With his S/S 25 collection, David Koma takes flight into a world where sensuality and delicacy are intricately intertwined. It’s a contrast that, while the Georgian designer has explored in the past like with last season’s dance-inspired display, this season sees him veer into unfamiliar territory with his signature sex appeal inoculated with innocence. Inspired by the vivid portraits of birds by Australian artist Leila Jeffreys, Koma weaves a narrative where beauty floats between the fierce and the fragile—celebrating the tension between seductive strengths and delicate femininity.
Koma tells me it’s his obsession with Jeffreys' portraits of birds that were the starting point for the collection. ‘I immediately thought of her, and the colour palette from her imagery. It was important for me to play with the extreme delicacy through this particular season.’ While black is a signature for the Koma Girls, this season opens with a pastel array of muted canary yellow, blue, and pink. In true Koma fashion delicate doesn’t equate to subtle with the the expected short hemlines adorned with sequins and plumes.
The go-to sartorial party tricks of dancing sparkles and airy feathers only enhance the lightness of the collection. ‘We explored a lot of draping and transparency this season. Working with silk tulles and jerseys to give the collection a sense of youth and playfulness.’ Koma had two avian muses in mind with this collection; hummingbirds and swallow. The former with its restless energy and shimmering presence, brings a sense of movement. Swallows, known for their graceful flight and lasting love bonds, infuse the designs with romantic softness. Together, they serve as metaphors for the Koma Girl: a powerful force, yet elegant and refined.
It’s the accessories that prove Koma hasn’t abandoned his sleek edge. The Racer, a new handbag silhouette, channels the brand’s iconic padded biker jacket in a mix of matte calf leather and textured pony skin. Its sleek, sculptural design is softened by the feather-like delicacy of the collection’s overall aesthetic. Koma’s collaboration with DAB Motors, a luxury French electric motorcycle brand, furthers this theme, blending high-performance technology with sustainable elegance. The exclusive motorbike colourways, available for pre-order, continue to explore the balance between power and refinement.
‘You see the elements of the super delicate lace but in dramatic shapes combined with elements of daywear in super evening materials there is this idea of huge veils with feathers that really cover the whole body and the motorbike. It was kind of very interesting to play on this extreme femininity of this collection.’
Ultimately, Koma masterfully balances the sultry with the delicate, creating a vision of femininity that is as powerful as it is tender. It's a marked shift that reveals a versatility sure to come in handy as the London-based designer splits his time in Milan as the newly appointed creative director of Bluemarine. 'You really need to make sure that everything is aligned and works like a watch. Because if you remove one element it doesn't work,' he explains in the midst of putting his new team together. If this collection for his namesake is any indication, underlined by its seductive ferocity meets feminine softness, Blumarine is in good hands.
