Chopova Lowena’s Cornish-Inspired S/S´24 Show

For spring/summer 2024, Chopova Lowena designers Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons were inspired by the ancient Cornish festival Flora Day. Entitled Girls Tear, Girl’s Tear (the Bulgarian name for the lily of the valley flower that’s worn during the festival), the collection brought together the folkloric and skateboarding references that are central to the brand’s DNA.

The collection was inspired by the Cornish festival Flora Day

Held in the town of Helston to mark the arrival of spring each May, the ancient Cornish festival Flora Day was a key inspiration for Chopova Lowena this season. The day-long event features dancing galore, as well as a colourful pageant telling the stories of the fight between St George and the dragon, and St Michael and the devil, among other mythological and historical tales.

“My husband’s family is from Cornwall, and so I was introduced to the festival through that,” Lowena-Irons, whose great-grandfather was also Cornish, tells Vogue in a preview. She and co-founder Chopova attended the festival earlier this year, recording audio snippets from the day-long event that formed the soundtrack to this season’s show.

It was good versus evil

Characters from the Flora Day pageant were referenced in many of this season’s looks, from sea ladies, dragons and devils to Robin Hood. The overarching theme? Good versus evil, which is translated literally through the black and white looks that feature in the collection. “We’ve never had quite as much black and white, which is quite a literal interpretation – but it happened very subconsciously,” Chopova says.

It marked the brand’s sexiest collection to date

While the brand’s signature puff-sleeved dresses and carabiner skirts remain, this season also saw a new, sexier silhouette hit the runway, from tight-fitting knitwear to corseted minidresses. “I would say it’s the sexiest we’ve ever been,” Lowena comments. “Chopova Lowena is growing up.”

Leather bags and shoes were introduced for the first time

While the brand has created upcycled fabric bags for several seasons, the designers introduced leather bags and shoes for the first time. In traditional Chopova Lowena fashion, the bags are designed to be like a tool belt, with a notebook and pen, comb, key chain and nail file all built in. Meanwhile, the brand’s take on Mary-Jane flats, along with a new collaboration with Ugg (including some adorned with giant gift bows), are likely to become favourites with the fashion It-girls.

The show took place in a skatepark

Given that Chopova Lowena’s designs are often skate-infused, it made sense that the show was held in BaySixty6 Skate Park in west London. As was the case at their last show for spring/summer 2023, the designers street-cast their models, as well as asking family and friends to take to the runway – bringing a certain energy to proceedings. “[It’s] the full Chopova Lowena experience,” Lowena says.