COINONIA is a women’s luxury fashion label directed by duo designers, Momoko Hashigami from Japan and Kiho Kim from Korea. They established COINONIA in 2010, Milan and launched their first 2010F/W collection in Paris. They have since been showing their collections at TRANOI, Paris and in Seoul.

Momoko Hashigami majored in international studies at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, then studied fashion design and techniques at Tokyo Bunka Fashion College. She graduated from the women’s wear department of Central St Martin’s, London. While studying she gained work experiences at John Galliano and other Paris fashion houses. She participated in several international competitions including ITS4. After graduating she worked at Antonio Marras in Italy.

Kiho Kim graduated from Hangseung University in Seoul. Then he studied pattern making at Carlo Secoli in Milan and fashion design at Polimoda in Florence. During his study he participated in several international competitions including ITS3. After finishing his studies he worked at Antonio Marras in Italy. The name is inspired by the Greek concept of “Koinonia” – sharing, relationship, and communication. It is an idealized state of relationship, an idea of harmonized participation in a team. COINONIA is a label of two designers collaborating as a team while sharing their creativity, passion, and phylosophy for fashion and life. They wish to create COINONIA also among its associates and clients, and between the garment and the wearer giving new ideas to everyday life.

COINONIA’s universal theme is creating ‘Conceptual Contemporary’ garment and accessory for creative women. All the collection pieces are first created on the mannequins to be given a life and story by hand under a seasonal concept. Experimental and architectural shape, dynamic cutting, and sensitive details and colors are then introduced to define their characters. Narrative and conceptual mood is always there as the essence of their works. Feminine but masculine, still but dynamic, tender but hard… These contradictions and paradoxes are the source of their creations to give a birth to new designs.

More information at www.coinonia.com

DESIGNERS | Permalink | One comment |

The phrase “statement shoes” may be a bit overused these days, ranging from mile-high, thigh-high boots to glittery confections, but then again, one can never really satisfy a footwear fetish. Canadian-born designer Anastasia Radevich proves that point with her eponymous line of hand-finished shoes, its first collection “Biofuture” launching last 2009.(...) Read More about Anastasia Radevich’s Footwear Design (98 words)

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It’s not easy to look sleek or svelte in knitwear, but emerging London-based designer Lucas Nascimento manages to do both in his eponymous label. Since he graduated from London College of Fashion in 2008, Lucas has spent the last three years showing his pieces in Rio Fashion Week and making a name for himself in sculptural dressing and creative use of color combinations.
(...) Read More about TrendWatch: Lucas Nascimento (142 words)

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When you’ve won an award together with Jimmy Choo and have been recognized by The British Footwear Association, you pretty much know it’s time to start your own footwear label. This is exactly what Joanne Stoker did in 2010, and already, she’s being touted by Vogue as London Fashion Week’s “Ones to Watch”. Describing her style as “architectural innovation meets futuristic glamor”, Joanne pushed the boundaries of avant-garde in her latest collection, “Empire States”.(...) Read More about Joanne Stoker’s Empire States Collection (46 words)

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The latest ‘More or Less’ knitwear collection by Nanna van Blaaderen is inspired by organic forms, animal and nature. The designer used thick woolen yarns in off-white colors and experimented in combining knitting techniques with braiding techniques. Soft textures and raw expressive structures of these knitted sculptural pieces are applied in fashion, interiors and autonomous fields.

(...) Read More about More or Less by Nanna van Blaaderen (7 words)

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Inspired by science fiction and old Hollywood movies, the young Danish designer Julie Eilenberger introduces her latest work. A knitted sweater, a crochet bathing suit and an oversize jacket, make up her gorgeous latest collection. Currently completing her thesis in Berlin, Julie has already shown in 3 Berlin Fashion Weeks and completed a collection for Adidas. While (...) Read More about TrendWatch: Designer Julie Eilenberger (59 words)

DESIGNERS, TRENDS | Permalink | 3 comments |

For the 8th time, UNICEF partners with the biggest names of contemporary art, design, jewelery and celebrity to present about 90 unique and very special dolls. Presented yesterday, they will be auctioned on December 7 in Paris. These dolls became real works of art, and a way for (...) Read More about Frimousses de Créateurs 2010 (76 words)

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1. Driven Data, art piece 2. Chakra Chair, designed especially to focus on the body’s pressure points 3. Melissa Shoes by Karim Rashid, made of rubber and retails at $84.00  4. ASUS EEE PC 1008P Karim Rashid 10″ Notebook, Pink  5. Della Rovere Uno Desk, 2008 6. Phatboy Pen, 2006

We love to see the work environments of designers and artist, here is the desk/office of famous designer Karim Rashid. With over 3000 designs in production, over 300 awards and working in over 35 countries, Karim is a legend in the design world. Its interesting to see his work environment, though it looked a bit staged to me,(...) Read More about A Peek at Karim Rashid’s Desk (85 words)

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Tech-Couture is getting more and more popular, after the “Instant Spray Clothing“, here is the Self-Painting Dress by Dutch haute-tech designer Anouk Wipprecht, developed by Pseudomorphs. The tech-dress is controlled by pumps ink which are slowly transforming the ink into display to create illusions around the body.

(...) Read More about Self-Painting Dress by Anouk Wipprecht (132 words)

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