September 16, 2020 |
Tomo Koizumi has had a whirlwind of a year. Flashback to last October, the Japanese designer was in London as one of the chosen cultural creators in Lego’s campaign Rebuild the World, before turning Matty Boven into a Christmas tree at the Bistrotheque two months later. Add in a dozen international magazine covers, a Katy Perry rainbow ruffled moment and a joint LVMH Prize win between now and then, and you come to realise, despite the unprecedented times we’re living in, Koizumi’s larger-than-life designs have been able to deliver a sense of fantasy at a time we needed it most.
It’s this exact joyous nature Tomo Koizumi brings to the table, however, which will leave many bummed out about the prospect of watching New York Fashion Week only from home. Despite only staging two catwalk presentations thus far, the designer has become a must-see for any editor heading to the Big Apple. His technicoloured tulle creations move and sway in a way that can only be truly appreciated when seen in the flesh; taking on a life of their own.
Still, that’s not to say his over-the-top confectionaries don’t look magnificent when captured in lookbook form. Photographed in Japan, Koizumi’s entire SS21 collection was made from deadstock fabric sourced in Tokyo. Collaborating with Japanese bridal atelier Treat Maison, the designer was able to control his heaps of tulle into a series of sublime wedding dresses; accented with gentle pinks and turquoise along the busts and hems. What follows was a series of short and sweet party outfits that could easily be worn by any popstar across the globe. From ruffled minidresses and taffeta bodysuits, to cropped tops with strong shoulders – this is fun fashion at its finest.
Photography Makoto Nakagawa.
