NEW beginnings was the overall take from the David Koma AW18 show, and new it was indeed. At St George’s parish church in Bloomsbury, Koma experimented with the previously unfamiliar, delivering a completely new aesthetic from his past collections. He took inspiration from the ethnographic photography of Edward Curtis, the 19th century artist known for his work surrounding the American West and Native American tribes. At the same time, his usual sixties silhouette dressing remained. The result? Pony-skin minis, sheepskin trench coats and plenty of black leather.
The key was in the intricate details, like the metal disks, rings and beads, or embroidery and feather appliques. The whole thing was sexy, with lots of leg, flashes of skin and the head-to-toe black leather. Elements of folklore were added, like the oxblood red dresses or denim jackets with black and white plumage. There were super soft perfectos, and skirts were either ballooned and worn with a waist belt or fitted tight and slashed.
Evening dresses came in lace or sequined – a favourite being the violet bandeau dress covered in the stuff, and worn with either barely-there sandals or under-the-knee boots. In the finale, the models walked to a remix of Sonny and Cher’s – The Beat Goes On. And so it did.
by Grace Calton