David Koma (Q2881)
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David Koma is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | David Koma |
David Koma is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
For the first time in his near-15 year career, David Koma decided to take a beat and skip a fashion show or even a formal presentation this season. In part you suspected this might be related to his new duties at Blumarine: Koma came straight to Paris from spending Milan Fashion Week with his new colleagues there. Once we caught up in his Paris showroom, however, the designer demurred; he explained that he was cooking up big things for the anniversary in February, so for now: “I thought let me just focus on the whole range and quality and explore the magic that can be on the rail.”That magic seemed to be casting its spell on the happy wholesale clients who were keeping Koma’s team busy. “There are extreme cuts, extreme decadence, extreme opulence,” summarized the designer of a collection that he said was inspired by the Australian photographer Layly Jeffress’s studio shot portraits of birds. More specifically, he said: “I chose the hummingbird for this extreme, hyper energy. And swallows for the sense of family and togetherness.” Less thematically but equally dramatically, there was a fair amount of turkey: today the so-called marabou feathers we see in fashion tend to be sourced from America’s favorite traditional celebratory main course.A balconette bra and mini skort in fluro yellow was wreathed in a floor length feather trimmed tulle veil. A pale blue crystal fixed lycra bodysuit was worn under a sleeveless hoodie in same-tone marabou. This powerful hoodie also came long-sleeved, in pink. Koma being Koma, there was a powerfully defined all-evening section in black. A mini-dress was edged at the bosom with a livery of pink feathers. Slouchy-cut tailoring was accented with a metal chain that draped from the right shoulder over to the breast pocket; at its end was tethered an embroidered flower. Fashion more broadly is going through a moment of self-reflection about how best to express powerful, self-determined, feminine hotness: that’s a lane David Koma has been on for as long as he’s been a designer.
2 October 2024
It has been 15 years since David Koma launched his namesake label, an impressive milestone, which has left the designer yearning for success of a different kind. “I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved,” he said, leafing through racks of clothing in his east London studio. “But I’m at a point where I just want to focus on happiness and to celebrate what brought me here in the first place.” Designers are especially prone to nostalgia and Koma is no exception; he’s currently on a mission to rediscover the creative freedom he experienced as a budding Central Saint Martins graduate. The designer’s resort collection was among the most elaborate he’s ever produced.It began with a sculpture by Isabelle Albuquerque—a 3D-printed rendition of the artist’s precise proportions wrapped in deer skin—that Koma discovered online. “There was a mystery to the work,” he said. “It made me think about the ancient Greek idea of metamorphosis.” A handful of fawn-spotted swimsuits, bodycon dresses, and capes were a sensual translation of those preternatural fantasies; while leather saddles were reinterpreted as belt skirts, and crystallized embellishments clutched the shoulders and hips on fluid jersey gowns like talons. Glossy raffia—a substitute for fur—was stitched into aqueous pelts on a nude-sequined skirt, evoking the lustrous mane of an Akhal-Teke horse, and created an abundance of volume on beach bags and statement coats. The weight of these pieces will require an equine strength of their own.
27 June 2024
David Koma is all about his crew. Through his womenswear he’s alreadybuilta solid following of enthusiastic subscribers to his graphic brand of powerful evening wear. Now, after 15 years, he’s trying to broaden his base by providing clothes that his male soulmates will want to get into, too. At a preview, he said: “A key challenge for me was to have the depth and variety in the collection really resonate with the wide group of friends that I have across different ages, professions and nationalities, and everything that they do in their life.”Koma imposed a loose division between offstage and onstage to demarcate daywear and night. Both subsets were strongly influenced by dance, specifically Jiří Kylián’s Sarabande, a piece which the designer said “contains this amazing combination of classic ballet and more contemporary dance.” T-shirts came printed with silhouetted photos showing a dancer who is also the partner of a senior member of Koma’s design team. The collection blended humor and fantasy through various pieces including inky black boxer-short shorts (with false flies) spackled with crystals and black leather brief-bloomers. There were vests in embroidered crystal mesh, a material carried over from women’s resort, and a shirt in baby deerskin that prefigured (said Koma) his next womenswear mainline collection. Fabulous bulky bags in black or scarlet marabou also doubled handily as extreme headpieces.Offstage, there were tough work pants and blazers in two-tone cracked leather, dark denims, and a black leather stevedore’s jacket. Hoodies and T-shirts came printed with the black on black outline of a faun. Shoes and boots had raised chisel toes: romper stompers.Back onstage a crinkle-finish trench in a treated, papery cotton was dramatically tassled by a long loop of marabou threaded through one epaulet: simultaneously ceremonial military and industrial camp. More marabou fringing was applied to a lilac crystal-spotted button up, while a black satin blazer was shrouded with a shinily flexible haze of lurex thread. A T-shirt was embedded with the crystal outline of a corseted torso; black leather basketball shorts came bisected at one leg by a horizontal double line of stainless steel rivets: just as Koma often plays hard lines against softness and contour in the female form he was applying different topographies against the male in order to depict an abstracted sensual athleticism.
16 June 2024
“I feel good about it all,” remarked David Koma at a preview. Over the past couple of seasons, the designer’s demeanor before his shows has noticeably relaxed, a testament to his confidence in his own work—a growth that’s fantastic to witness.Consistent with his dedication to honoring accomplished women in creative realms, Koma found inspiration for his fall collection in seismic figures in dance, including the late German neo-Expressionist pioneer Pina Bausch and contemporary Spanish choreographer Candela Capitán. He aimed to juxtapose these influences with the impactful kinetic sculptures of artist Rebecca Horn, but it was his visit to the “Thin Air” exhibition at London’s Royal Docks that ignited this collection’s concept. Reflecting on the experience, he shared that “the space, light, and sound were comforting yet felt aligned with my taste. It was then that I began to explore dance and movement as central themes.”Bausch’s fusion of everyday attire with dancewear manifested in sleek black and white ensembles centered on formfitting leggings and justacorps-inspired tops, along with elegant evening gowns complete with ballet bustiers. Tutus were reimagined with an assortment of fabrics and hues, from feathered hems on leotards to chiffon shrugs across minidresses. Tailoring appeared more structured, crafted from neoprene, and came in the form of blazers, coats, and plume-adorned pants.From intricately hand-spun creations emerged vibrant graphic designs, decorating floor-length macramé silhouettes accentuated by chunky knitted stoles resembling frayed tweed. Shearling burst forth from miniskirts and leather biker-jacket linings. And of course, no David Koma show would be complete without some razzle-dazzle—garments sparkled with rock-size crystals nestled in raw metal rings. Continuing the dance-inspired theme, satin slingbacks and boots were embellished with plumes that added a playful party-girl flair. By the end of the show, Koma had us all tapping our toes.
17 February 2024
David Koma’s fondness for birds and feathers has become ubiquitous in his designs. However for pre-fall, while still drawing inspiration from avian elements, he deviated from his usual practice of dedicating his collection to a single muse. Instead, he chose to honor the high-society women of New York in the mid-’60s, whom Truman Capote famously dubbed “the Swans.” This coterie of influential characters—including Lee Radziwill, Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, and Slim Keith—was strikingly beautiful and fabulously wealthy. As director Ryan Murphy prepares to release the second season of the anthology television seriesFeudon the same subject—titledFeud: Capote vs. the Swans, starring Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny—the designer contemplated how to reinterpret this glamorous world for the Koma girl of today.The collection offers distinct juxtapositions, from its contrasting palette to classic, ladylike accents taking a daring, sultry turn. Take, for instance, the liquid jersey dresses adorned with delicate bows that sensually drape over the body, revealing hips and thighs. Bias-cut floor-length dresses with lace inserts and satin minidresses with an abundance of plumes are designed for the ultra-confident.Bird-inspired details make appearances on crystal-encrusted 3D structures fashioned into crop tops and tuxedos (an homage to Marlene Dietrich, one of the designer’s constant muses). Hand-drawn swan wings elegantly positioned across the bust have been meticulously embroidered onto tulle to create a tattoo-like effect. Other feathery moments come in the form of single-breasted jackets bursting with voluminous plumes, while oversized shearling coats and jackets add dimension to the outerwear selection. The daytime pieces also warrant a closer inspection, including low-slung jeans decorated with laser-etched feather motifs, denim miniskirts, and slim-fit leather pants with matching motorcycle jackets.
