For the first time in his nearly 15-year career, David Koma decided to skip a fashion show or even a formal presentation this season. Partly you suspected this was related to his new duties at Blumarine: Koma came straight to Paris after spending Milan Fashion Week there with his new colleagues. Once we caught up with him in his Paris showroom, however, the designer demurred; he explained that he was thinking of big things for the anniversary in February, so for now, “I thought I’d just focus on the whole range and explore the quality and magic that can be on the track.”
That magic seemed to enchant the lucky wholesale customers who kept Koma’s team busy. “There are extreme cuts, extreme decadence, extreme opulence,” summarized the designer of a collection he said was inspired by Australian photographer Layly Jeffress’ studio photographs of birds. More specifically, he said, “I chose the hummingbird because of this extreme, hyper energy. And swallows for the family feeling and solidarity.” Less thematically but equally dramatically, there was a fair amount of turkey: These days, the so-called marabou feathers we see in fashion often come from America’s favorite traditional festive main course.
A balconette bra and mini skort in fluorescent yellow were wrapped in a floor-length tulle veil with feathers. A light blue lycra bodysuit with crystals was worn under a sleeveless marabou hoodie in the same color. This powerful hoodie also came with long sleeves, in pink. Koma being Koma, there was a powerfully defined evening section in black. A mini dress was trimmed at the bosom with a color scheme of pink feathers. The shoddy tailoring was accentuated with a metal chain running from the right shoulder to the chest pocket; an embroidered flower was tied at the end. Fashion in a broader sense means a moment of self-reflection on the best way to express powerful, self-determined, feminine hotness: that is a line that David Koma has followed as long as he has been a designer.