Ienki Ienki is the Ukrainian label rethinking the puffer jacket for a sleek winter look
Designer Dmytro Ievenko’s label offers a selection of stylish down jackets in a sea of shapeless designs. Monocle discovers how he now plans to refine outwear for new climates.
Puffer jackets are hard to get right. The amount of padding required means that elegance and design often come second. But a new wave of brands has been innovating in the previously slow-moving skiwear category and finding ways to marry performance with style.
Ukrainian designer Dmytro Ievenko’s label, Ienki Ienki, is becoming a go-to for down jackets that stand out in a sea of bulky, shapeless designs. This is partly thanks to signature details such as quilting, cinched waists and oversized collars. “We exist at the intersection of performance wear and the modern wardrobe,” says Ievenko.
Hailing from Kyiv, where thick coats and oversized scarves that keep out the cold are staples of residents’ winter wardrobes, the designer is well versed in creating sturdy outerwear, testing every detail before launching a product to market. He created an expedition suit for climber Antonina Samoilova, the first Ukrainian woman to climb Mount Kanchenjunga. “Every pattern or zipper is engineered to perform in cold-weather conditions – not just to look technical,” adds Ievenko.
He sources premium goose down from Ukrainian farms and lightweight Japanese or Italian nylon fabrics to manufacture his collections. All of his pieces are then crafted in Kyiv. Ievenko, who is now based in Milan, makes a point of continuing to run a studio in his hometown to help sustain the country’s manufacturing work force.
While most of the label’s padded coats transition easily from the slopes to cities, Ievenko also offers a dedicated ski range, including trousers cut in flattering flared shapes and ski suits fitted with a Recco electronic rescue system sensor. A ski poncho is also on offer for all those who would rather focus on après-ski.
The range received plenty of recognition, with top retailers such as Noa Boutique in Switzerland, Beams in Japan and Boon the Shop in South Korea placing orders. Now Ievenko is plotting his next chapter. “It will be about depth, rather than size – refining outerwear for new climates and expanding into knitwear and accessories,” he says. “What means the most to me is seeing our jackets being worn in real life, on the slopes. That’s when I feel that we have created something that truly connects with people.”
ienki-ienki.com
