London Fashion Week SS24 Highlights: Natasha Zinko takes functional fashion to a new level

Passersby stopped in curiosity to get a glimpse of what was taking place in the heart of Soho Square - Natasha Zinko's ‘THE CAMP’ runway show - as the fashion squad descended upon the greenery.

After the designer, along with the rest of us, had trudged through the mud of political turmoil, war and the environmental crisis she wanted her collection to reflect his. The collection aims to convey humans 'extraordinary capacity for adaptation amidst even the direst circumstances’.

Zinko not only set the show in the outdoors, but she took the theme a step further with tents woven between the audience's benches. Anticipation built as the trees towered above the fashion crowd and a booming stereo began to sound. The designer didn't disappoint.

Not only were there tents among the crowd, but Natasha Zinko also reconstructed a tent into a 3D gown. But the surrealism didn't stop there.

Natasha Zinko presented a collection that took the notion of 'fashion vs functionality' to the extreme, with looks made of backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and more. Looks consisted of daringly risqué cut-outs and utilitarian pockets, reflecting the dichotomy of the Spring Summer 2024 collection.

Models often looked as though they'd got dressed in the dark as they stomped down the grassy runway, with arm holes replaced used as neck holes. If that didn't push the boundary enough, onlookers were confronted with deconstructed two pieces and subversive shorts that resembled boxer briefs. In a polarised world, one thing that unites us is underwear. We all wear it; we all travel with it, stuff it in suitcases; so why do we hide it? Natasha said it’s time to normalise it.

The accessories matched the outdoor theme, think flip flops, beanies and giant backpacks. Welcome to THE CAMP, 'an optimistic vision of modern-day life in motion'.