As Michael Corleone said, “just when I thought I was out, [New York Fashion Week] pulled me back in.” In a season that has thus far felt particularly devoid of celebrities and frivolity, a relatively unknown brand called Tomo Koizumi brought the fun back to fashion week. It was Koizumi’s first fashion show, held at the Marc Jacobs Madison Avenue store. Not only were there giant, loofah-like dresses, there was also a stacked cast of models and celebrities, including Emily Ratajkowski, Joan Smalls, Rowan Blanchard, and Bella Hadid.
Soon after the dresses hit the runway, they were all over Instagram. Who would resist posting about these cupcake confectionaries worn by Bella Hadid? Every guest stood around the staircase at the center of the store — no chairs. The collection was only 28 dresses, but each made an impact. Koizumi told Vogue that his ruffles represent a kind of armor and he’s also inspired by Sailor Moon’s duality of soft and strong. Those inspirations translated well. All the models — with the possible exception of Ratajkowski — looked very well protected inside of their ruffled rainbow bubbles.
The mastermind behind the show was Katie Grand, a longtime collaborator with Marc Jacobs and the founding editor-in-chief of Love magazine. She discovered Koizumi on Instagram and brought him from Japan to New York to make his debut. Nobody was expecting it to be this much fun. But it’s proof that with the help of the right people, New York Fashion Week still has some curveballs left to throw.
