Henry Zankov is no longer fashion’s best kept secret

Every few seasons, New York Fashion Week is in need of a savior. Someone who shakes up what can often be a monotonous cycle of all that goes into the jampacked show calendar. Someone who reminds a likely very jaded and fickle crowd of editors, buyers, and industry observers that fashion can still be thoughtful, genuine, and most importantly, fun. This season, Russian American designer Henry Zankov — the creative auteur behind his namesake label Zankov, and the newly appointed first-ever artistic director of Diane von Furstenberg — feels like that person.

Zankov is the definition of the type of personality who has quietly and efficiently “done the work.” Before launching Zankov in 2020, he spent years at New York brands such as Donna Karan and Diane von Furstenberg, as well as consulting for a number of labels under LVMH. In just six short years, his eponymous brand has become a regular go-to for New York’s most clued in — and adventurous — dressers. Known for its knitwear, Zankov’s label embraces unconventional pairings that end up being delightful pieces; think sequin embellished sweaters, color-blocked cardigans, spectacular prints, and endless examples of texture — flowing fringe, peek-a-boo cutouts, scrunched satin, and more. For Zankov, establishing a clear “visual vocabulary” was imperative, even before he fully comprehended what the final line would end up being.

“I always really wanted the brand to not be about trends, and really about having a strong visual identity first and foremost. I wanted us to be almost when you see it down the street, or when you see it in the store, or see it on someone else, you automatically know what it is,” Zankov said during an interview in the lead up to New York Fashion Week. “Pattern and color are the two major hallmarks of the brand and its very much rooted in knitwear, but not necessarily only knitwear. I’ve been wanting to grow the collection in a meaningful way, but still everything has to be rooted in color and pattern and incredible materiality with a sense of ease and effortlessness.”

The Zankov and Diane von Furstenberg brands have a clear design connection when it comes to playing with prints, pattern and bold color. In a way, the two very different brands –– one an established pillar of New York fashion famed for its ‘70s wrap dress, and the other a respected darling with prime promise — have a sort of big-little sister or kindred spirit association.

“There’s definitely similarities. They both very much move through life at their own pace. They’re definitely very much extremely curious and open,” Zankov said. While both brands “share a strong sense of color and a visual vocabulary,” there is one big difference, he added. “I think Zankov is a little bit more freaky. It’s a little bit more subversive and maybe cerebral. And I think DVF is really all about confidence and seduction and effortlessness.”

When Zankov first started as artistic director at DVF, he kept thinking, “I’ve got to figure out what the difference is” between the two brands. Now, more than ever, he feels that “the Zankov girl or woman would definitely shop at the new DVF, and vice versa.”

Caitlin Ochs/Reuters

The designer’s Spring-Summer 2027 collection saw Zankov dive even deeper into his technicolor universe. Skirts were so heavily encrusted with sequins you could hear them swish over the music on the runway. Oversized spiral print sweaters were paired with chunky platforms. Sheer chiffon cape gowns provided a subtle sex appeal. While his reimagined DVF is sultry and sophisticated, Zankov is refreshingly off-kilter and eccentric. Equal parts cool and kooky.

Marco Postigo Storel/CNN

While there’s undoubtedly pressure in reviving a brand as well-known as Diane Von Furstenberg while also continuing to build his own namesake label, it helps that Zankov’s two jobs have two vastly different creative goals and business trajectories.

“I think about my friends who love the brand, but can’t really see themselves in it,” he said of bringing a new perspective to DVF. “That’s been my approach — how do we take this and make it desirable to them as well.” Furstenberg’s own personal style remains a creative constant as well, with vintage photos of the designer featured on the studio mood boards. “She is always the ultimate inspiration,” he added.

And while the designer dedicates different days to each job, he’s still wearing far more hats while steering Zankov.

“Zankov is still so small, so I have to think about production and our development and sales — I don’t get to just design for Zankov, so it’s a little bit more complicated,” he said. “I mean, I just did accounts payable today,” he laughed.

While crafting his own latest collection, Zankov said he kept turning back to the word “analog” and how that reverberates differently across generations.

“I was thinking a lot about my mom in the ‘60s when she moved to St. Petersburg in her 20s, and how that was a time where they went into space and you really felt like the future was around the corner,” said Zankov. “For me, that was in the late ‘90s, early 2000s, when the internet came out, and that also felt like that was the next step of the future.” Zankov also referenced a handful of stills from the 1963 French film, “Bay of Angels.” The story stars actor Jeanne Moreau, and in Zankov’s words is about a woman who “goes to Cannes to gamble her life away.”

“It feels very 1960s –– it’s a little bit sexy, but it’s also kooky and weird, but a little sad,” he said of the scenes featuring Moreau that inspired the Zankov show. “It’s vulnerable.” And while Zankov does keep carefully curated mood boards (both for Zankov and DVF) at his dual studio at Furstenberg HQ, his biggest form of inspiration remains simple.

“I pull things from everywhere,” he said, pointing to the French word “inspirer” which means to both breathe in and give creative inspiration. “It’s just about being open and keeping your eyes open,” he added. “It starts with a feeling…. but for me, really the inspiration is the work itself — the process, really, going from A to Z.”

And now, with two deservedly hyped runway shows behind him, Zankov merely hopes that people — in and out of the industry — continue to see and celebrate the underlying energy that both Zankov and his new vision at DVF share.

“It’s about embracing color, embracing a sense of play in the clothes, embracing this idea that not everything has to match. I want clothes to feel easy, and I want everything to feel playful,” he said. Zankov added that he wanted people to feel like they were able to truly play with the clothes, to see themselves wearing items “in their own way, as opposed to everything being a formula, and this is how it is .”

“That’s why the whole idea of ease is really important to me,” he added.

每隔几季，纽约时装周都需要一位救世主。一位能够打破拥挤秀场日程中单调乏味的循环的人。一位能够让那些可能早已见惯世故、喜新厌旧的编辑、买手和业内人士重新意识到，时尚依然可以充满思考、真诚，最重要的是，充满乐趣的人。本季，俄裔美国设计师亨利·赞科夫（Henry Zankov）——同名品牌赞科夫（Zankov）的创意灵魂人物，以及黛安·冯芙丝汀宝（Diane von Furstenberg）新任首位艺术总监——似乎正是这样一位人物。

Zankov堪称那种默默耕耘、高效完成工作的典范。在2020年创立Zankov品牌之前，他曾在纽约的Donna Karan和Diane von Furstenberg等品牌工作多年，也曾为LVMH集团旗下的多个品牌提供咨询服务。短短六年间，他创立的同名品牌便成为纽约最具时尚触觉和冒险精神的穿搭达人的首选。Zankov的品牌以针织衫闻名，其设计融合了各种元素，打造出令人眼前一亮的单品：亮片装饰的毛衣、撞色开衫、精美印花，以及丰富多样的面料质感——飘逸的流苏、若隐若现的镂空设计、褶皱缎面等等。对Zankov而言，建立清晰的“视觉语言”至关重要，甚至在他完全构思出最终的系列形态之前就已如此。

“我一直希望这个品牌不追逐潮流，而是首先打造鲜明的视觉形象。我希望无论你在街上、店里，还是在别人身上看到它，都能立刻认出它，”赞科夫在纽约时装周前的一次采访中说道。“图案和色彩是这个品牌的两大标志，它深深植根于针织服装，但又不局限于此。我一直想以一种有意义的方式拓展这个系列，但所有的一切都必须以色彩、图案和精湛的面料为基础，并兼具轻松自在的感觉。”

Zankov 和 Diane von Furstenberg 这两个品牌在印花、图案和大胆色彩的运用上有着明显的设计渊源。某种程度上来说，这两个风格迥异的品牌——一个是纽约时尚界的元老级品牌，以其 70 年代的裹身裙而闻名；另一个是备受推崇、前途无量的品牌——却有着一种姐妹般的亲密关系。

