February 27, 2023 |
Look at all that froth! Following in the footsteps of Matty Bovan and Miss Sohee, Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi was the third young talent to receive mentoring and financial backing towards a collection from Dolce & Gabbana. Koizumi brought his organza, sartorial confectioneries to Milan for the first time on the last day of shows in the city.
The world was first introduced to Koizumi and his sugary-hued ruffles back in 2019, when super-stylist Katie Grand helped the emerging name stage a show inside Marc Jacobs’ Madison Avenue store. The likes of Gwendoline Christie, Joan Smalls and Karen Elson sauntered through the brick and mortar space looking like shower loofahs with couture-level pizzazz.
The three-dimensional ruffles were out in full force at D&G’s headquarters, as models including Richie Shazam and Debra Shaw dazzled in swing skirts, boleros, XXL trousers and big ‘ol frocks that came like neon clouds in shades of highlighter yellow, neon blue, green and orange, and pinks so sweet they’d leave you with toothache. Dubbed Don’t Forget to Bring Flowers, the collection was inspired by the act of bringing a bouquet as a gift to friends and loved ones. Awww.
Koizumi stepped into D&G’s archive to introduce new elements into his design repertoire, like corsetry and kaleidoscopic renditions of the brand’s Carretto print which came bunched into flower shapes. Though it was the marvels of Koizumi, those blooming organza ruffles, which were the true showstoppers. Particularly the five-person rainbow dress that wiggled its way through the show space like a caterpillar on acid. You couldn’t help but smile.
Photography by Christina Fragkou.
