Fashion, much like air travel, has always been about motion—moving between places, ideas, and identities. For Toronto-based designer Anton Styntsov, this metaphor takes flight in their debut collection, a daring synthesis of tailored power suits, aviation-inspired uniforms, and structured evening wear. With a sharp eye for detail and an unmistakable sense of drama, Styntsov’s work embodies a modern aesthetic rooted in both strength and softness. Liminul had the pleasure of speaking with the emerging designer on the heels of their runway presentation at Fashion Art Toronto’s 1664 Fashion week about their inspirations, philosophy, and what’s next for the emerging designer.
“I was really inspired while travelling through Europe and Canada by air,” Styntsov shares. “This air travel theme came to me easily, with a large range of design options and themes to explore. The concept of flight attendant and other crew members’ uniforms is very interesting to investigate and incorporate into my style. These are usually the people who are the first ones to greet you in the country you are travelling to. I also wanted to try to merge airport aesthetics with a stronger, office-siren look to create something more intriguing for people to observe and to emphasize the concept of strong women, which is part of my brand.”
The resulting collection strikes a bold balance between polished minimalism and playful theatrics, infusing workplace practicality with a striking sense of drama. “When I was working on the styling of the collection, I was definitely going for this strong office-siren look, maybe exaggerating it a bit with briefcases and stacks of folders to emphasize each look,” Styntsov explains. Their runway show told a story, with models embodying various facets of the air travel experience. “The first model with traffic lights started the collection by parking the plane. Then we had more flight-attendant looks, and the lady in shorts represented someone working at the check-in desk with a bunch of folders. The rest is for people to think about. The evening wear section, divided by a sudden ‘storm,’ moved slightly apart from the concept of the first part, incorporating more evening wear and finishing with the black mesh gown with planes.”
Styntsov’s approach to design is a testament to instinct and experimentation. “It was a really interesting experience for this first collection to work on the combination of stronger and softer looks, bringing a more interesting twist to my collection,” they share. “I think that’s what I’m going to experiment with in my next collection next year. I can’t really explain why I felt the need to do this while creating—the process just went in this direction, and I went with it. I combined things like padded shoulder jackets with puffed tulle skirts, corsets with shirts and ties, and more evening wear gowns with added drapery.”
A fascination with fashion history and pattern-making drives much of Styntsov’s work, offering both structure and fluidity. “A part of my personal interest in fashion is pattern-making and fashion history, and I enjoy creating really structured and tailored pieces,” they explain. “In fashion history, the combination of structured tailoring and drapery can be observed throughout many centuries, so it’s part of my brand concept. I also wanted to experiment with pieces I’ve never worked on before, as I’m a young designer—things like ruffled skirts, bias cuts, and other techniques—and merge them into one collection.”
This sense of exploration is fuelled by a diverse range of inspirations, spanning both global and personal influences. “There are a lot of modern and past designers who inspire me so much,” Styntsov says. “Starting with tailoring in Alexander McQueen and Thom Browne, the 90s of Mugler (including how he did the shows and made a very clear point of the collection concept). Also some evening wear from Robert Wun and Miss Sohee. Minimalism from Alexander Wang, and a lot of Ukrainian designers like Litkovska, Shnaider, and Bevza.”
Despite being relatively new to Toronto, Styntsov finds the city’s creative energy and cultural diversity an exciting backdrop for their work. “Toronto’s creative community with its cultural diversity really inspires me,” they share. “My style is really similar to the style of modern ready-to-wear and high-end Ukrainian designers, with their natural palettes of colours, deconstruction, and minimalism. But with the influence of the Toronto fashion scene, I would like to go with a more dramatic and slightly exaggerated look for my next collection, adding more styling and leaning into Toronto’s maximalism.”
Looking to the future, Styntsov is already planning their next venture, a collection poised to push boundaries even further. “For now, I can’t say for sure, as I just launched my first collection (not considering my grad collection as it’s pretty small), and I’m observing how the public reacts to it. I can say that there will probably be a second collection, participating in FAT next year. I’ve already started preparing, and the only two things I can say are that it’s going to be better, with much more work involved—exploring more of the corsetry as well as medical corsetry and unusual fabrics like medical bandage, vinyl, and more—with the name of ‘Likarnia’ (which translates as hospital from Ukrainian) and will dive into a lot of spheres involved in the medical profession, paying tribute to the people working in this crucial and complex field.”
With a debut collection that has already garnered attention at Fashion Art Toronto, Styntsov is a designer carving out their space in the industry. Their work not only celebrates the art of tailoring but also reimagines everyday aesthetics—whether in airports or hospitals—into something extraordinary.
Photos: @cosplay
Cody Rooney is the Editor in Chief and senior contributor at liminul.
He is a PhD candidate, digital content specialist, writer, editor, multi-media artist, and photographer.