The ship’s propeller backdrop and aircraft carrier runway semaphored David Koma’s theme at Mugler today: military. What, again? The frequency with which the uniform of war is press-ganged by designers intent on crafting clothes to love can seem counterintuitive in an industry based on generating innovation.
Donatella Versace just launched her martial-themed Spring ’16 collection—a campaign for gender empowerment—while Chalayan’s was a typically dense take inspired by the end of Cuba’s isolation. Every season, for either gender, you can expect a significant military presence. Why? It’s not complicated. When done well, military collections can make the utilitarian seem sexy via universally recognizable signifiers.
Koma’s casus belli seemed straightforward, too: Half-hiding behind a mirror to evade well-wishers after this show, the designer said, “We have such incredible girls here, and it’s about being inspired by them. Wanting them to look cool, to look fresh, and to enjoy clothes.”
He rattled through pretty much every military service. The first wave was naval, an interplay of navy and white with decorative insignia buttons on looks that included an angled peak-lapel, three-button, double-breasted jacket and minidresses that rearranged the fold and contrast of traditional sailor suits. One dress featured a lovely helter-skelter twist of white that twined around the body above a four-button accent. Softer items included an asymmetrical-hemmed plissé dress with half-zip details at the waist. Next into the field came the army; the olive section included a cutaway backless dress in leather—the top and bottom half linked by a clasp of three gleaming officer stripes. Soft kicky trousers were topped with deconstructed bodices, while the classic field jacket was turned into a sleeveless minidress with silk poacher pockets—a skinny belt peppered with eyelets cinched the waist.
A dress decorated with a grid of angular metal openings and dresses crisscrossed with metal-piped slashes were harder to link to Koma’s theme, although the former did demand the wearer go commando: “She must NOT wear underwear,” ordered the look-board backstage. Koma’s body-con brigade kept coming; some in hefty-heeled, pointy-toed, monk-strap flats, some with the straps of their handbags looped through the epaulets at their shoulder. A burst of burnt orange looks ran contrary to the camouflage agenda of real militarywear but had the explosive impact that Mugler’s customers enjoy. The final push was Doutzen Kroes, looking invincible in a backless navy jumpsuit. This was a deceptively simple but cleverly executed take on military, and it won.
