NEED TO KNOW: Chopova Lowena is Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena combined. The talented designer duo is the second in the history of the Central Saint Martins MA Fashion course to enroll as a creative entity, after Marques’Almeida.
Inspired by traditional Bulgarian dress and 80’s rock climbers, the girls mix shiny sportswear with a high-tech folkloric influence to great effect. Think apron styles, leotards and harness skirts in graphic stripes and saturated hues. The transformational shapes are a beautiful hybrid of old and new, folk and metal, gloss and texture.
I’d spotted the collection online via the 1 Granary Instagram and became obsessed with the jaunty asymmetrical mix of culture and high-tech and showed it to collaborator Melissa Gilbert who fell hard for it also. From here we secured a few available items of the collection, to journey to Australia on their maiden voyage here, to partake in a video for Ginger & The Ghost and a fashion shoot on the side.. but the package of garments didn’t arrive on time. #stressedstylist
We had an hour or two with the package of incredible pieces, once it did arrive, before we had to send them back to the designers based in London. A “fashion emergency” call to photographer Christopher Phillips and a rooftop shoot it was. Missy expresses the duality of the collection with her haute and fluid forms most fantastically atop the rooftop of her West Sydney warehouse, The Nest Creative Space.
Many thanks to designers Eleanor Ford of Sollis and Katherine Baulch of baulch.design for their custom rope accessories.
Bettina x
APPETITE FOR DECORATION 