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When tennis tournaments were cancelled along with every other public gathering this summer, David Koma became engrossed in the iconography of his pastime passion. Raised in a tennis family, the designer grew up in an age when players like Maria Sharapova and Anna Kournikova were cultural icons, their sold-out calendars permanently mounted on his teenage walls. An avid spectator at tennis matches, David Koma has dressed members of the Women’s Tennis Association and understands the powerful bonds tied within its community. When the game was paused in the face of global limitations, it made him consider the camaraderie of tennis and its multifaceted players and audiences from a new visual perspective. For Spring-Summer 2021, David Koma looks ahead to a future when tennis matches will once again gather its superstars and fans. Taking his point of departure in the wardrobes of its biggest icons – as powerful off court as they are on it – the collection celebrates the inimitable fashion culture of the tennis world in a conversation between high-octane sportswear and opulent savoir-faire. A natural progression for the sporty retro-futurism often attributed to the hand of David Koma, the aesthetic fuses the performance of materials made for movement and speed with the painstaking craftsmanship native to haute couture. Since its beginning, tennis has been a stage for self-expression, balancing strict dress codes for players and audiences alike with the defiant individuality triggered by such rules. In lieu of fashion shows, the court becomes the runway. Here, David Koma captures in film his interpretation of the tennis wardrobe. The classic silhouette of the tennis dress is reconstructed in magnified and suspended volumes. Tiered or ballooned gowns echo the memory of sporty lines in sectioning construction, while structured bustiers, bras and sleeve tops blur the lines between the properties of sportswear and eveningwear. A key exercise in the tennis uniform, adornment materialises in crystal mesh dresses, bouclé jackets with abundant plexi floral embellishment, and eveningwear ornamented with elaborate crystal motifs native to the tennis world. Plissé – a tennis trademark – is adapted in logo mini dresses with invigorating floral prints, the eternal polo shirt is elongated into dress form, and cable knits nod at the heritage wardrobe of the game. Separates fabricated in breathable eco lycra adopt the sensibilities of activewear into the daytime dressing, while shapes borrowed from menswear set an oversized tone for denim pieces. The palette embodies the optimism of sportswear in saturated blues, reds and greens enhanced by the contrasts of optical white and deep black. Styling: Marc Goehring Casting: Svea Greichgauer Videography: Maria Ines Afonso Music: Mode-F Make up: Pablo Rodrigues for Illamasqua Hair styling: Cos Sakkas and Efi Davies for Toni & Guy Nails: Marian Newman Shoes: Alevi Milano Sneakers: Yatay Location: Surrey, UK About David Koma: David Koma is a London-based fashion designer who has become synonymous with the ultra body contouring silhouette, creating sculptural statement dresses inspired by the feminine form. Alongside the cocktail dresses that propelled the designer onto the international stage, David Koma offering has expanded to include full range of options from precise daywear separates to beautifully tailored outerwear and showstopping red carpet gowns. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, David Koma discovered his penchant for dress design at the young age of eight. David studied Fine Art in St Petersburg, showing his first collection at the age of 15. In 2003 David moved to London to take up a place at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, graduating with a distinction in MA Fashion in April 2009 under the mentorship of the late Professor Louise Wilson, OBE. Straight after graduation David Koma launched his eponymous ready-to-wear brand and has been a participant of London Fashion Week ever since. Follow us on Instagram:
