Xenia Telunts Offers up a Cup of Warm British Comfort
British designer Xenia Telunts makes nice clothing. There's a lot more to it than that but at the core of her eponymous brand is a simple desire to make imminently wearable, ethically-constructed garments. Simple as.
"I think our collection can be worn by literally anyone," Telunts told Highsnobiety a year ago. "Aesthetically, it's inclusive and our pieces are both modest and functional, making it easy to wear whoever and wherever you are."
What more can you ask for? View Xenia Telunts' Fall/Winter 2023 collection (in the galleries above and below) as evidence of its imminent approachability.
Now, a brand without a vision is hardly worth more than its textiles but Telunts has plenty to say beyond a desire to create the ideal simplewear.
Her design process is steeped in both her newfound British home and post-Soviet heritage, for instance. Though she has Russian roots, Telunts — who's crowdfunded support for Ukraine as it battles for survival — is quick to point out that her identity isn't any singular descriptor.
"It's important to say that this identity belongs to all former Soviet Union countries: it's not a Russian identity alone but a shared, rich, collective cultural identity."
With FW23, Telunts has struck the perfect balance between her aesthetic influences.
The Britishness especially comes through in her revisions of seasonal staples: the waxed car coat's collar is softened by piping, the gardener's shirt is shortened into an overshirt, the anorak is now fully buttoned and made fully adjustable by elasticated hems aplenty.
Telunts' signature handknit fisherman sweaters, a staple of frigid Soviet winters, have also evolved, now informing many quaintly gorgeous knit layering pieces.
Her co-ed line's proportions further tap into that legacy of wear-it-for-life hand-me-downs, tough garments inspired by the silhouettes of laborers and regular folk.
The textiles are similar but elevated by quality fabrication and softer hands. You can still wear Xenia Telunts' clothing for life, it'll just feel better than the workwear of yore.
