David Koma’s Spring-Summer 2027 collection brings the ice rink somewhere warmer, translating the discipline and spectacle of 1990s competitive figure skating into clothes built for high-summer attention.
Set against the familiar codes of Riviera ease, it makes a persuasive case for glamour with sharper edges, where feathers, crystals and satin aren’t decorative afterthoughts but the structure of the message.
At a glance
- David Koma’s SS27 collection draws on 1990s competitive figure skating and reframes it for bold summer dressing.
- Crystal spirals, mother-of-pearl details, feather plumes, satin bombers and high-shine Lycra define the collection’s visual language.
- The collection is presented through an image series developed through photography and generative AI along palm-lined Los Angeles roads.
Figure skating enters the summer wardrobe
Koma’s starting point is the hyper-controlled world of competitive figure skating, where athletic precision and theatrical femininity have always shared the same stage.
Tonya Harding sits at the centre of the reference pool, not as a polished ideal but as a figure associated with raw athleticism and a fierce will to win.
That distinction matters, because the collection isn’t interested in softness for its own sake.
Its palette moves from candyfloss pink, icy rose, soft mint and luminous ivory into liquid silver and hard black, giving the sweetness a firm outline.
The effect is assertive rather than nostalgic, with the 1990s influence treated as a design language rather than a costume box.
Crystal figures and feather engineering
The strongest motif comes from compulsory figures, the circles and figure-eights once traced by skaters on the ice.
Koma translates those movements into crystal spirals that travel across the body, often centred with mother-of-pearl.
They appear as embroidery, oversized jewellery and cut-outs, while satin drawstrings gather into circular voids and transparent black mesh wraps around round openings.
It’s a clever way to turn a skating reference into something more architectural, especially when the mother-of-pearl softens the brightness of the crystal work.
Feathers, a familiar Koma signature, return as tops and skirts, but the interest is in how they move.
Rows of fringe are stitched onto rigid boning and attached to the internal framework of the dress, allowing the structures to bend under their own weight into suspended, fluid shapes.
That kind of construction suits evening clothes designed to register in motion, whether crossing a room or standing under terrace lighting.
Warm-up codes with evening intent
The collection’s most immediately wearable ideas come from its training-inspired pieces.
Satin bombers are worn with voluminous shorts, while protective jackets are layered over high-glamour dresses.
It’s a useful tension, because the outerwear reins in the drama without flattening it.
A satin bomber over a slip dress, for example, gives the collection an entry point for someone who wants the attitude without the full theatre.
The bolder end of the proposal includes a metallic mint knit gown, cut close to the body, and jersey columns that preserve a sense of movement even when the wearer is still.
Elsewhere, high-shine Lycra is fully crystallised, and satin is gathered into scrunchie-inspired frills across lingerie, ruched blouses and elongated trousers.
Those details could easily become novelty, but the controlled cut keeps them aligned with Koma’s sharper vision of femininity.
A campaign of palms, roads and artificial image-making
The collection is presented as an image series created through a dialogue between photography and generative AI.
Its setting along palm-lined roads in Los Angeles gives the skating references a cinematic, sunlit context rather than a literal rink backdrop.
The road imagery underscores repetition and ambition, while the palms shift the mood toward resort glamour and warm-weather spectacle.
For a collection built on discipline, speed and display, it’s a fitting visual frame.
David Koma’s SS27 proposition won’t appeal to anyone seeking anonymity, and that’s exactly the point.
For the woman who dresses with intent and doesn’t mind being looked at, it offers a vivid balance of athletic control, decorative nerve and after-dark Riviera confidence.
