Haute couture is a living thing — constantly evolving and redefining what fashion can be. For the good of fashion lovers everywhere, it’s vital for cultural icons such as Dolce & Gabbana to support up-and-coming designers. This year, it’s Tomo Koizumi who’s capturing hearts and minds on the runway.

Designer Spotlight: Tomo Koizumi

Tomo Koizumi is a talented Japanese fashion designer with big ideas — literally. He has a penchant for voluminous dresses created from hand-painted organza. His peculiar flocking method results in enormous ruffles that drape models and seem to “flow” outward in waves of joy and color.

What makes Tomo Koizumi’s unfettered creativity a perfect fit for Dolce & Gabbana collaborations is that his designs come from a place of pure emotion. He didn’t have any formal training in fashion.

In an interview with British Vogue in 2021, Koizumi said: “I loved to watch the Sailor Moon manga TV series when I was a kid. When it comes to making clothes, they’re my kind of girls: super cute, but strong and independent, too.” It’s easy to see touches of anime inspiration in the designer’s exaggerated color palette. Every ruffle seems full of motion and energy.

 

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Milan 2023: Moments of Light, Color and Life

As part of a special project by Dolce & Gabbana for bold new designers, Tomo Koizumi launched his Fall/Winter 2023-24 collection in Milan. From the first look, the runway lit up with a veritable explosion of color and energy.

Equally playful and daring, Koizumi’s collection highlighted a rainbow of organza billowing outward. At the same time, the models behaved with a seriousness that belied their spectacular colors. The effect was stunning, like a digital peacock with the ability to transform into any tone or texture. Beauty, hope, elegance and art came together perfectly, like a waking dream unfettered by the demands of “reality.”

Modern Fashion Meets Classical Accents

Another highlight of Koizumi’s phenomenal show was the classical elements interspersed with sleek dressmaking techniques. Some dresses gave nods to Japanese ikebana (flower arranging) with fabric flowers, swirling ribbons and epic floral prints. Other designs brought ukiyo-e (woodblock art) to fantastical heights with dream colors, airy fabrics and ideas that seemed taken from Alice in Wonderland.

Dolce & Gabbana Designer Collaborations

This isn’t the first time that Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have treated the world to a show of raw creative talent. Koizumi was the third designer in a “trilogy” of newcomers to the Milan stage that included Matty Bovan and Miss Sohee.

Matty Bovan

A fashion poet, British designer Matty Bovan combines handmade prints, art and textures masterfully. Every 1960s-inspired splash of color seems carefully chosen to tell stories on the runway.

Miss Sohee

Korean fashion sensation Miss Sohee is known for her semi-couture style. Her work evokes precious works of art, such as Venus de Milo, in gentle fabrics and flowing contours.

Future Dolce & Gabbana Milan Shows

It’s great when well-known designers push the envelope, but new artists give the industry a renewed sense of excitement and identity every year. Keep an eye on Dolce & Gabbana as brand collaborations unveil a new generation of dreamers for the world to see.