Tomo Koizumi, When Fashion and Art Become One

Is fashion an art? This is the most common and indeed existential question asked in the world of fashion. With his crazy, meticulous creations, Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi proves that fashion is a fully fledged part of contemporary art. Where ready-to-wear fashion generally focuses on more traditional, softer cuts, the haute couture weeks are synonymous with eccentricity, and the watchword for designers is ‘more is less’. A puff of fruity whipped cream or the bud of an electro-pop flower… welcome to the magical (and almost insolent) world of Tomo Koizumi.

After founding his label in 2012, he was spotted on Instagram by British headhunter and founder of Love magazine, Katie Grand, who immediately wanted him to display a collection at New York Fashion Week. Since then, the Japanese designer has only continued to conquer the world of fashion. A trained costume designer, he was used to dressing the biggest Japanese stars like singer Yuki Matsuda. Despite being unknown just months ago, his dresses are now being worn proudly by models Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski and actress Gwendoline Christie. This support is clearly an indication of the strength of his designs.

To create his dresses, which are destined to become ‘ruffle armour for girls’, he uses between 50 and 80 metres of fabric and 200 metres of organza. Countless hours of work are required, but Tomo Koizumi’s skill and meticulousness continue to dazzle the biggest names in fashion. The colours are thought out and created one after the other, based on a table of 400 shades.

For Koizumi, it isn’t just fashion that’s an art, but also those who wear it. Whether inspired by sweets or young flowers in bloom, the Japanese designer is opening up a door onto fantasy couture that is unlimited in its possibilities. When he was invited to show his pieces at Marc Jacobs‘ Madison Store in New York last February, Koizumi was the talk of the town thanks to his first, outstanding runway-event, with each silhouette being crazier than the last. His surrealist creations were shared all over social media, marking the birth of a new star.

Recalling English designer Molly Goddard who has made tulle her primary material, Koizumi uses organza, a fine, traditional fabric made from silk which is even more chic, grandiose and, naturally, extravagant. Tomo Koizumi is dressing the princesses of tomorrow, who are both strong and dreamy.