, welcoming guests into Central London’s Soho Square. The grass-clad area was abolished from its customary state, packed with pinned-up tents stolen from the wilderness.

Fittingly titled “THE CAMP,” Natasha Zinko opened its own gothic campsite for Spring/Summer 2024. The designer explored the beginning of humanity itself, scavenging through the survival tactics that have pushed humanity into its current state. Zinko takes on human evolution in its rawest form, seeing it move into new stages no matter the circumstance.

“THE CAMP” is packed with darkened optimism, seeing models storm through the British park with fierce attitudes. The collection saw vicious campers dressed for unpredictable battles with enlarged backpacks and camping gear strapped and ready for action. Gothic soldiers wore futuristic uniforms packed with utility, seeing puffed camouflage garments walk next to disintegrating denim endlessly multiplied in layers.

Cropped hoodies were flipped inside out while housing tents transformed into voluminous dresses with inflated hemlines. Quadruple underwear cascaded to the ground with holes and all, while Zinko’s trademark buffed ensembles came in six-packed leather and denim trained to perfection.

Speaking exclusively to Hypebeast on the collection, Natasha Zinko says:

“This collection is about “THE CAMP.” Literally about camping in the holiday sense but also in parallel to our lives and journeys in today’s world of climate crisis, politics, and the human condition. We are in constant turmoil. I have been asking myself these questions a lot over the past couple of years:

Where am I?
Where am I going?
Why?
Who are these people?

Since the war started in Ukraine, 17 million people have been displaced. We simply pick up and grab the essentials and resiliently move forward. There have always been wars going on around the world. This is the first time I have been directly touched. I still have family in Odessa. Years ago, when I traveled, I carried multiple suitcases. Today, I just throw things in my carry-on and go. My priorities have shifted. Migration is a part of human existence. We naturally incorporate sustainable living out of necessity. The majority of the fabrics in my new collection are fabrics from my workshop that have accumulated over the past 11 years. Upcycling and repurposing are a constant ethos for me and my collection. I am also launching a new collab with NewRock for SS24.

I love being a part of London Fashion Week. The energy, the fearlessness. I graduated from Central Saint Martins with honors in Fine Jewellery. London has been my home for 18 years. Betsy Johnson is my Creative Director. We have been working together for a while now. We finish each other’s sentences. I love what we are doing.”

Take a closer look at Natasha Zinko’s SS24 collection in the gallery above, and stay tuned for more London Fashion Week content on Hypebeast.

In other fashion news, Stefan Cooke dives into the deep blue sea for SS24.