19 January 2024
Each season, David Koma selects a distinct muse as the focal point for his collections. For spring his creative inspiration was drawn from Queen Elizabeth II and her fondness for vibrant botanical colors and floral motifs (she attended the Chelsea Flower Show annually). However, it was the images of her during her military service in the early 1940s, particularly those of her confidently riding a Royal Enfield 250 motorcycle, that ignited his creative spark. “I’ve dedicated this to Her Majesty because it’s always been a dream of mine to dress her,” Koma shared in a preview. “When I found pictures of her during the time that she trained as a mechanic and motorbike driver, I loved the dialogue between the femininity that she’s known for and a sort of darker, edgier vibe.”In contrast to the austere, gray Brutalist setting of Tate Modern’s basement show space, the collection offered diverse interpretations of floral motifs, with a special focus on the rose. The rose holds symbolic significance in English culture, harking back to its use as the emblem of peace during Henry VIII’s Tudor era. There were minidresses complete with trains featuring hand-drawn roses digitally printed onto stretch transparent mesh, which came in pink and white as well as green and black.Other instances of the rose insignia were evident through ornamental 3D structures, a defining characteristic of the David Koma brand. Notable among these were enlarged rose and daisy designs accentuated with crystal embellishments incorporated onto an array of evening-appropriate dresses in black and pink. Another interpretation of these blooms took the form of chain-mail-esque elements, including a full dress covered in miniature daisy-like structures. Ruffle skirts gracefully imitated the silhouette of a blossoming flower.Koma also found inspiration in Marianne Faithfull’s portrayal of the rebellious character Rebecca in the 1968 filmThe Girl on a Motorcycle.This materialized in miniature 3D roses—skillfully handcrafted from resin in white, pink, and tangerine hues—which adorned padded biker jackets, another Koma hallmark, as well as embellishing sheer dresses and twinsets.New additions to the Koma-verse included an ambitious handbag line informed by the late queen’s style. There were four shapes in metallic shades, with the standout being the sculptural Apex clutch, which, as the designer described it, “can be seen as a shark fin or a rose thorn, depending on the vibe you’re going for.
” Koma has a deep understanding of what his clientele’s preferences are, confidently enriching their wardrobes with his hyperfeminine, sci-fi aesthetic.
16 September 2023
During a summer sojourn in Greece, where he attended a friend’s wedding, David Koma developed a fascination with the country’s ancient artifacts and mythology. As a designer known for dedicating his collections to specific muses, he chose Aphrodite for resort. “She’s an incredible figure with such depth,” Koma shared in a preview. “She possesses the perfect balance of strength and softness.”Aphrodite is widely celebrated as the goddess of love, but historical references also associate her with the fish symbol, a motif that permeates the collection. Angelfish structures were imaginatively reinterpreted as black crystal embroidery and plexiglass accents adorning the bust and hips of dresses, both individually and in pairs. The graceful form of the koi fish was magnified and embroidered with crystals on a seductive cut-out midi dress. Elsewhere, black silk mesh numbers came alive with vibrant neon prints depicting tropical fish. To accentuate the body’s curves, there were 3D chrome swirls strategically placed on necklines, thigh-slits, and hips of crepe minidresses.The influence of water—synonymous with Aphrodite’s connection to the ocean, where she is said to have been born—manifested through the use of a transparent, liquid-like sequin fabric in refreshing aqua and pink tones. This was cut into slips, crop tops, and maxi skirts with extended trains. Other sheer moments included body-contouring stretch-silk dresses with silk yarn trimmings, as well as a backless mint crochet knit gown embellished with hundreds of crystals.Koma reimagined his classic biker jacket in metallic leather shades of pink and aqua; shearling jackets in the same hues added another layer of dimension to the overall silhouettes. Sharply tailored wool jackets and pants in black brought contrast to the collection. “It’s important for me to experiment with juxtapositions,” he asserted. “It’s about placing the strong outerwear shapes with the fluid, femininity of the eveningwear.”
21 June 2023
The day before his show, David Koma was remarkably at ease. “I feel positive about it all,” he said. “It might be the calm before the storm, but it’s coming together, and I’m super happy with the way everything looks.”It’s not surprising that Koma was in good spirits. His fall collection revolved around the notion of glamour, with the legendary German-American actor Marlene Dietrich serving as the muse. This certainly feels like his forte. “She’s been someone I’ve admired for a long time,” he said. “I wanted to place her legacy, as well as my adoration for her life’s work, at the center of it all—she was one of the first major names to experiment with androgynous style, which was particularly daring during her time.”Koma incorporated design cues from the 1930s and the 1960s, and twisted them to fit his idea of the modern woman’s wardrobe. There was a distortion of the classic tuxedo, its silhouette exaggerated with shortened jacket lengths and trousers constructed from high-shine patent leather (some boots in the same material moonlighted as pants, too).It wouldn’t be a David Koma show without dazzling party attire. He used “shades of lipstick” and sorbet tones for asymmetrical tops, skirts, and dresses composed of satin and embellished knits, as well as plume-trimmed separates that turned heads as they wafted down the runway. A tribute to classic red nails appeared in dresses with layers of elongated sequins, ruffle skirts with dangerously high crystal-encrusted slits, and a Mongolian lambswool rendition of the feathered evening stole.There was a section of intricate pieces featuring hand-cut patent leather flowers connected together with silver rings to replicate the look of chainmail, taking his couture-minded approach to ready-to-wear a step further. “It was a tremendous amount of work—it took my team a whole week to put together in our studio,” he said.Smoking motifs were present in the form of biker outerwear that featured spliced up vintage leather jackets sourced in east London. Elsewhere, jewelry pieces, in collaboration with designer Emily Frances Barrett, included resin-dipped Marlboro cigarette butts scattered across decorative pearls and layered chains. There was even a bejeweled cigarette with the closing look. “I’ve been a fan of Emily’s work since buying one of her pieces a couple of years ago, so it was a no-brainer for us to do something together,” he said.
“Smoking was considered vulgar in the 1930s, especially for women, so I wanted to pay tribute to that.” The show took place on the 11th floor of a commercial skyscraper in the Barbican area, which featured a crimson floor that evoked an actual Hollywood red carpet.
18 February 2023
For pre-fall, David Koma drew inspiration from the arresting yet perilous Arctic region. As usual, the designer kept a singular muse in mind, and this time it was DeeDee Ann Jonrowe, the female Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race record holder. “Not only was she a groundbreaking presence in the male-dominated sport, she also had incredible style—for example, she wore an enormous pink jacket with ruffles, which I love,” the Tbilisi, Georgia-born designer said at his east London atelier. “From that as a starting point, I was pushed to go bolder, and more experimental with my silhouettes.”Although each part of the collection may have had its own textural story to tell, they all felt concise as a whole. There were sensually draped jersey and crepe cut-out dresses, a signature for the brand, featuring crystal-encrusted collars with plush leather piping, which referred to Jonrowe’s dog sled harnesses. In keeping with the theme, there were also exaggerated fluffy details on gowns, jackets, and skirts in ostrich feathers and Mongolian shearling.The leather and puffer outerwear pieces—padded moto-style coats, belted parkas, and cropped jackets—gave further dimension to the overall offering. A standout was a painstakingly hand-embroidered plexiglass floor-length dress that erred on the haute couture side of construction. “As you can see on the back [of the dress], the amount of stitches it took to piece this all together is mind-blowing,” asserted the designer. Elaborate workmanship and couture-level details —might be an area the designer could explore further, given that it added a unique layer to his repertoire.
19 January 2023
“It’s about harmonizing environmental and unintentional, man-made beauty,” David Koma remarked in a preview ahead of his show. “I hoped to create a fantasy that reflected this unusual marriage by merging aquatic elements with everyday city discoveries.”Koma wanted attendees to be present on his home turf, where he was first inspired to create the collection, so he staged the runway spectacle outside of his studio on the streets of the Theatre Courtyard Gallery—a location that just so happened to be where William Shakespeare put on his first play. “You can see these shimmering oil formations on the sidewalk in East London, particularly close to where I work, which triggered me creatively,” he mused. “I then had a vision of an underwater world with colorful sea creatures illuminating the darkness.”The natural and the urban were combined in the collection. There were also references to early photographs of American marine biologist and oceanographer Sylvia Earle and her Tektite II crew, the first all-female diving team, that spent 14 days underwater in 1970. A variety of Koma’s signature party dresses and swimwear pieces were crafted from super-elastic silk mesh that emulated scuba gear. Further to the theme, Yves Klein Blue lightweight plume dresses, mimicking the sea itself, swished down the runway in an array of shapes. There were also tops and skirts in macramé inspired by fisherman’s knots.Motorsport styles were explored in the form of leather biker jackets with decorative inserts in the shape of fish hooks, paneled skintight leggings, and structured knee-high boots adorned with hardware. Cutout chain-mail dresses were covered with miniature fish hooks; gasoline drop–printed dresses and off-center tops added a sensual, industrial mood. The spliced T-shirt dresses that had an athletic edge delivered an offbeat cool, an area that felt refreshing for Koma.This season’s embroideries, which took the form of crystallized starfish, oyster shells, and octopus tentacles, felt especially powerful. Specifically the bralette crafted out of golden shells worn with low-slung jeans, as well the giant embellished starfish on top of the eveningwear, gave the impression of couture-level intricacy.
18 September 2022
David Koma explored the duality of his woman’s wardrobe for resort. “It’s about balance and a play on opposites,” said the Georgian designer at his east London atelier. “Hot and cold; hard and soft; aggressive and sensual—this contrast is key to every look, either in the fabrication or structure.”A central motif within the collection is the iris flower, which, fittingly, in Ancient Greek mythology represents the link between heaven and earth. The symbol is seen on details throughout, whether blown-up and hand-embroidered onto sheer dresses and crystalized thigh-high cowboy boots, or cast into little 3D metallic decorations on necklines and necklaces. “The iris is feminine and elegant, but is also organic,” Koma mused. “And we experimented with different techniques and scales with its beautiful shape.”Koma was inspired by the peculiar timing of the mid-season, as well, which sits somewhere between winter and spring. This in-betweenness is reflected in the clothes, from the delicate lace of corsetry details where the boning is entirely flexible, to the butter-soft pebbled leather of a mini-skirt and biker jacket set, as well as a standout brown floor-length single-breasted coat.Using his go-to crepe fabric, Koma cut party pieces that feature cut-out details at the hip, dangerously-high slits, and bulbous pearl embellishments at the trim. Acidic pinks and yellows pop up as swinging halter dresses, degradé sequin skirts, and cascading ruffle tops and opera gloves. The most challenging to construct? “The organza dress is layered with complexities,” said the designer as he showed off the intricate number up-close. “But the combination of transparency, femininity, and technique makes for a strong, directional look.”It takes a certain panache to be a Koma girl. With the right attitude—and a special occasion that requires dressing to the nines—any of these pieces are a surefire way to turn-heads.
23 June 2022
David Koma decided to become a British citizen this year and began approaching his “adopted country with a new awareness.” The Tbilisi, Georgia–born designer’s doubling down on Brit culture led him—as is often the way—to football, and so his fall 2022 muses were not supermodels but sports players and supporters. Even hooligans.He had one particular goal scorer in mind. Trailblazing winger Lily Parr, who Koma came across during a trip to the National Football Museum when up north for a wedding. Parr played for the Dick, Kerr Ladies team in the ’20s and ’30s. The letters DKL spoke to Koma and so he imbued his latest work with the spirit of the woman who paved the way for more females on the pitch. Then he added diamonds.Koma’s signature seductive crystals have this season become entangled with more British tropes, which take on a new significance in light of the designer’s citizenship. In his hands, the crown jewels became diamanté harnesses; roses were realized in silk macramé; and modish polo shirts morphed into cocktail dresses. If this sounds like a hat trick of tourist memorabilia, from the outside it was business as usual. “Of course there’s glitter and glamour,” he said with a smile.Rather it was the show venue—an arena-like space near London’s O2—that echoed the vastness of a football stadium. Koma originally wanted to book Wembley, but he had to make do with the panoramic views of the Docklands and some grass installations. No matter; when the David Koma woman hit the runway—especially in the designer’s new “dangerous” stiletto boots—all eyes were on her. “I like feeling an inner strength in the girls,” said Koma, who was buoyed by the profile boost the undressed-dressing trend has afforded his brand.The man who helped move the goalposts for sparkling eveningwear is now pouring the same amount of attention into outerwear—the kind that’s perfect for shoulder robing en route to the coat check. By the looks of things, he’s expecting to score in this category too.
20 February 2022
The pandemic has put us on sloth mode—slow, circumspect, tiptoeingau ralentiaround myriads of rules and regulations. “I must confess that somehow I quite enjoyed the slowing down,” David Koma said over Zoom. But his love for adrenaline-fueled motorsports got the better of him; speed is really what sets his fashion pulse racing, and he made it quite clear for pre-fall.Koma likes it sexy, skintight, and bold. His style has been unapologetically assertive since the beginning. No languid bias-cut or billowy numbers here; instead, he references strong-willed, über-confident females with a penchant for risk-taking performances—like Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, the intrepid suffragettes who in 1916 embarked on a solo trip across America on motorbike to campaign for women’s rights. Their pioneering spirit and scandalous attire of leather riding breeches inspired Koma to give the collection a gutsy, brash turn.High-slit minidresses in flame red or carbon black nappa leather looked as tight as membranes, with tire-track-embossed motifs spiraling around asymmetrical hems or sliced into bandeau tops. Blending couture finishes into sculptural outerwear, a structured oversized biker jacket in black leather was the collection’s hero, hand embroidered with tiny crystals on 3D protective pads. Proposed in a scarlet red version, it introduced fire and a feel for danger as collaterals to the idea of speed, translated into a blazing-fire-printed mesh dress or into flame-shaped cutouts around the décolletage of a shapely black number, as short as can possibly be. Pushing the danger vibe a little further, crystal-embroidered crocodiles (“slow moving but unexpectedly fast when they’re attacked,” as Koma explained) made appearances crossing bodices or crawling along high-slit, sexy black numbers.It goes without saying that hefty doses of self-confidence are required to wear David Koma’s alluring pieces, as the look of Spanish singer Rosalía, one of his muses, makes abundantly clear. “You just need good posture and the right energy,” he said. Surely the Koma girl is anything but Koma-tose.
14 January 2022
David Koma is having a serious moment, with famous fans the world over—including Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, and Beyoncé. For spring, he conjured dazzling looks to add to their wardrobes. His unconventional show venue was equally notable: the London Aquatics Centre designed by the late, great architect Zaha Hadid.The lineup began with a subversion of traditional one-piece swimsuits that morphed into signature Koma-esque partywear, eventually moving to a fluorescent section of the cha-cha, ultra-glitz variety (encrusted embellishments, sequins, and marabou details aplenty). The mood was sporty and luxurious. “It’s the marrying of swimwear with Old Hollywood glamour,” said Koma.Models shimmered as they sashayed down the swimming pool–length runway in micro-sequin shirt, pants, and bralette combos in fuchsia. There was also an aqua miniskirt with bejeweled trim paired with a dramatic midriff baring, strappy marabou top of the same shade; and, for the finale, an elegant, strapless black evening floor-length gown.“The business has grown, and we’ve exceeded revenue expectations during the pandemic,” said Koma. “Luckily, for me, my customers believed they’d be going out-out soon, or they just wanted to look incredible at home!”
