Photos by Matthew Passiglia
To behold a Nina Athanasiou runway show is to gain a pretty intimate glimpse into her creative process. An artist through and through, her A/W15 show started with a screening of a short film she produced, followed by a musical performance from one of her models. Both depicted a journey to uncover something unique, and something unique is what she delivered. Influenced by the marriage of opposite extremes, she used the raw feel of leather with the soft, luxurious feel of feathers on jackets, skirts and boot coverings. She’s an edgy designer, unafraid of taking risks, and while watching her pieces come down the runway, I felt a reference to fetish culture in the styling and accessories. There was also something futuristic in her designs – almost as if Tina Turner was going to emerge from the Thunderdome to greet Mad Max. I love that she tends to use the same models in her print, runway and video imagery, notably famous albino model Shaun Ross. This adds an extra layer of character to the clothes, allowing all who experience them to almost feel a kinship, like getting to know a new friend on a deeper level.