Henry Zankov launched his namesake label five years ago as a small knitwear offering. He quickly became an IYKYK designer thanks to his instantly recognizable aesthetic that favored novel knits in graphic patterns and unexpected clashing colors. He’s been slowly expanding his offering beyond knits each season, and for spring staged a runway show that set out to prove that Zankov is now simply a womenswear label.
“Obviously knitwear is my strength, it’s something that I do really well, but I think color and materiality are also things that I do well,” he said the day before his show at the Brooklyn apartment he shares with his fiancé that also doubles at his studio. To that end, each look contained a small universe of wonder, whether through the mix of fabrics and textures or the unconventional color palette. Take, for example, the brown-and-white-striped crochet knit polo under a chocolate sheer chiffon cardigan with petroleum blue yarn appliqué and A-line dark wash denim skirt with leather-trimmed pockets and full leather back that opened the collection. Also see the crinkly, light-as-air and softer-than-soft metalicized lilac off-the-shoulder tunic sweater worn with a pieced-together lemon yellow and pearl ankle-length skirt. Or the asparagus green silk charmeuse short-sleeve dress with beaded sleeves worn over Bowie-esque black jacquard trousers with car-wash-pant legs.
The collection managed to have something for everyone without being everything to everyone, which is not an easy feat. A series of bias-cut silk striped gowns that closed out the show—purple and yellow! Purple and brown! Powder blue and orangesicle!—were each more delicious than the next, and begging for a red carpet moment. The special pendants done in collaboration with Presley Oldham made it feel like each model was simply wearing their own jewelry.
Ahead of the show, the designer shared some inspiration images on the Zankov Instagram account. They were the writers Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux, the artist Sophie Calle, the director Chantal Akerman, and the singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. “These are women who have forged their own path and maybe were outsiders and then created their own community and their own way of expressing themselves,” he explained. There were no direct references to any of them in the collection, to anything they’ve ever worn, or their works. But it’s also true that the models walked differently than at most other shows; like they all had somewhere they needed to be but they weren’t in a rush to get there. It all made sense together.
“Even as we expand, we are always going to be very eclectic and give you the opportunity to mix things together in your own way, and it somehow becomes a no-brainer,” the designer said. “The colors can clash; things don’t have to match.” At Zankov, the point remains to have fun, to experiment, to not have to choose one or the other, and if you choose wrong, no you didn’t and go again.
