66°North Find Inspiration with Charlie Constantinou

by SHOWstudio on 20 April 2023

Putting their weight behind the rising fashion designer with a new capsule collection, the Icelandic performance wear brand continue climbing to new heights.

Putting their weight behind the rising fashion designer with a new capsule collection, the Icelandic performance wear brand continue climbing to new heights.

In 2023, fashion has to be more creative and resourceful than ever before. Born out of the very glaciers and landscapes which are threatened by climate change today, Icelandic outerwear brand 66°North know this better than anyone. Founded in 1926, it's only in recent years that the label has leaned into more fashion-forward collections and partnerships, teaching the industry a lesson or two along the way. Dressing Shy Girl for The Fashion Awards, collaborating with Ganni, and naming Kei Toyoshima as creative director, 66°North have shown the industry how sustainable, technical design can drive creativity.

66°North's latest venture is a collaboration with menswear designer Charlie Constantinou, a recent graduate from the Central Saint Martins MA Fashion course. For his graduate collection, he developed a shrunken quilting fabric which stretched to any size, accommodating different wearers. Soon after shortlisted for the LVMH Prize, the designer has established a knack for innovative, yet fashionable design. It's no surprise then that 66°North thought he was the perfect person to work with on a collaboration following the opening of the brand's London flagship store.

'Ever since Bjarney and I joined 66°North back in 2011, we have been interested in supporting new and emerging designers. Many of these young talents are facing similar challenges; access to capital, manufacturing capacity, and technical people. 66°North can provide all the above coupled with 100 years of experience in making performance wear that needs to keep up in the most demanding weather conditions on earth...We wanted to find a local [London] talent that we firmly believed did not only have talent but also the ambition to make something spectacular,' explains CEO Helgi Oskarsson. 'His [Charlie's] incredible design talent is an inspiration to us and captured our imagination.'

The capsule collection includes a three-layer contrast shell jacket with matching, wide leg contrast pants in lilac. Finishes include custom made 66°North and CC waypullers and taped seams. Pin-stripe reflective parka jackets come with matching trousers, shorts and a belt bag. However, knitwear really is the highlight of this collection. Crafted in a pleated merino blend yarn, it creates a 3D effect when stretched to reveal darker tones in the purple and green colourways. A diamond graphic design also features, taken from the 66°North archives.

'For me the basis of this collaboration was formed on the values that me and 66°North share, the need for function and practicality. The focus of my work is centred around functional wear with a greater sense of imagination, and being able to break out of the proportions 66°North usually work with played an important role in the collaboration', Constantinou says.

The collection will be sold in the London flagship (33 Glasshouse Street, W1) from the 20th April, 2023. It will be released at a later date online at SSENSE and 66north.com

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