If you want to impress the art crowd, who do you wear? Undoubtedly, something by Roksanda Ilincic will do the trick. “My work is very bold, very colourful and very graphic. It’s quite abstract but at the same time has warmth and I think artists that I identify with gave the same kind of aesthetic,” says the Belgrade-born, London-based designer. Devotees include Marina Abramovic, Michelle Obama, Jessica Chastain and Cate Blanchett, while artists who have inspired her work include Josef and Anni Albers, Helen Frankentahaler, Ellsworth Kelly and Helio Oiticica.

She also counts Irish artist Eva Rothschild, who represented Ireland at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019, as a friend. “Eva’s sense of colour and bold graphic work is something that really resonates with me,” she told Vogue. Rothschild’s work, which often references the art movements of the 1960s and 1970s, is synonymous with precarious, enigmatic sculptural forms made from a range of materials from aluminium to perspex, including leather and fabric. In the past, Rothschild and Ilincic collaborated on a project for the House of Voltaire to raise money for artists, most recently they worked together for the Roksanda AW22 show, held (appropriately) at Tate Britain. Central to the success of the show was the dramatic angled-wood installation created by Rothschild, which transformed the cavernous halls of the gallery, and picked up the flouro accents on the catwalk.

For AW22 Ilincic’s signature colour blocking and unusual patch-working is much in evidence, married to exaggerated, voluminous gowns in silk taffetas, satins and sand-washed silks. In her notes, Ilincic explained the collection explores “the duality between realism and dreaming, of sheltering in protective layers yet at the same time craving moments of freedom and beauty.” That means billowing evening wear with ink wave prints as well as sportier variations in vibrant colours and sustainable fabrics such as recycled polyester taffeta and crepes. The oversized leggings, ponchos, puffer coats, padded bags and duvet dresses, part of her collaboration with sports brand Fila. They seem perfect for apres-ski parties in Courchevel or Cortina.

For Ilincic the collaboration with Fila has personal significance. “Growing up in Serbia, I cherish memories of how much we all loved Fila pieces coming from Italy. This collection allowed me to give a new point of view on such a beloved heritage: one that merges my shapes and colours with a sense of performance and the outdoors. The soft, enveloping message is perfectly timely, I believe.”

Ilincic also launched a series of tiered NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in collaboration with London Fashion Week sponsor Clearpay. For as little as €30 you can own a three-dimensional version of her final demi-couture, sculptural gown in a geometric print, not quite the same as owning the real thing, but showed Ilincic’s vision for her brand. Clearly she’s staying abreast of consumer trends, playing to her strong millennial following, while remaining sophisticated and elegant. No wonder her AW22 show was one of the most talked about at London Fashion Week; www.roksanda.com.