Celebrity Life

Invariably a symbol of power, ferocity and futuristic fantasy, the bodysuit has been imagined countless times over the decades. Designers David Koma and Sensen Lii tell us about their interpretation of the garment.

What’s the garment of the future? Perhaps we can imagine human life evolving into something resembling a collective consciousness or being transferred into machines, Matrix-style (I’m looking at you, metaverse), eliminating human bodies completely, and the need for clothes — and fashion — with them.

In the near future, however, clothes will remain a convention commanding respect. Science-fiction writers, comic-book illustrators, and costume and fashion designers have predicted garments becoming more streamlined, using bodysuits, leotards and their variations to imagine uniforms for humans in coming generations.

Starting from the mid-20th century, the bodysuit has been synonymous with liberation — mostly sexual — and power. It gave rise to a new generation of femmes fatales who switched liquid gowns and padded jackets for anatomical spandex suits that hugged every curve of their bodies.

Many attribute that cultural shift in costume — and, with it, fashion — to Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim’s cult film Barbarella (though even in this case, the bodysuit was as much means of tool making women more appealing to men).

Much has changed since Fonda’s portrayal of a 41st-century astronaut, so to understand the limits of artistic and functional interpretations of the bodysuit, I spoke to fashion personalities who are changing the genre: David Koma and WINDOWSEN’s Sensen Lii.

How David Koma London and Windowsen are Re-Imagining the Bodysuit

Born in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, fashion designer David Koma started his professional journey at the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, where he pursued fine art. It was there he discovered an interest in anatomy and, after visiting morgues and attending autopsies, he dedicated his first fashion collection in the Saint Petersburg fashion week to the subject.

Koma was just 15 years old at the time; his collection was variously described as “daring”, “avant-garde” and “fresh”. He later enrolled at Central Saint Martins to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fashion and, after graduating, started his namesake label. Four years later, in 2013, he took the helm at Mugler as creative director, a position he stepped down from in 2017.

Both at Mugler and with his own David Koma London label, the designer made waves with obsessively constructed silhouettes that showed the female body intelligently. “I always found the female body immensely inspirational,” he tells me. “Women are the most powerful creatures in the world. Their ability to grow and nurture a child is a true miracle. I love celebrating their bodies.”

As to the notion of Koma Girl as the latest iteration of the femme fatale, he says, “I imagine her as tough yet sensual, free yet controlled, youthful yet mature. She’s a 21st-century femme fatale — strong and confident, with a sophisticated sex appeal.”

The fantasy Koma creates around bodysuits treads the line between performance wear of the highest calibre and unapologetic glamour, not in the ubiquitous manner of athleisure, but rather as CGI-borderline character. It’s couture-meets-RPG avatars in the physical realm, made possible only with a painstakingly architectural approach to garment construction.

One of the looks from his spring/summer 2022 ready-to-wear collection, for example, takes the shape of a one-legged scuba suit with an elegant cutout at the chest — much as the heroine of a sexy spy film à la Æon Flux might wear. Another iteration of the same look — this time encrusted in glistening embellishments – was worn by Serena Williams for the premiere of King Richard late last year.

That collection saw Koma take aquatic inspirations and run with them. “I studied swimming and swimwear,” he says. “There are so many facets to it — athleticism, performance, sensuality. We staged the show at the London Aquatics Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid, so the architecture of the venue — which we chose early in the collection’s planning — became an important part of the overall inspiration.”

Women athletes have had an enormous influence on the evolution of performance-adjacent garments. Koma himself often turns to sports pioneers to inspire his collections — with spring/summer ’22, it was Allette Kellermann who popularised synchronised swimming, and in the case of pre-autumn 2022, its Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, the first women to cross the United States on motorcycles, in 1916.

“They were campaigning for women’s rights but ended up being arrested multiple times on the way for wearing leather riding trousers, which was scandalous at the time,” says Koma.

