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.”
