Accessories have been a growing brand focus on runways and in earning calls over the last year, and the London catwalks built on the trend. Designers including Simone Rocha and David Koma expanded their accessories offerings for fall 2024.
Koma, who is best known for his embellished eveningwear and celebrity fans, has recently leaned into accessories. His 15-year-old namesake brand’s latest collection features new XXL evening bags covered in marabou feathers. The brand, which sells its eveningwear for $1,000-$3,000, has yet to disclose pricing for the new accessories.
It’s worth noting that its pre-fall 2021 earrings grace the cover art for Beyoncé’s new album, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The earrings are being reissued, and are currently available for pre-order on the brand’s e-commerce site.
“I have worked on accessories for a couple of seasons, but I’ve never really presented an evening direction for bags,” said Koma. “That’s even though we are always talking about our eveningwear direction. For this season, I felt that big volumes were the way to go. I wanted to make the [bags] an extravaganza, but to have them be comfortable. … And I like the statement [the bags make] — they’re bold and they’re big, but they’re super light.”
David Koma, which has experienced 76% annual sales growth, compared to pre-pandemic, is stocked at retailers including Selfridges, Revolve and MyTheresa. Last year alone, the brand was worn by Kendall Jenner, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez, Ana de Armas and Blackpink’s Lisa.
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Koma attributes his success to the loyalty of his global customers.
“It has to do with identity and the strength that the David Koma brand projects,” said Koma. “No matter what, season after season, we develop new categories and we expand the brand. We’ve always kept to the ideas of timelessness and identity, and we [ensure that] a certain level of quality comes before all the other things. That’s what keeps the business solid. … And while every season brings new Koma girls, the ones that already exist give me a lot of support.”
Should emerging designers be afraid of using AI?
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Many of the collections shown in London this season have focused on craft. They’ve included Simone Rocha’s collection, with its bow details, and Roksanda’s, with its tapestry dress that took 200 hours to make. But AI design is still top of mind.
“We can’t have an event like this [fashion week] without talking about AI — it’s everywhere,” said David Pemsel, chairman of the British Fashion Council. “As a creative industry, we need to work out how to embrace this technology and amplify our ideas.”
Edward Crutchley, who worked as a designer at Louis Vuitton before starting his namesake brand in 2015, showed an AI-developed tapestry-inspired print on his outerwear for fall. “AI pushes me to think further and wider,” he said. “It shows me possibilities that aren’t limited by practicality and the physical reality of making clothes.”
He added, “All new technologies are talked about as if they will destroy the world. … In terms of negatives, could they force huge changes to the fashion system? Yes. Does that necessarily denote something negative? I doubt it.”
