Collaboration fatigue is pretty widespread these days, but every now and again, a co-branded capsule comes along that puts us on cloud nine. Today, my lucky angels, brings the launch of one such collection — an exquisite crossover between Heaven by Marc Jacobs and London-based luxury label Kiko Kostadinov.
The dream partnership was first initiated two years ago when Ava Nirui, the brain behind the New York-based brand-within-a-brand, reached out to Laura and Deanna Fanning, the twin sisters that oversee Kiko Kostadinov’s womenswear line. “I really came at it from a fan perspective,” explains Ava, a longstanding admirer of her collaborators’ work. Her enthusiasm was immediately echoed by Laura and Deanna, who seized the opportunity to be part of what “really felt like a new era for Marc Jacobs, one that spoke to a new generation,” Laura says.
Released today, the capsule itself comprises a delicious edit of pieces that embrace and blend the heritages of Heaven, OG MJ and Kiko – think the latter’s iconic Star Pants reimagined in grungy plaids from the Marc Jacobs archive, or a bag that fuses Heaven’s signature rubber handle with a Marc by Marc Jacobs body baring geometric matelassé motifs.
Before you rush to shop the capsule till you drop, though, wouldn’t you like the full lowdown on one of the most exciting collaborations of the year so far? Damn right you would! Below, we speak to Ava, Laura and Deanna about what fuels the two brands’ cult appeal, filling the void that Marc by Marc Jacobs late 00s offering left behind (IYKYK!), and the pieces you should be running to cop once you’ve finished reading.
Ava, what first drew you to Laura and Deanna’s work?
Ava Nirui: Well, I definitely see parallels between the way they design and the way Marc designs. There’s a level of playfulness and glamour, but, like Heaven, it still feels extremely wearable. I also loved how modular many of their pieces were — you can really come up with your own way of wearing them. And it’s just cool! You just want to be the girl they convey through their work. I feel very connected to the clothes and the characters that they create. Working on this project just felt so intuitive — it felt very easy for you both to interpret Heaven through a Kiko lens, and I feel like the result is a real amalgamation of both worlds. You can see the Kiko influence, the Heaven influence, and the old Marc Jacobs influence — it feels slightly nostalgic, but still very modern, and even futuristic in a way. You really are dream collaborators!
This has been two years in the works, now — what was the trajectory of the creative process like?
Deanna Fanning: For us, it was so exciting to start by going back through all these Marc Jacobs references and use that as a springboard to explore Heaven. The Marc Jacobs archive is honestly incredible! it’s like a library of references, resources and imagery — you could create 1000 collections from it! It’s so special to design something for a brand that has such a strong history.
Laura Fanning: And also for a new brand like Heaven that’s reinterpreting that history. I think that’s what’s really exciting for us — we were really given space to move and reinterpret things, and that’s pretty similar to what we do with Kiko Kostadinov womenswear. It’s really about reinterpreting established narratives. With Heaven, it’s not just about taking something from the past and redoing it. It’s about looking at something from the past, reinterpreting it and giving a fresh contemporary context. I think that’s why so many young people are drawn to it.
What were some of the most exciting discoveries from spending time in the archive?
Deanna: Well, with some of Marc’s early collections, if you look at the runway images, it can be pretty hard to break down the looks as the images are so grainy. But they have the most incredible archiving system, and seeing all the pieces in this museum-style format was like researching at the V&A! You could really get a feel for the neckline details, the gauge of the yarns… and they even have fabric swatches and patterns catalogued, too. Imagine, like, The Met, but just for Marc Jacobs!
A notable thing that you both have in common is your very enthusiastic, dedicated fanbases. Ava, what is it about Laura and Deanna’s work for Kiko Kostadinov that you think has cultivated that?
I feel like you guys create everything with a lot of love. You’re so involved in the process, and very in touch with your girl, and that really comes through in the designs. But there’s also a real coolness to them — it’s easy to feel very connected to the characters that you create. And you’re just incredibly talented! Throughout this collaboration, I’ve been exposed to ways of working that I hadn’t really seen before. From the printing techniques to the way that you manipulate fabrics or create these intricate accessories by hand… it’s just really inspiring. I feel like I’ve been enriched by working with you both.
