Natashka Zinko FW26 Builds Memories on Reinvention
The Ukrainian designer threads together memory, parenthood, and material manipulation on the runway.
Ukrainian-born, London-based designer Natasha Zinko is known for delivering some of the most spirited and high-energy runways at London Fashion Week. For Fall/Winter 2026, she turns inward — and backward — revisiting post-Soviet Odesa, where childhood memories of bustling street markets and rows of clothing stalls became a turning point for her first denim experimentations.
For FW26, Zinko rewinds to the early 1990s, filtering her irreverent, whimsical design language through a nostalgic lens. Titled “Family Bizness,” the collection fuses unconventional cuts with Y2K-inflected motifs, all while reinforcing her longstanding commitment to sustainability. Tailored trousers are transformed into sculptural evening gowns — branded knitwear, inverted trousers, and everyday flip-flops underscore her instinct for playful reinterpretation. Button-down shirts are skewed off-center, while metal-trimmed blazers are slashed and reassembled with deliberate imperfection.
Her runway casting further deepened the narrative as models strode forward carrying children on one hip, channeling the resilience and multitasking spirit of real-life parents. Debossed leather dresses with exaggerated, structured hips were styled with floral oven mitts and fruit-printed neck covers — turning domestic references into bold statements. Elsewhere, tablecloths became wrap dresses, basketball jerseys morphed into leather uniforms, and lace lingerie was repositioned as an essential layering piece.
Tapped shipping boxes, repurposed totes, and reused brown paper bags punctuated the show, making a compelling case for elevated upcycling. With “Family Bizness,” Natasha Zinko threads together memory, parenthood, and material reinvention — proving once again that her playful chaos is always underpinned by purpose.
Take a closer look at Natasha Zinko FW26 in the gallery above.
