The outsiders
ToMo KoizuMi
Koizumi’s name wouldn’t
have rung a bell to anyone
outside of Tokyo before his
sensational New York Fashion
Week debut in February. At the
last-minute presentation put
together by Katie Grand, the
costume designer sent the likes
of Gwendoline Christie and
Bella Hadid down Marc Jacobs’s
studio in his ballooning ruffled
frocks – “ruffle armour for girls”- made of Japanese polyester
organza in all kinds of candy
colours. The show blew up,
and rightfully, so has Koizumi.
Besides viral looks, what he
really brought to New York was
a sense of fantasy, which is more
than welcome in a city that has
just seen an exodus of designers.
sT erling ruBy
A frequent Raf Simons collaborator,
Sterling Ruby is not new to the fashion
industry as an artist. Last June,
though, he made a raved-about debut
as a fashion designer for his label, S.R.
Studio. LA. CA. The Spring 2020
collection was largely centred on denim- paint-splattered or patchworked
together like Ruby’s collages –
and prints, derived from photographs
by his wife. For fans of the American
artist, it’s a treat to see his vision
translated into a new medium (especially
one that they could likelier collect);
for fashion fans, Ruby’s label offers
a refreshing break from clothing
derived from trends or heritage.
efTychiA
Of all the people you’d think
are likely to switch to a
career in fashion, a graphic
designer is not one of them.
But Eftychia Karamolegkou
did, after moving out of
Athens and training for it
in Central Saint Martins.
What her eponymous
London-based label
offers is not too different
from what she showed at
her Master’s collection:
elegant suits for women,
heavily inspired by those
worn by men in the 1920s.
Karamolegkou’s tailoring is
masculine (and therefore,
to her, empowering) and
unpretentious. Her career
change was certainly proven
wise after she was shortlisted
for this year’s LVMH Prize.
Philophiles, take note.