Deanna: We really feel the same about what you do. With Heaven, all of the pieces are so considered — everything has such an intention behind it, whether it’s the accessories, the bags or even the T-shirts. There’s such a distinct graphic language, and the way it’s put together and shot just makes you want it. Immediately!
Laura: Yeah, the textures of their graphics just jump out at you, and the way that they’ve approached costume jewellery is really particular. It feels like it’s from this world that, for a long time, hasn’t felt available. Perhaps you could find vintage things that may have felt similar at a given point in time, but there hasn’t been something that, like Heaven, feels modern and culturally relevant since Marc by Marc Jacobs. I remember being 15 and going to David Jones — sort of like Selfridges in Australia — and buying the T-shirts and lipstick pens with the money I’d saved from my part-time job! Since that time, there’s been such a void of pieces that were accessible but also made you feel like part of a fashion community. It’s super exciting to see that in a new brand.
What will you take away from the experience of working on this together?
Ava: Well, one of the big parallels between Heaven and Kiko Kostadinov is the influence of art, though it manifests in very different ways. At Heaven, we use a lot of artists works across the clothing, and that’s what makes it very collectable and special. With you guys, though, you infuse these artistic elements into your clothes in a way that perhaps feels a little more cerebral or abstracted, but what you create really is wearable art. You’ve taught me ways of translating art into fashion and about the techniques you explored for this collaboration. They’re definitely things I’ll be carrying forward.
Deanna: What was so freeing about Heaven was that it was really driven by fun, and created without the weight of working towards a runway show. It felt more direct to a client base, in a way. We were just thinking about the people that would want to wear it straight away.
Laura: It’s a really inspiring way to design, and it really keeps you in the present. A limitation of runway is that you’re thinking about how it has to look great for a minute, and how you can maximise that effect. Obviously, it has its positives, too, but being able to work in a different way was really compelling.
Ava: I also think you’ve managed to create something that really feels like Heaven, but, like, an absolutely bonkers version of it. You’ve taken that teen element, really pushed it and made it feel cool. I sometimes feel like I can’t really wear Heaven, but with this capsule, I want it all!
What exactly will you be wearing from it then?
Ava: Well, I’ve already been wearing a dropped colourway of the skirt and the jacket! But I honestly want everything — I really want the necklace and the amazing double-headed bear felted hair clip. What was really cute, though, was being on set for the shoot and seeing all the girls lusting after the pieces and asking when it came out.
Deanna: I haven’t taken the hoodie off since I got one! And I’m really excited to wear the star pants — the material’s amazing, and it has this cute custom Heaven star button. I’ve also trashed my own Kiko star pants, so am in need of a new pair! There’s also a great oversized teddy fur jumper that our friend Connor Beesley did some of the graphic patches for that, so that’s a really special piece for me.
Laura: I’m really into the knits! There’s a low-neck top with an amazing faded stripe and a double-headed bear on it — it kind of says a lot! In a way it’s disturbing, but I think that’s what makes it my favourite piece! When I saw it on the shoot, I was so intrigued by who this girl was.
Ava: That’s something that’s really cool about this collaboration, actually. A lot of my friends and girls who are closer to our age seem very drawn to it. It’s a group that perhaps feel they’re a bit too old for Heaven, or will wear it selectively, but with this I think it allows us to appeal to them, too.
Credits
Photographer: Sharna Osborne @sharnaosborne
Stylist: Danielle Emerson @emersondanielle
Talent: Beabadoobee @radvxz & Gabbriette @gabbriette
Beauty: Ana Takahashi @anatakahashiii
Hair: Franziska Presche @franziskapresche
Nail artist: Mei Kawajiri @nailsbymei
Manicurist: Jessica Ciesco @matteabout_nails
Set: Alice Kirkpatrick @alicekpk
Casting: Bert Martirosyan @bertmartirosyan
Production: 360pm @360_pm