Nina Donis and the art of padding
Nina Donis is a brand that hides two creative minds, Nina Neretina and Donis Poupis, from Russia, collaborating since 1992.
This means that their collaboration passed right through the toughest moments of Russian politics, and as many ex-USSR designers their reaction was: pop, colour, happiness. Without losing a certain Russian heritage, that is recalled by the uniform-like clothings and links to constructivism.
The Fw11-12 collection is all about padding. ‘I go out on the streets of Moscow and look at how people dress to keep out the cold, layering on all the clothes they have. The less they try to look good, the more interesting they look,’ in their own words. Every single piece is padded, which could seem boring, if it wasn’t for the use of colour and the fact that the garments are cleverly constructed to be untied and become something different: a coat that turns itself from long into short, a dress that becomes a top. The garments remind fencing uniforms, judo suits, psychiatric hospital garments… depending on the point of view; the truth is that they were inspired by the detachable linings of the military garments.
Solid colours and rigorous Jil Sander-esque shapes that explode into bright floral prints, or play with different materials like fur.
Definitely love the fact that the collection is rigorous yet playful.
Ariko
