Tomo Koizumi RTW Fall 2023
Tomo Koizumi is surely a man of his word: joy he promised and, boy, joy he delivered.
His first show in Milan — and first staged outside Japan since the pandemic — was everything the fashion pack needed on the gloomy Sunday capping off the physical presentations in the city, when the adrenaline rush started to wane, tiredness to kick in and preparations for the Paris fashion bound intensified.
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Supported by Dolce & Gabbana, the designer’s fall 2023 collection was a big “not so fast” for all three conditions. Better than any cup of espresso or the freshest orange juice, the lineup energized the audience and lifted the spirits with its explosion of creativity, jolts of color and vivacious embellishments.
How not to beam in front of Jessica Stam covered in a pile of organza ruffles in blue and white, or at the sight of fellow model Keishan performing rather than merely walking, while dressed in a ruffled multicolor jumpsuit that could double as Pantone’s encyclopedia? And what about the rest, which ranged from coats to towering flared pants, all in fluorescent hues? They were signature Koizumi in all their theatrical glory.
But what was even more exciting was discovering new sides of the designer’s work, sparked by the collaboration with the Italian fashion house, which supplied him with archival fabrics, deadstock materials, accessories and, more importantly, the expertise of its team.
The joint effort revealed a seductive undertone in Koizumi’s aesthetic. Inspired by the Dolce & Gabbana archives, the Japanese talent reinterpreted corsetry with silk ribbons layered over lingerie and juxtaposed with ample skirts in ruffled satin. Multicolored tulle strips punctuated with rhinestones also defined body-con pieces, which Koizumi said in a preview with WWD last week were actually a nod to his initial collections.
In playing with distinctive patterns of the Sicilian designers, such as the “carretto” print, Koizumi kept faith with the more-is-more approach that eventually became his signature. He enriched such graphics with ruffled trims, embroideries and handmade floral appliqués hailing from Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda collections, to create lively short frocks and standout coats.
Generating the same excitement as Koizumi’s last-minute show at the Marc Jacobs store in New York four years ago, the upbeat energy culminated in the finale. Five models walked in a line sharing a single, statement ruffled creation, which embodied a sort of brand manifesto.
“This was actually a decoration on the wall when I had a pop-up store in 2021 in Osaka but it was too beautiful to waste it, so I just kept it and brought it back as a dress,” Koizumi explained after the show. “It’s not just a rainbow, because I used a lot of colors for this collection. It kind of wants to represent all the people and inclusivity. I just want to make a statement that we can share colors — and clothes.”
Launch Gallery: Tomo Koizumi RTW Fall 2023
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