David Koma opened his show to the familiar lilting strains of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake before 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.
