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Though Ienki Ienki (pronounced “yenki yenki”) is a difficult name to roll off the tongue, the outerwear label’s oddball-chic puffer jackets and vests are easy to spot on the street. This past season, the Ukrainian brand managed to separate itself from the puffer jacket pack (namely, the ubiquitous, mammoth red Balenciaga Fall 2016 puffer jacket) with its rounded, scarab-like shapes and extra-large hoods, becoming a street style favorite around the shows. Asya Mkhitaryan of the Kiev-based concept store Asthik sported a pastel green version during her motherland’s Fashion Week, blogger Natalie Joos wore a belted powder pink incarnation in New York, and Ukrainian fashion editor Julie Pelipas attended shows in a sporty white vest that boasted an almost-peplum shape in Paris. Even Russian style star Miroslava Duma got in on the fun, appearing on her Instagram in a red number almost the size of herself.
The collection is the brainchild of Mkhitaryan’s husband Dima Ievenko, who during his 10 years working in retail fashion has become what he calls “a true fetishist in outerwear.” Their distinct silhouette is inspired by the Michelin Man—a look that people often try to steer clear of during the winter. But Ievenko tweaks the pieces for a chic effect: One version, actually titled the “Michelin,” is belted at the waist to create an exaggerated hourglass shape. Another, the “Dunlop,” flares out at the top and/or bottom depending on how the wearer buttons it, also resulting in a whittled-waist effect. “I wanted for them to have volume, but still feminine and easy to wear,” writes Ievenko via email. “Big and cozy with a strong accent around the waist.” Aside from their unusual proportions, the jackets also turn heads for their saccharine hues, like lavender or fire-engine red.
Though the jackets have a luxury flair and are set to be sold in Barneys, Lane Crawford, and Browns at a price point starting at $1,165, they hail from a place where the idea of a “fashion” puffer jacket is relatively new. “As soon as you earned any money, you needed to get rid of your puffer and buy something else,” Ievenko explains of post-Soviet outerwear culture. “A fur coat was the most desirable piece.” Now, however, the brand is proving that a sporty coat can be chic—one puff piece at a time.