18 September 2021
Some are predicting a return to the glittery and jittery Roaring Twenties as we re-emerge this year. David Koma has another idea: A sensual exuberance more aligned with the limelight nights of the ’70s disco scene. It’s still nostalgic, but at least a little more recent—and he has the cred to back it up: Koma rang in 2021 at a party with Cher. A 36-song playlist that winds from the hits of Diana Ross and Donna Summer to newer tracks from Goldfrapp and Daft Punk accompanies his resort 2022 collection to set the mood.As far as silhouette goes, Koma is more Bob Mackie than Halston. He loves skin and sparkle—both ideas that are being resurrected by Gen Z’s Y2K revival—and reports that, thanks to a return to normal life in the United States, sales of his most special and slinky pieces are rising. Aspiring Chers will find lots to love from resort: lace-up crystal minis, plunging V-front maxiskirts, and lingerie-ish lace-trimmed slips are some of the best tailored Hot Girl items of the season. For actual tailoring, Koma’s sunset suits in tangerine and lilac will get the job done.Koma’s return to glitz comes after a year of brand evolution. During the pandemic he tackled comfortwear, sweats, and knits, finding clever ways to engineer these more everyday pieces into his collection. Resort brings the launch of swim, with rhinestone flowers and jewel prints on bikinis and one-pieces. With each new season, he gets closer and closer to a fully realized wardrobe that can take his “Koma girls” anywhere, from pool to party to discotheque.
21 June 2021
On February 18, NASA’s Perseverance Rover landed on the surface of Mars. Telescopes and probes roam the even-farther reaches of the universe, looking for signs and solutions. Will we find new life or a black hole?If that doesn’t feel like an apt analogy for living through a pandemic and trying to come out the other side, whatever that means, well, what does? In East London, David Koma found himself inspired by the awe and potential of space travel and the Space Age, a pursuit at once scientific (known) and romantic (unknown). Koma has pushed himself boldly into the future this year more than ever, constantly fine-tuning his output to feel right for women’s lives right now. For fall 2021, he offers a bit of problem solving: Stretch unitards and bodysuits, slouchy enough crystal-strewn track jackets, and rich shearling jackets layered under boxy gilets.Koma hasn’t abandoned his flippant party-wear, he’s just made it smarter. Minidresses are cut from scuba neoprene and stretch velvet; they feel sporty but look luxurious. Crystal embroideries abound, as do sequins, which are cut into micro dresses and skirts with circular cut-outs that evoke Pierre Cardin’s future-minded oeuvre. While Cardin tended to brush against the fashion system—his shows on his time—Koma seems to thrive within it. He is the rare independent designer who has grown his output during 2020. Suffice to say, Koma has found new life—and new success—even in the most uncertain of times.
4 March 2021
David Koma, like the rest of us, spent part of this fall bingeingThe Crownon Netflix. Emma Corrin’s portrayal of Princess Diana couldn’t help but seep into his pre-fall collection—though luckily for those of us tired of hackneyed takes on pie-crust collars and sheep intarsia sweaters, Koma’s riff on Princess Di is less literal, more freeform. Taffeta, the material of so many of Di’s most splendiferous frocks, has ruched its way into Koma’s collection for the first time in the form of a white shirred mini with crystal rope detailing. As has the idea of equestrianism—we’ve all heard the rumors about Di at the stables before.That sort of sexiness and suggestion suits the Koma woman, of course. The designer can cut a minidress within an inch of vulgarity from ingenious material pairings like aristocratic velvet and surfer scuba. Even at his most prim, he favors a cut out, crystal detail, or flash of neon, and so the many dresses in this collection come with those sorts of provocative twists. To those who might balk at luxurious, sensual clothing in the sweatpants era—well, Koma’s continued success proves that customers are yearning for a little flash. “I’m still dreaming of a better future,” he said over a video chat. An ostrich-feather-trimmed lingerie gown seems to guarantee that something fun is on the horizon.
15 January 2021
Had David Koma not followed his heart to a career in fashion, he would have possibly been a tennis player. His love of the sport is obvious when you consider how many times he has dressed the former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova. How many times? Well, it’s more than he can remember. Koma comes from a sporting family; his brother is a professional tennis player and has his own academy in Saint Petersburg, his father plays at least four times a week, and his mother is a former gymnast. “I always had sports around me; my father handed me a tennis racket when I was four,” said the designer from his east London atelier during a preview of his spring ’21 collection. “This season especially, I felt like I wanted to do something that I loved.”His tennis research led him to Chris Evert, the player who wore a diamond line bracelet on court. During an early round of the U.S. Open in 1978 it broke and fell off and they had to stop play while she looked for it; thus the termtennis braceletwas coined. “I never knew that story,” he admits, “but it immediately resonated with me.” Not that Koma is ever in need of a reason to deck his collections in crystals (his sparkling showstoppers have, over the years, seduced everyone from Beyoncé to Gigi Hadid to Kendall Jenner), but he took the idea and ran with it. It manifested in lattice sweaters hand-embroidered in crystal baguettes, and other twinkling ropes woven through tennis whites cut into body-con asymmetric minidresses (these for sure wouldn’t get past the umpire on Wimbledon’s Centre Court), as well as more gimmicky spangled sweatbands, visors, and even a crystal-encrusted tennis racket.Nineties pap shots of a post-gym Princess Di, a keen tennis player, also made an appearance on his mood board. That explains his branded sweatshirts and cycling shorts, an idea he took a step further to include matching zip-fronted Lycra jerseys. “Cyclists are suddenly in abundance around here,” he said, referring to the sharp increase he’s noticed in commuters favoring bikes over the Tube.He filmed the video at a private house in the countryside with its own tennis court sans audience. The only downside? “Not being able to invite any guests,” he said, due to current COVID-19 rulings. “I would have loved to have staged a show there and invited 50 people to stay for dinner after,” he mused. “Maybe next time.”
22 September 2020
David Koma could not host a show or presentation this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. In these extenuating circumstances, Vogue Runway has made an exception to its policy and is writing about this collection via photos and remote interviews.“I feel it’s important to stay true to yourself and stay true to what you believe no matter what,” says David Koma from his London studio. What that means in the Koma universe is glamour—but how to marry the sexy, slinky appeal of a Koma piece with the slouchy, ready-for-Zoom aesthetic of “work from home fits” borne of COVID-19 self-isolation? A clever marriage of coziness and camp is Koma’s solution.The stretch corsets from his fall 2020 collection reappeared here. Without boning they are more like loungewear than babe-wear, able to be tucked into stretch patent leather bike shorts or a knit miniskirt in a bright bubblegum pink. Long crystal mesh dresses are layered with knitwear or slouchy blazers, and even a neon green metallic off-the-shoulder dress has four-way stretch, making it the sort of Zoom party-to-couch-potato item a Koma vamp might be looking for during her home stay. Destined to arrive in stories this fall and winter, these clothes have plenty of going-out potential too. As the world opens up, Koma’s women will cheerily step back into it in crystals, neons, and body-con dresses. Just don’t think of it as a return to normal—by fusing in new elements of comfort and emphasizing a more streamlined silhouette, Koma is showing he can adapt to a changing world.
22 June 2020
It was a proper British time at the David Koma show in London today. The sky was a glum shade of gray. Rain was whipping as guests lined up outside the Leadenhall Building. As we waited, and waited, and waited to be admitted inside, gusts of wind began to lift skirts up around stomachs revealing tights, knickers, or for some unfortunate editors out there, bare legs and bums. It was not exactly a high point of London Fashion Week, but it did feel particularly Bridget Jonesian.David Koma’s experience of London typically has less to do with the kind of dry wit Brits are known for and more to do with a catty kind of poshness and glamour. But he tried his hand at the former on the runway today with an irreverent collection that saw the designer put his twist on all things traditionally London. Some of the references were instantly obvious: the “Gherkin” building as an elaborately beaded minidress; the Union Jack stamped on the heels of pumps; the cityscape print translated into bike messenger shirts and shorts. Others took a bit more reading into, like the emerald jewelry and pannier skirts—simultaneous nods to Princess Di and Dame Viv. Where Koma was most exciting was in his experiments into casualwear, including flight jackets, shrugged on knits, and rainy-day gray denim. These were clothes that looked comfortable, easily translating his full-on fashion fantasy into daywear. Koma’s not done with sexing it up, but now his velvet-boned corsets are made of stretch. With a giant flask purse—his first foray into handbags—and a pair of crystal-studded shades, you’d be ready to party. Only thing missing is an umbrella.
15 February 2020
There’s nothing quite like watching a model powerfully strut by in a sequined, zebra-stripe catsuit at 10 a.m. on a Sunday. Amplified by the dozen women in crystal cocktail frocks in the front row, it was a sight to jolt even the most passive, dismissive viewer out of the real world and into the world of fashion. It’s there that David Koma thrives. The designer works in the old method of singular inspiration and variations on a theme, taking a trip to Kenya as the jumping-off point for his collection of elaborate beadwork, sequined fringe, and raffia ruffles. He went so far as to make jewelry and belt buckles in the shape of zebras and rhinos, leaving last season’s butterflies and ruffs forgotten in the past. It’s this devotion to a motif that can make Koma’s work lean too heavily into costume, resulting in collections that exclusively provide the sort of party frocks intended for post-10 p.m. life.Where Koma thrives is in his construction; his bustiers and corsets are so tight and curved they function as a second skin. (No wonder they’re a favorite in Hollywood.) For Spring, beadwork and embellishment were deeply considered, as usual, as were the many darts and slices that cut into Koma’s denim daywear—a welcome addition to his cocktail-centric oeuvre. Were we to take the beige sequined trench as him staking a claim to 9-to-5 dressing? Not quite, according to the designer, though it would be something smart to consider. If the flashy, slinky set should find themselves, again, at a capital-F fashion function in the morning hours, they deserve at least some posh jeans, no?
15 September 2019
David Koma’s label turns 10 next year, a big milestone for any brand—fashion or otherwise. To celebrate the anniversary, the designer found himself looking back in time, toward the women and references that have inspired him most. On a visit to his home in Georgia, a country on the border of Europe and Asia, where he was born, Koma stumbled upon a stash of old VHS tapes he would frequently watch growing up. Cult classics like9 1/2 WeeksandBasic Instinctinformed his new Resort lineup. With that in mind, the homage tothatinfamous Sharon Stone scene was unmistakable. In the look book the gorgeous model Yasmin Wijnaldum recreates the moment; she’s pictured cross-legged in a little crystal-strapped white satin dress cut dangerously high up the thigh. Elsewhere, there were nods to ’60s fashion pioneer Rudi Gernreich, whose work helped guide the swimsuits and bodysuits that were layered under leather minidresses or paired with pants.Koma’s glamorous clients like to invest big in their party wardrobes, and though he rarely does red carpet, he is beginning to address the demand for black tie. His version of a gown was unabashedly sexy—a glittering sheer column dress embellished with hundreds of mirrored shards. On the flip side of that was the brand’s first foray into denim. Whether Korma fans will get on board with the designer’s skintight skinny jeans, cut with jersey on one side, remains to be seen. That said, the evening-appropriate pieces, including a denim miniskirt finished with asymmetric feathers along the hem, are likely to get a lot of play at cocktail hour.
21 June 2019
Something wickedly sexy this way comes. The muse has sung to David Koma this season, and she’s saying, “Shakespeare.” Yes, the bard is an unlikely bedfellow for a designer so intrinsically drawn to 21st-century femme fatales, but as fate would have it, Koma’s studio is near the site of a theater where Shakespeare got his start at the end of the 16th century. Rather than draw direct inspirations from the likes of Ophelia and Cordelia, Koma was drawn to the drama of costume and the exuberance of Edwardian dress. His most fanciful pieces came towards the end of the show, where butterflies and snakes were made out of silver—yes, actual silver—thread and bugle beads on tight minidresses, and the popular Edwardian hatch pattern was rethought in a rounded minidress. The drama of it all could be a bit overpowering at times, but perhaps that’s the point. Koma’s clients, from J.Lo to Taraji P. Henson, love a scene-stealing garment.For the rest of us, Koma has upped the ante on his daywear. Masculine and utilitarian themes ran through the early parts of the collection in darted jumpsuits and unzipped maxi skirts. It’s mostly black and mostly very slinky, with bandolier-like cross-body belts and just-below-the-bum hemlines, though it would be unfair to say that Koma is not kind to his woman. A series of white shearling-trimmed sweaters looked cozy and two corseted black dresses were made of a patent-treated bouclé so as to be tough on the exterior and soft up against the wearer’s skin. No tragic heroines here, just modern women ready to be the stars of their own show.
19 February 2019
There were more than a few strong moments at David Koma’s Spring show today, but, most notably, the strongest may have been his first red carpet dress (and potential awards season knockout). “I haven’t done a gown here before,” said the designer, who, while no stranger to making dresses, often moves in more cocktail-centric or, at least, shorter-length territory. This particular gown, which appeared near the show’s end, was covered all over with metallic discs that ombré-faded from soft-but-shining green to glinting chrome. It was just the right amount of costume imbued with a fashionable kick, and it looked as ready as anything for the paparazzi.Koma said he was inspired by the cinematography of Pedro Almodóvar’s films, namelyTalk to HerandVolver, as well as flamenco dance. He wanted to convey a sense of movement in his constructions, which he described as, generally speaking, being a bit more on the rigid side of things. More hand-cut discs were thus implemented, across shoulder hems, around cut-outs at the hip, or as insets on fringed bell sleeves; they added animation while also invoking airs of Almodóvar’s trademark quirkiness. Polka-dotted sheers, see-through vertical striping, and surges of neon green and purple rounded out Koma’s thinking (check out a high-waist fishtail skirt with an almost swimsuit-like top for a highlight). This season, his silhouette was all about lengthening the leg, something his clientele will no doubt value.
17 September 2018
David Koma’s playful spin on 1980s cocktail dressing for Resort took him out of his comfort zone. “I was trying to pinpoint the power of that era in my own modernist and minimal way,” said the designer from the showroom of his airy Shoreditch studio. Taking the decade’s tendency to decadently layer on the accessories, Koma covered much of the collection in swathes of silver sequins and multiple iterations of Swarovski crystals. Teeny white stones lining zips brought what Koma called “an element of purity” to a black leather minidress, while gobstopper gems mimicking eyes lined lapels and covered seams. The jewels helped to unify the series of draped silk jersey looks, which were monochromatic, save for the occasional injection of dusty pink, magenta, and ultramarine.Welcome ethereal notes were borrowed from the floral female figures of digital sculptor Jean-Michel Bihorel. The Parisian artist’s work gave rise to a delicate silk lace that brought a soft femininity to little black minidresses and cigarette pants. It also formed the starting point for a bold bloom print that was Koma’s floral pattern debut. The petals later morphed into hand-embroidered embellishments that worked best when densely applied to create a structured and sculptural silhouette. One floor-skimming, sharp-shouldered gown stitched with hundreds of Plexi-petals took on the quality of armor. “Florals are not easy for me,” admitted Koma. “But these graphic blooms felt right. We’ll see how I handle it as I move into spring.”
19 June 2018
The first clue that David Koma had found a new lease on life for Fall 2018 was his choice of venue: a church. A rather beautiful one at that. “It’s a new beginning for me; working on this collection was a pure joy,” he enthused postshow while pausing to have his picture taken with supermodels Lara Stone and Jourdan Dunn. Two seasons ago, the Georgian, London-based designer came across the ethnographic photography of 19th-century artist Edward S. Curtis and felt a rush of inspiration. “His images of Native American tribes are so rich and so incredible that they almost look like paintings,” he explained. “I was blown away; I fell in love.”Koma thought it would be novel to pick up on the intricate folkloric elements in Curtis’s photographs and then combine them with the sharp ’60s silhouettes that have remained a constant in his work. This culmination proved successful and incredibly glamorous (good news for Koma’s disciples). A slither of a minidress was rendered in ponyskin, then punched through with large circular metal studs in the manner of Paco Rabanne circa 1968; vertical-striped knits were partially sliced open, teasing flashes of skin; while fitted sheer lace dresses were contoured with silk fringing and hand-beaded with feather motifs. “Feathers are so poetic and sensual, and I felt they added an extra sense of movement to the garments,” he said.While this reporter was keen to discuss the impressive, couture-like finish of the line’s party dresses, Koma was excited to highlight the evolution of his outerwear. “We worked so hard on the coats this season,” he said, referring to the butter-soft black leather Perfectos and trenchcoats with shearling panels that appeared at the start of the show. “To me, these pieces are what I have in mind when I envision a strong, modern woman of today,” he said, adding, “I often ask my female friends whether they enjoy wearing my pieces, and when they do, it fills me with happiness.” Praise be.
19 February 2018
How to keep your head when all around are losing theirs to the grungy/awkward/ironic cool of conceptual sweatshirts, skater pants, and supersize MA-1 jackets? That’s the question someone like David Koma must be asking himself right now, because where they see the street, he sees only sparkle and shine. Backstage at his Spring 2018 show, Koma laughed when the question came up. “I consider fashion as an art,” he said. “I explore that through my identity. And I always listen to my instincts—and what the David Koma girl wants and feels.”This particular collection was inspired by athleticwear—not so different from Koma’s hoodie-loving contemporaries, then—but from that point on it was divergence all the way, with Koma mixing luxe materials with technical fabrics. He ran asymmetrically placed undulating ruffles across short dresses—he’d been looking at a frilled vintage Pierre Cardin piece he’d found in New York—as if the adornment was running a marathon around the body. He also paired cutaway sports bra tops with side-stripped, floor-sweeping track pants. Everything came in strong, bright team colors—cardinal red, electric blue—or his trademark graphic black and white.While the mood might have been va-voom sexiness turned all the way up to Full Speed Ahead, there’s one thing that was for sure here: Koma has exemplary cutting and finishing skills—his clothes are impeccably made. That was evident in the way he molded black leather for the opening of the show, making it at once severe and sculptural (a riff on a Kerry Vesper artwork he has at home) and on the other, contrasting it with the cascading softness of the frills, or in the application of the “hours and hours” of beading that graced the closing looks. It’s also true, of course, that there are plenty of women in the world who want clothes that cover—or just about cover—every curve; they’d rather hang their heads in shame than have a hoodie covering them. And yet . . . what would have been nice to see here is a little more movement in the direction of the other side of the street, as it were, putting a counterintuitive impulse into the collection. By all means, keep cutting tight, but also occasionally cut loose.
18 September 2017
The signature abstractedly graphic meditations on circularity of Sophie Taeuber-Arp provided the starting point for a collection that contained many of David Koma’s signatures too.The opening section featured tuxedo dresses peppered with satin buttons, sometimes with removable ostrich feather trims. A circular segment cutout at the hem of a button-dotted white dress augured the circular cutouts at the hip of a jumpsuit decorated with more circles of metal-set plexiglass. A white slip minidress with an arc of pink feathers that curved from hem to hip was seemingly simple, yet hard not to keep staring at.Dresses in silk tulle with grids of flocked dots were both graphically austere and meaningfully sheer. On a white miniskirt, that tulle was teamed with ruffles of what Koma insisted was his oft-used scuba fabric, yet which seemed to this eye to be far too delicate to really pass muster in the sea. “You could totally dive in this!” riposted Koma, as he held up a more substantially fabricated open-shoulder blue scuba dress. You probably could.
16 June 2017
Raised in Saint Petersburg, Russia, but of Georgian descent, David Koma has not previously inserted any explicit references to his ethnicity in his work. Tonight that changed, as he added Caucasus-sourced detail aplenty to this season’s iteration of his ongoing meditation on precision fit power cladding. Afterward, looking as serene post-show as this reviewer has ever seen him, Koma was kind enough to unravel them. He said, “The starting point was this male war dress called thechokha, plus there is this very beautiful dance called theKartuli—a dramatic clash between the male and the female.”That translated into the shaggy llama collars and hems (chokhastyle, apparently) that bounced on his diamond-paneled, diagonal-cut minidresses, skirts, and parkas, cut high and low in black, olive, and tobacco-tinted orange. The grosgrain-lined twists and Plexiglas grids were meant as a runway imprint of thechokha-wearing gentlemen’s requisite bandolier of masrebi (bullets, in Georgian). Deep-V vest tops, slashed-shoulder suit jackets, and delicately strapped combat pants with nonfunctional tiny patch pockets inserted a more masculine aesthetic into a collection of looks that were more conventionally feminine. Minidresses shone with pinned meanderings of camouflage in green and silver or in black lace against a white background. Having Georgia on his mind helped Koma muster a fine collection that should appeal to fans, whether they can dance theKartulior not.
19 February 2017
Dealt a powerfully harsh hand byMulberry’sdistant and already well-behind schedule show beforehand,David Komawas forced to start an hour late—and without many of the traffic-stranded editors and buyers he’d been waiting for all that time. Nonetheless, once the front rows were filled from the back and water handed out to those who had stayed the course, the collection that followed showed Koma is not just alive but evolving.As the U.S. buyer alongside me said during the long wait beforehand, Koma might not be a bag brand, but his work sells well because he specializes in “precise, sexy clothes.” Tonight, by stretching his formula of architecturally rigid physical exactitude, Koma subtly added new volume to his proposition.He said: “I’ve never really done references. Not going back to historical costume. But this time I looked at Russian court dress form the early 20th century. I’m from St. Petersburg, after all.” This translated into flashes of ballooning emphasis at the neck and hem of opening and closing looks, bead and rope detailing echoing regimental uniform, plus Swarovski and plexiglass plays on Fabergé detailing. These details complemented Koma’s angular meditations on form, and provided rich material for trompe l’oeil tracing, allowing a loosening of his tightly assembled instincts. The acid fluoro green was perhaps a too-hard counter-declaration of modernity. By expanding his range a little, Koma hinted at much more to come beyond it.
18 September 2016
David Komaarrived in Paris after a stop at Berlin Fashion Week, where a Mercedes-Benz campaign film called “Burning Desire” featuring Eliot Sumner (her dad is Sting) and German model Lucie von Alten—both wearing Koma's designs—made its fashion show debut. Much is ignited in the Christian Larson–directed spot—lust, the silvery CLA sedan, a piano—but all the characters keep their cool in badass, all-black looks. From a showroom in Paris, Koma’s Resort collection came across with the same confidence, only more approachable. Nearly every look incorporated some sort of graphic aspect—from the metal and plexi triangles jutting dimensionally from necklines or torsos, to the cutouts and zigzag hemlines that framed exposed bits of body as geometric shapes. The sizable zippers swooping down the shoulders and up the skirt vents of dresses were functional; how much so will depend on the woman—and the time of day.But if Koma’s form enhancing lines play to those who already take pride in their figure, he also showed how a clingy knit or bare midriff can reveal more than just a hot body. Longer, flared pencil skirts spliced with cubic lace and rounded sleeves slit open along the sides were grounded in mid-century silhouettes, while the controlled, laser-cut, or Swarovski crystal embellishments were an effort to direct light and vibration à la kinetic artist Heinz Mack. The jumpsuit supported by zigzag macramé lace looked as dynamic in the showroom as it does in the black and white photo; actually, any of the other looks integrating the material were winners, whether the black LBD or the white asymmetric top paired with relaxed trousers. The body-con dresses with their rhomboid patterning and color accents were so high impact they deserved running shoes just to see them at high speed. But the flat sandals, shown throughout the collection, hinted to Koma’s stance on ease of movement as highly desirable.
