DAVID KOMA – FASHION’S BRIGHTEST NEW STAR
YOU KNOW YOU’VE MADE IT BIG AS A DESIGNER WHEN YOU CAN COUNT THE FASHION-OBSESSED LADY GAGA AMONGST YOUR FANS. AND LUCKILY FOR GEORGIAN DESIGNER DAVID KOMA, HE CAN. AND IT’S NOT JUST GAGA WHO LOVES HIS DESIGNS. IN FACT, KOMA HAS BEEN BUILDING UP A SOLID FANBASE OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO THANKS TO HIS CREATIVE DESIGNS.
Koma first came to the fashion industry’s attention with his A/W 09 collection, which consisted of black, nude and yellow body-con dresses featuring his trademark metal tubes, multicoloured chains and embellishments. The collection was an immediate hit and Browns, ever keen to scout fresh new talent, were quick to snap him up.
His S/S 10 collection was eagerly anticipated, and it didn’t disappoint. The body-con element was still present, but this time the metal tubing made way for 60s swirly shapes and neon blocked colours, though there were still embellishments a-plenty. Whereas A/W 09 had been about black and nudes, S/S was most definitely about colour. The dresses spoke for themselves, but Koma’s glass jewellery was also a treat for the eyes. In the same vein as his statement dresses, the jewellery was big, bold and colourful.
“The collections were different in terms of colour and technique I used, but weren’t in terms of inspiration and silhouette,” Koma explains. “My A/W collection featured body-con sculptural wool dresses, embellished with metal tubes. And also, I used metallic chain knitwear for sculpting hips and shoulders. I found the contrast between metal and femininity utterly fascinating. It is like the water sculptures of William Pye, his usage of water and metal. I was also looking at Pierre Cardin’s way of using fabric in the 1960s. My S/S 10 collection combines dresses using a 60s influenced, body conscious silhouette with exaggerated curved edging, embellished with multi-colored handmade glass fusing.
“For my S/S 10 collection, inspiration comes from the sculptures of Niki de Saint Phalle in The Tarot Garden in Barcelona, with a reference to arts and crafts spearheads such as Sol LeWitt and Kazemir Malevich. I referred to geometric shapes found in organic and architectural structures as well as Minimal Art inspired forms.”
Koma showed his S/S 10 collection during London Fashion Week to rave reviews. “It was fantastic! I had a great team including the stylist of my show Kim Howells and Vauxhall Fashion Scout team members. They all are great and helped me a lot.” But it’s something that he should probably get used to, because he is rapidly becoming a fashion industry darling.
It’s been a stellar year for Koma, with him bagging the prestigious Harrods Design Award for his MA graduate collection at Central Saint Martins earlier this year, followed by the Vauxhall Talent Scout Merit Award in August. All this, despite the fact he only graduated in March. With previous winners of the Harrods Design Award including Christopher Kane, did he feel under immense pressure to succeed? “Yes. I felt the pressure of expectations. There were so many people who I didn’t want to disappoint. But at the same time it was such a powerful spur in the working process.”
Of course, it’s not just the likes of Christopher Kane who are making waves in fashion. This year has seen the emergence of several talented fledgling designers, all of whom have made an impact on the fashion industry with their unique designs, signaling the end of the big fashion houses’ catwalk domination. Michael van der Ham and Oden Wilson are just a few of the names that have emerged as ‘ones to watch’ alongside Koma. Is there enough space for so much new talent? “I would say, yes (there is). That is, in my opinion, what London is about. It’s such a huge competition here and everybody wants to succeed. But I think as long as you have strong ideas and identity of your designs, there always will be space left for you. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Koma admits that he has been surprised by the press attention he has received, “but at the same time it’s great to see my work being recognized.” It would be true to say that he has been causing something of a stir in the media. Vogue, Elle and Dazed and Confused are just a few of the fashion bibles who have dedicated column inches to Koma. And that’s without mentioning the hundreds of style blogs which have been singing his praises for some time and spreading the word throughout the fashion underground. Koma admits that he reads what the style blogs have to say about his collections: “I really love it.”
So who does he design for, exactly? “It would be strong, sexual and confident woman. My collection always based on strong and sexual silhouette. I love to work with shapes, trying to unite female spirit with contemporary art. Exaggerating, but I never cross the line.”
Koma spent the first ten years of his life in Georgia, a small country in the Caucasus and a former Soviet state, before moving to Saint Petersburg. “I started drawing at a very early age. When I was 13 I participated in young designer contests, and I loved it and I thought I was so cool. Two years later I had my first show with 45 garments and I thought I was a superstar. But at some point in life I realized that if I don’t learn how to further develop my ideas, I won’t be able to move on, so I’ve decided to apply to move to London at Central Saint Martins and I am glad I did.” What about the inspiration behind him becoming a designer? “I don’t know how to answer this question. As far as I remember I just always knew that I want to be a fashion designer. And now I’m trying my best to succeed.”
Koma should have no fear about success. It’s a safe bet to say that it’s a task already accomplished.
Words Kay Weston (thefashionistahasspoken.blogspot.com)
