The collection itself follows several streams of conscience and influence – a given for the clued-up designers who love to get lost in inspiration – skirting from women of the Wild West and early American culture through to the retro mood of modern-day gymnastics wear, by way of Halloween costumes.

‘We have a lot of those very defined characters in the show,’ Chopova shares. ‘That’s how we design the collection.’ This speaks to the way they cast their shows too, always with a diverse cohort of faces and names that exist beyond typical casting confines. They say the same will happen this season too.

‘Women of the Wild West are one side, those from early American culture — like Annie Oakley and Belle Brezing and then Halloween is a big theme. There are a lot of costume-inspirations like fairies and witches and then there’s showgirl, but we also have rhythmic gymnastic influences. That’s the clash.’

The details from the references are best seen in the pieces taken from Brezing’s estate sale imagery. ‘She was so cool,’ Chopova says, pointing out how her carpet prints have now become fabrics, and her scrapbooks appear across T-shirts.

‘We like the tackiness of the references but then also the subliminal messaging of them about how these are all strong, powerful females seen through the subtleties of the details.’ The duo are never frightened by a reference being too literal. A case-in-point here might be the soundtrack that they say will be interspersed with snippets of Annie Get Your Gun and Calamity Jane.

It could be easy to assume that it’s been plain sailing for a pair who continue to go from strength to strength, whether through the viral success of their carabiner skirts or the permanent space they just set up at Dover Street Market London, their Fashion Award for The New Establishment Womenswear or high-profile fans such as Dua Lipa, Olivia Dean and… Madonna (not bad for a brand that is only seven years old). But, it’s worth taking note of their unorthodox ascension.

‘That was really cool,’ Chopova cheers of the moment Olivia Dean wore a custom dress for Glastonbury in June. ‘I really love the dress and I was really proud of that.’

‘Starting to do shows was risky,’ Lowena-Irons says, still clearly thrilled that they’re an important part of the offering today, choosing to show once a year. ‘We waited for so long. And then the payoff of not having one and then having one was probably the most satisfying thing.’

It wasn’t a wait that was their choice, they say, but a necessary one. ‘It was the best feeling that we could [do a show], that people wanted to come and see our collection and care about it and that we could afford it. It was then that the whole thing made sense.’

The climate is tricky right now, they admit: ‘On a daily basis right now we’re having to be quite aggressive with the way we make decisions — we have to be decisive in how we invest and expand or move away from things.’

What Chopova Lowena quickly established in the early days remains today: an understanding that they would have to do things no other way than the Chopova Lowena way. ‘We’re trying to do stuff that people don’t, maybe necessarily do,’ Chopova explains. ‘Our way is the only way we are going to do this.’ Next, it’s candles and perfumes. They are also manifesting a London store that would be as much a place for them to sell their collections as for their community to hang out, drink nice coffee, read and make necklaces.

The pair at The Fashion Awards.

And what a community that is. Perhaps because of the label’s unorthodox entry to the industry or the sheer wearability and singularity of their aesthetic, they’ve developed such a cult-like following. Chopova Lowena has an unrivalled gang of core loyalists that brands much bigger than it would love to cultivate — many of which are delighted by its sub-£200 T-shirts and accessories that have helped contribute to its success, and all of whom you can spot a mile off.

‘We’re just lucky,’ Lowena-Irons shrugs when asked about how they’ve managed to captivate their audience so intently. ‘We’re so lucky that there’s so many people that have supported us and like the clothes as much as we do. ‘The way people wear stuff always inspires how we make it too,’ Chopova adds. ‘Especially the girls in the office or when people send us photos. It is weird to see people wearing our clothes, but inspiring in how they do so.’

The week we meet Sarah Burton has just been announced creative director of Givenchy, and the conversation shifts to talk about what it feels like to be a woman working and designing right now. ‘I think that our most defining characteristic is that we are girls,’ says Chopova. ‘I think people can be so snarky about girlhood, and so many girls are so taught to shy away from it: to not embrace it.’ It’s something that they’ve never done and yet their clothes have an increasingly unisex appeal.

‘In a way, we design gender-neutral clothes that we sell to both men and women. We aren’t really confined to the fact that we are female designers for women by women, but we do love the fact that we like girlhood and all of the things that are the complexities of girlhood because I think it’s all about that; we have very feminine sides and very masculine sides. And I love that,’ says Chopova. ‘A huge part of our actual growing up as designers was that we were so against femininity when we were younger and then we loved femininity and then we were against it and then we loved it and it was a back and forth balance.’

Lowena-Irons takes over; ‘Yes, you’re right. We don’t design for women but we design for people, and yet we are women designing it. But I don’t think about that every second of every day — I think about designing for people who understand those different, multi-faceted parts of girlhood.’

Chopova Lowena Catherine Midi Skirt

Chopova Lowena Airbrush Bear Top

Chopova Lowena Sofia Bag

Chopova Lowena Knot Heart earrings

ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.