3 July 2016
A snarl of Sunday traffic between here and the delayed, distantMary Katrantzou showmeant that many missed DavidKoma’s Fall outing, but those who didn’t were privileged to see a totally focused, ripsnorter of a collection.In its opening section, the interplay of arc and line hinted at Koma-nian themes in play here: physical geometry and the imposition of complementary aesthetic order on the woman wearing Koma’s clothes. It was there in the hem of a gray wrap skirt worn beneath a high-neck shirt with elongated undone cuffs, and in the sweep of dark gray that curved up from knee to base of breast in a high-neck open-shoulder dress of (lighter) gray.This is a tense designer, afterward so stressed he spoke as if in shock. But Koma just about managed to enunciate that he had started by looking at the work “of Frank Cota—I love his brutal, graphic, rusty metal sculptures with a splash of color. I wanted to take something modern and industrial at the same time,” he said. You could see the industrial element in the grids of chrome-shiny studs that peppered these pieces, and later in the interplay of rounded bead and pin against stud against check cutout: Koma’s showstopping pieces toward the end were masterful balancing acts that saw heavy embellishment suspended upon featherlight lace. What shone brightest, though, was the non-symmetrical symmetry of the silhouettes—curve articulated across line, counter-articulated slashes, bare shoulders against covered neck. This straight eye ranked it as sexy-scary: powerful frames for powerful bodies. Clothes for women you want to worship. Rigid, intelligent, and beautifully fitted—who wouldn’t want to see their girlfriend in a Koma?
21 February 2016
Shallow castellations of ruffle encircled floating corsets, apparently boned by silver zippers that were the recurring chorus of this collection. Armor-like of aspect and surely ideal for the encouragement of positive posture, these topped the skinny pants and fluting skirts corralled byDavid Komainto what he said was a loose meditation on contemporary dance. Folded strips of tulle wound tight around the body on fitted monochrome dresses or hung slacker on a dress of barely pink, neoprene-lined napa with unzippable sections in its organza-lined skirt.Swarovski gridding had the tough ornateness of a samurai breastplate on closing looks that reasserted the ruffle-topped corsetry. A sheer skirt angled away from a matte black leather sports bra to make an incongruously funereal Empire-line dress. Every detail, whether languid ruffles, a mushrooming gather, or a remixed neckline, appeared as intensely wrought and thought out as the most grueling dance routine: And it is this relish that lends Koma’s work such a powerful signature.
20 September 2015
This might be David Koma's first Resort collection, but, whoa, this 29-year-old has been designing collections since he was 13 (albeit with a brief sabbatical, aged 15, to focus on schoolwork). Like Jason Wu, Yves Saint Laurent, or those few other precociously self-knowing fashion designers whose vocation hit them so early—and who possess talent enough to fuel its flowering—Koma has mastered his own language when others are still wrestling with basics. An understanding of anatomy and a fixation on the physical architecture of the feminine gives him the tools to hone subtly (and sometimes unsubtly) hot fabric parentheses for his women.Here, in a literal interpretation of Resort, he took some of the tropes of swimwear and applied them to evening. He should do real swimwear, especially if it can incorporate some of the calligraphic dash and flash of the neckline in Look 13. The degrade-shaded mirrored beading and Swarovski—meant to mimic pool tiling—felt heavier than a set of barre class weights, but defied gravity to somehow lay flush on the fabric. Elsewhere, the double ruffles that cavorted across necklines led the eye to the triceps, while the silver-snagged drawstrings that ran down jumpsuit legs or curled across the body were an athletically enhanced vehicle for display. Disciplined clothes for disciplined bodies from a disciplined mind.
26 June 2015
With enough heft behind him to give his pieces a Rolls-Royce polish of pristine fabrication, David Koma's highly focused philosophy could be a winner. Flared sleeves, kinkily touched top-to-bottom zippers, cutouts, and Barbara Brown undulations were the raw materials for his body-con yet elastically freeing dresses.Koma's patch-pocket orange minidress with meander relief was a fine thing, as was his saucy Dracula curtain-raiser. A series of pieces defined by push-and-click belts—first at the waist, then around the legs and chest—were severely playful. Later, however, the meshiness became messy and too baroquely involved: The agenda seemed to drift away from servicing the female form Koma says he is compelled to design for, and instead read like clauses in an ongoing narrative of decorative variation. But gothic-touched '60s is at least a new, if niche, category to explore, and Koma's sincerity seems undeniable.
22 February 2015
It was easy to be a little worried about David Koma's Spring presentation, now that the Georgian designer is the artistic director of Mugler. Since that was a lifelong dream for him, one wondered if he might put his heart and soul into Mugler at the expense of his eponymous line, or whether he'd be able to multitask.Koma's challenge was to make sure there was a distinct separation between his Mugler collection and his own, and also to breathe new life into his body-con aesthetic. The designer uses color sparingly—he is very architecturally oriented and often sticks to black and white—so it was a welcome surprise to see shots of citron yellow in the first looks. Color was introduced with restraint: a simple strip on just one side of some shorts, a pop of it on a waistline or collar.The body-con pieces had cutout waists, sheer panel details, and organza overlay—add to all that the asymmetrical hem, and there were a lot of ideas not seen in previous Koma collections. A supersharp dress in electric blue or pure white had geometric cutouts and bathing-suit-strap details that added interest, but the real standouts were the crystal-embedded looks with minute handwork and meticulous geometry. All in all, Koma made his point: When it comes to his own line, he is definitely not asleep at the wheel.
14 September 2014
David Koma is a rigorous cutter whose prowess has been noticed by stylists—very recently, Gwyneth Paltrow, Miranda Kerr, and a clutch of other celebs have been wearing his looks on the red carpet. His Fall outing featured the kind of high-precision designs that caught the eye of the powers that be at Mugler, who recently tapped him as creative director. Accordion-pleated leather skirts, cage-like neck details, and the harnessing that he used last season were back. Colors were muted: It's no secret that Koma is not a prints man, so blacks, a deep purple coat, and a touch of pony skin provided the only bit of frippery.Where Koma excelled was in a few looks of delicate leather mesh in a grid pattern that showed his artistry and craftsmanship at once. Where he went wrong was in the sameness of it all. The pieces were so similar to last season's: familiar silhouettes, the body-con harness dress, the abundance of leather, the skater skirt. The main difference was that this collection was even sterner. Perhaps Koma is holding back a bit because of his debut for Mugler for resort. Maybe then there will be more fresh ideas. In the meantime, it would be good to move the needle a bit—he certainly has the skill to do so.
16 February 2014
If you've nailed down a formula and it really works, then best leave it alone—right? Wrong, according to David Koma, who keeps adding to and tweaking his body-con thing—a silhouette that has earned him fans including Naomi Campbell and Maria Sharapova.For Spring, Koma turned his eye to the ancient Japanese martial art ofkyudo. The first looks to come out were in rigorous black and white bonded silk with leather-panel neck details, asymmetrical hems, and harness details. No, this wasn'tFifty Shades of Greybondage stuff, though it might be easy to jump to that conclusion. The harness is a feature of thekyudouniform; it serves as armor.Highlights here included black and nude pleated skater skirts, and dresses with triangular inserts at the torso that made the waist seem smaller, as well as some fantastic peg-leg trousers with huge rectangular pocket details, and loose leather jackets modeled after thekyudouniform. But Koma really caught everyone's attention with a series of blue looks; powder blue and deep blue were especially winning mixed together on dresses. Then came the prints: Koma doesn't do prints much, but what he did offer—a riveting series of stripes that were reminiscent of the Japanese tie-dye material called shibori—looked great. In fact, given just how beautiful his prints were, we'd say it's time for Koma to do more of them.
