Kiko Kostadinov Women's SS27 Builds Dresses That Shift From Opaque to Sheer
Laura and Deanna Fanning built the collection around artist Nanda Vigo’s 1960s light works.
Summary
Kiko Kostadinov's Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear explores how garments can change with movement, using fabrics that let light pass through in varying degrees
Signature pieces include cotton "Chronotope" dresses broken up by translucent nylon, seamless darted tunics in printed moiré and rectangular coats gathered at the back
Made in Japan tailoring, reworked knitwear and new footwear on a custom Kiko Kostadinov sole round out the lineup
Kiko Kostadinov‘s Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear collection, designed by Laura and Deanna Fanning and presented in Paris, uses yarn, cut and transparency to make clothing that looks different with every step. The sisters took their starting point from Nanda Vigo, the artist associated with the ZERO group whose Cronotopo constructions of the 1960s combined glass, steel, aluminum and light to create spaces that seem to move. Their takeaway was practical as much as conceptual: garments that reshape themselves as the wearer walks, turns and gets closer to others.
The “Chronotope” dresses put that idea into fabric most directly. Each is spun from cotton yarn, which provides structure and an easy drape, then broken up with panels of translucent nylon that allow light to filter through. Rendered in tonal whites and blues, the dresses flicker between solid and see-through depending on the wearer’s position, so the silhouette never settles into a single fixed read.
Construction tricks carry the same tension between control and looseness. Tunics take on triangular shapes using darts alone, with seams removed entirely so that printed moiré fabrics stay taut and uninterrupted across the body. At the lighter end, featherweight organza is draped into slip dresses and loose headpieces that react to air and motion. Outerwear starts from a simple rectangle, gathered at the back to produce broad shoulders and a pronounced swing that gives the coats an eveningwear sense of movement. Wool crepe and airy linen add further layers of sheerness throughout.
Tailoring offers a sharper counterpoint. Made in Japan suiting is cut with strong shoulders and darted waists, built with the practical demands of a working wardrobe in mind. Knitwear staples get a technical rethink, with cardigans, twin sets and polo dresses reworked through contrasting intarsia, pleating, lace-hole construction and alternating pattern repeats. Pleats recur across the collection to set up a steady rhythm, punctuated by flashes of color against otherwise quiet surfaces.
Footwear extends the vocabulary. Woven leather pumps sit alongside loafers finished with two-tone stitching and set on a custom Kiko Kostadinov sole, while geometric “Chronotopo” sandals bring Vigo’s angular forms down to the ground. Beauty brand OMMAGE handled the makeup, a translucent, glowing finish that nods to the light the designers grew up with in Australia.
The show space completed the reference. Vigo’s own designs furnished the venue, including her Due Più chairs from 1971, produced by Acerbis, alongside her Andromeda piece (1974/2022) and Light-Light (2000), made for Glas Italia. Placed among the clothes, the objects gave guests a direct comparison between Vigo’s experiments with glass and light and the Fannings’ translation of them into wearable form.