“两者之间确实有很多相似之处。他们都按照自己的节奏生活。他们都充满好奇心，思想开放，”赞科夫说道。他补充说，虽然这两个品牌“都拥有强烈的色彩感和视觉语言”，但两者之间也存在一个很大的区别。“我认为赞科夫的风格更古怪一些，更叛逆一些，也可能更偏向于理性思考。而我认为DVF的精髓在于自信、性感和毫不费力。”

赞科夫刚开始担任DVF的艺术总监时，他一直在思考“我必须弄清楚这两个品牌之间的区别”。现在，他比以往任何时候都更加确信，“赞科夫的女孩或女人肯定会在新的DVF购物，反之亦然。”

Caitlin Ochs/路透社

在2027春夏系列中，Zankov进一步深入探索了他那绚丽多彩的世界。裙装上缀满了亮片，在T台上，亮片沙沙作响，甚至盖过了音乐声。超大号螺旋印花毛衣搭配厚底鞋。薄纱披肩长裙则散发出一种微妙的性感魅力。如果说他重新诠释的DVF性感而精致，那么Zankov则显得清新脱俗、特立独行。既酷炫又古怪。

Marco Postigo Storel/CNN

毫无疑问，要重振像 Diane Von Furstenberg 这样知名的品牌，同时还要继续打造自己的同名品牌，这其中存在着巨大的压力，但幸运的是，Zankov 的这两份工作有着截然不同的创意目标和商业轨迹。

“我会想到那些喜欢这个品牌，但却无法真正融入其中的朋友们，”他谈到为DVF带来全新视角时说道。“这就是我的理念——如何让DVF也吸引他们。”弗斯滕伯格的个人风格也始终是创作的灵感源泉，工作室的灵感板上就展示了这位设计师的复古照片。“她永远是我的灵感源泉，”他补充道。

虽然设计师会把不同的日子分配给每项工作，但在掌舵 Zankov 时，他仍然身兼数职。

“Zankov公司规模还很小，所以我得考虑生产、研发和销售——我不能只负责Zankov的设计，所以情况有点复杂，”他说。“我的意思是，我今天刚处理完应付账款，”他笑着说。

Zankov 在创作自己的最新系列作品时表示，他不断地思考“模拟”这个词，以及它在不同世代中产生的不同影响。

“我常常想起我母亲在六十年代搬到圣彼得堡的情景，那时她二十多岁，正值太空探索的时代，让人真切地感受到未来近在咫尺，”赞科夫说道。“对我来说，那是在九十年代末、二十一世纪初，互联网兴起的时候，也感觉像是迈向未来的下一步。”赞科夫还提到了几张1963年法国电影《天使湾》的剧照。这部电影由演员让娜·莫罗主演，用赞科夫的话来说，讲述的是一个女人“去戛纳赌博，赌上自己的一生”。

“感觉很有六十年代的感觉——有点性感，但也古怪另类，还有点忧伤，”他谈到莫罗的那些场景时说道，正是这些场景启发了赞科夫的时装秀。“它很脆弱。”虽然赞科夫在位于弗斯滕伯格总部的双工作室里精心布置了（赞科夫和DVF两个品牌的）情绪板，但他最大的灵感来源依然很简单。

“我的灵感来源非常广泛，”他指着法语单词“inspirer”说道，这个词既有吸入灵感的意思，也有激发创作灵感的意思。“关键在于保持开放的心态，睁大眼睛，”他补充道。“灵感始于一种感觉……但对我来说，真正的灵感来自创作本身——来自创作过程，从头到尾。”

如今，在举办了两场备受瞩目的时装秀之后，赞科夫只希望业内人士和业外人士能够继续看到并赞扬赞科夫本人和他在DVF的新愿景中所蕴含的内在能量。

“关键在于拥抱色彩，拥抱服装中的玩乐精神，拥抱并非所有东西都必须搭配的理念。我希望衣服穿起来轻松自在，我希望一切都充满趣味，”他说道。赞科夫补充说，他希望人们能够真正地玩转服装，看到自己以“自己的方式”穿着这些单品，“而不是一切都千篇一律，毫无新意。”

“这就是为什么轻松自在这个概念对我来说非常重要，”他补充道。