13 September 2013
Although David Koma's current obsession with vinyl records was his reference point for Fall, the question is: How did he make something as dated as an old LP look so futuristic? A jacket would have been just a good jacket if it weren't for the structured shawl collar engineered from bonded jersey and leather that mimicked the grooves of a record album. Laser-cut leather panels on an organza dress looked like fragmented vinyl (imagine a futuristic Joan Jett smashing records in a fit of rock rage, then picking the pieces off the floor and gluing them to her dress—artfully, of course). A sculptured organza skirt took on the form of a French horn, yet another musical inspiration for the designer.Not that Koma—a most deserving recipient of the 2013 Fashion Forward award—wants to get bogged down by references. "I was simply experimenting with being happy," he said. "Last season it was tennis; before that, ballerinas. This time, I wanted to do something that made me joyful—and nothing does that more than music."If being happy was an experiment for Koma, so were the pieces, techniques, and even colors—a well-thought-out move to prevent him from being typecast as the body-con man. He's added outerwear and focused on new ways of quilting, stitching, and mixing textures: One standout result was a "lagoon blue" wool crepe dress layered with silvery blue leather pieces. Koma's clothes are still relatively light on prints, and the closest thing to one here was on a velvet dévoré sheer/solid blouse, where he used a flocking technique to make the fabric look like an Art Deco print. Even color was an experiment, though with varied results: A ketchup red grouping ("My first time with solid red," Koma admitted shyly) provided a welcome shot of color, while a few beige pieces, though structural and geometrically Mugler-esque, proved the only flat note on the runway.The good news is that this experimentation didn't come off as end of term project-y. There is a deft hand behind all of it. A boxy coat and those fit-and-flare dresses were so precisely cut they were nearly mathematical. Oddly, the collection looked quite soft, coming from a man associated with dressing such fierce women as Beyoncé, J. Lo, and Gaga. Was it surprising to learn his latest devotee is sugary sweet Taylor Swift? Not really. If anything, this collection had us wondering who will be the next Girl in a Koma.
15 February 2013
The tennis dress, the tennis ball, the tennis net, the tennis court, the tennis racket, the tennis shoe… Who would have thought that one ball game could have so much mileage in one collection? And yet, surprisingly, it did in David Koma's latest offering. Citing the influence of professional female players of the past such as Suzanne Lenglen, Gussie Moran, and Lea Pericoli, the designer set out to reinterpret the conventional tennis dress. He did so in the spirit of Teddy Tinling, the quintessential tennis dress designer, who clothed all the great ladies of Centre Court in daring designs before the sportswear companies made the game's outfits just that little bit more tedious.Koma seems to have taken it upon himself to solve the plight of the tennis dress and make it interesting, contemporary, and sexy again without making kitsch reference to that ass-scratching seventies poster. What Koma produced was a decidedly body-con version of the dress—something that was more nightclub than country club—executed with a precision and a pop appreciation for his subject matter that was second to none. This was a full-blown tennis fetish sprung to life and explored in a myriad of detail—see the first sentence—with sex added to the sporting quality. The clothes were neat, geometric, graphic, sculptural, and totally contemporary; delineated in patent leather, engineered in thick jersey and silk, with some of the best use of the sheer/solid trend this season. Witness the precision layering of one outfit featuring a cropped green and black silk tennis-net sweatshirt over a see-through counterpart and a tight flesh-pink and green tennis-net skirt. Game, set, and match, as they say. And just think, if Serena or Venus wears any of these designs, it will bring new meaning to the phrase "Girlfriend in a Koma."
16 September 2012
The message from the first few looks out at David Koma seemed to be: Don't mess with me. The technical fabric looked bulletproof, and the sculpted greyhounds that formed the wedge heels of pointy shoes appeared ready to come to life and attack.Koma had a handful of references: Louis Icart's Deco greyhound paintings, Boldini's paintings of Marchesa Casati, Thierry Poncelet's portraits of dogs in aristocratic attire, twenties-era menswear, and the minimal side of sixties fashion (a bit o' Courrèges, a touch of Rabanne). If that sounds like a lot, quite often it was. Alas, Koma's in growth mode—he debuted knits here with Hawick Cashmere—and bursting with ideas.As the look evolved into something less ballistic, there came a flurry of body-contouring cutouts, peplums, specialized geometric jacquards, and rectangular silver buckles set into dresses and coats. You also saw the hardware on those high—almost canine and far from comfortable-looking—collars. Things lightened up slightly by the show's end, particularly with the appearance of a joyful candy-striped silk and a slightly mod pop bounce. You almost wished he would have developed those ideas into a full collection and perhaps achieved some of the sophisticated coherence he's shown before.
20 February 2012
Don't write David Koma off as merely the body-con frock guy. His favorite looks in today's show were the trousers—lovely, fluid, leg-lengthening things cut in both ultralight dévoré jersey and ultralight wool. "I love so many things," he said, chafing slightly at the dressmaker rep. "Draping, trousers, all the jackets. It's all in good time."For now, Koma is working in the same vein as his last two collections: a series of dresses fitted to within a proverbial inch that crescendo over a tightly formed theme. This time, it could be described as minimalist sci-fi tribal—fierce but precise. The dresses were constructed with peplums of kiltlike pleats and fringe encircling neat waists and Polynesian tribal motifs, which were either set into dresses or on jersey dévoré so as to appear painted on the skin.Koma's disciplined composition merits admiration, particularly for such a new designer. In fewer than 30 looks, he cycled through brief juicy hits of color that morphed into somewhat uneven experiments with 3-D beading in iridescent Perspex discs—a collaboration with jewelry designer Sarah Angold that gave dresses a reptilian air. By the end, those had been smoothed into iridescent sequins that looked like appliquéd insect wings. There's no technical quibble, but you felt you'd seen most of these ideas before. Perhaps the good time is now.
19 September 2011
When he graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2009, the first celebrities that twigged to David Koma's architectural, futuristic designs were Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna. But today's more refined and precise collection was perhaps better suited to his two slightly less dramatic but still major front-row gets: Samantha Cameron and Daphne Guinness.In an overlap with Marc Jacobs and Louise Gray earlier this week, Koma's starting point was the polka-dot obsession of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. He then had to figure out how to channel it in a modern but feminine way, resulting in a strict and ladylike silhouette. Koma says he tries to challenge himself and experiment every season, and he did just that today. Among the various circular motifs, there were patent leather discs embroidered onto jersey, felt on top of napa leather, wool under laser-cut leather, and photo prints created in collaboration with the contemporary Russian photographer Oleg Dou.There was a neat progression in the way Koma turned up the volume on his dotty look, starting subtly in Sam Cam-appropriate black and nude with black fox cuts and collars, and then twisting it and layering it with a surreal bit of Leigh Bowery-ness and sharp, controlled shots of Kusama color. Some found the bright fur pompoms a bit silly, but to Koma's credit, he used them quite minimally—and they did the work they were supposed to, making the less obvious color on a look pop. After Koma's morning show, Britain's First Lady also attended Christopher Kane and Erdem, as well as Burberry. This designer might just be ready to share that excellent company.
20 February 2011
David Koma opened his show to the familiar lilting strains of Tchaikovsky'sSwan Lakebefore switching to something louder, faster, and harder. That was a sure sign that the fragile ballerina of St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, name-checked in the native Georgian's show notes, was heading out the back in her tutu for a smoke.Koma built his collection of dresses around the classic ballerina's costume: a full and flaring thigh-high skirt with a tiny waist and tight, constructed bodice. He began with his Odette in white, the pleats of her skirt brushed with powdery pink. At times he turned the tutu-esque skirt into a peplum that was either part of the dress or worn as a belt over a now-slim bottom half. The top halves had linear edges, pieced together with sheer organza, wool, embossed leather, and python. And of course, Koma ended with the black-clad Odile, naturally in leather with armorlike rectangular beading.Who doesn't love a neat symmetry like that? But while it was interesting to watch Koma work up to his black swan with increasingly wild black-and-white geometries, the midsection of the show felt noisy and tricky at times, particularly where flashy gold python was involved. There was enough strong material to keep Koma's fans like Cheryl Cole and Beyoncé from being disappointed, but this young talent is still learning to refine his ideas.
19 September 2010