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 like 9 1/2 Weeks and Basic Instinct informed his new Resort lineup. With that in mind, the homage to that infamous 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.
