Chopova Lowena‘s style is a fine balance of alluring quirkiness and astonishingly great craftsmanship. For autumn-winter 2023, Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena went for their signature, funky eclecticism. The collection sees a ’70s ski-theme that somehow got caught up with Georgian petticoats, bloomers, cross-lacing, and bonnets. Trust the London-based designers to turn such a bonkers combo into an extensive collection of clothes and accessories that are at the service of cold-weather practicality as well as… fun. They’ve played with the idea of retro children’s patterned ski suits and sleepwear to come up with high-waisted checkered pajama-cum-snowboarding trousers, baby-bedsheet prints, and the piped-pocket detailing that made the whole recognizably Chopova Lowena. Genius cardigans – some with vintage baby-book doll characters dancing on the front, others threaded through with tartan ribbon tied in bows – evoke some sort of deranged Tyrolean classic, possibly an ode to one of Vivienne Westwood‘s signature looks. There are layers and layers to explore here, from heavy-duty brown leather ‘carabiner jackets,’ through ski-capris with frilly knees, stripy wool scarves, tights, and knotted-top beanies, all the way through to stuff that sorts out how a Chopova Lowena person parties – which is to say in lacy white and bows, but with a definite Goth-y attitude.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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