Although conventionally bodysuits entail highlighting the beauty of the human form, some artists reject notions of physicality almost entirely in their creation of dysmorphic bodycon silhouettes. WINDOWSEN, a young brand based in Shanghai and Antwerp, gives new life to the “alien couture” movement first debuted by Manfred Thierry Mugler in the 1980s.

Corsets and leotards are at the core of many WINDOWSEN collections. Creative director Sensen Lii uses those as starting points and, by introducing sports-inspired and insectile elements, creates mesmerising bestial forms. As a result, the models transform into high-fashion xenomorphs.

“I am a very extreme person,” says Lii. “I believe that our body, no matter in what shape, can be as powerful as a weapon.” The designer credits Australian drag artist Leigh Bowery as his muse, though references from films such as Matrix and various versions of Dracula are also apparent in his collections. “They typically deal with imaginative concepts, with the likes of extra-terrestrial life and parallel universes,” he says.

WINDOWSEN pushes the ideals of genderless fashion through elaborately staged shows and collaborations with celebrities, such as drag performer TAYCE or singer FKA TWIGS. “I think all types of garments are genderless, the bodysuit especially. It’s mostly made of jersey, stretchy fabric that gives it a greater tolerance for any type of body, either men or women, big or small,” says Lii.

While Lii intends his silhouettes to be seen as aggressive, Koma’s approach is somewhat different. “I wouldn’t use the term aggressive,” he says, “I’d say we offer a strong sculptural silhouette with sharp, geometric shapes. I love leather and empowered tailoring. It can read aggressive to some, but it’s never my aim.”

Perhaps influenced by Hollywood, we often equate bodysuits — the closest thing many movies can get to actual nudity — with sex appeal. Indeed, for decades they were a way of dressing for the male gaze. Now, however, the game is changing.

“Your intention of being attractive and the result of appearing attractive are two different things,” says Lii. “It’s about your own will and you can decide for your body.” Now, as comfort is sharing its pedestal with sensuality, and fewer people are willing to sacrifice functionality in the interests of aesthetics, Anna Dello Russo’s “fashion is always uncomfortable” increasingly sounds like a faint echo of the past.

The post Body of Work: How David Koma London and Windowsen are Re-Imagining the Bodysuit appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Frustrated with the lack of tailoring options for women, Frederieke van Doorn decided to throw caution to the wind and start her own brand – Frey was born from a desire to dress women to fit their bodies, not the other way around.

It was certainly a bold venture, tailoring was – and still is – a male-dominated sector in the fashion industry, but van Doorn hopes to change women’s mindset towards tailoring and offer better fit and better quality for all. Nothing boosts confidence more than a perfectly fitted jacket or suit, and at FREY the options are endless.

A visit to its flagship store on Ice House Street starts with a digital body scan (this could also be done at home) to get your precise measurements before you take your pick of the many looks available. There’s a wide range to choose from, power suits for a boardroom meeting, to flowing skirts for a long saunter by the beach. Every clothing option is fully customisable, you can pick and choose from a range of patterns and fabrics available in the store. Each order takes about three weeks to create, and fittings are arranged back at the store to refine each and every outfit.

Name: Frederieke van Doorn
Profession: Tailor / Womenswear Designer
Industry: Fashion Design
Company Size: 7
Startup since: September 2020

Read on below to see how Frederieke van Doorn started Frey to bring our attention to women’s tailoring.

When was Frey started and how much has the team grown?

I started Frey in September 2020, the first thing I did was hire a designer, Yulia Tlili. The store opened at the beginning of September 2021, we are now seven, including myself.

What is your own background in fashion design and what led you to tailoring?

I studied Fashion in Amsterdam and I worked in men’s tailoring for the last 20 years. I lived and worked for 12 years in China where I produced high-quality men’s tailored suits.

When did you have the idea to start your own women’s tailoring brand?

I was always a bit annoyed by the fact that there isn’t a good woman’s tailoring brand available for women. Jackets and suits are a side business for a lot of brands, so the options are quite limited, and the quality level is mostly poor. Men have much more options in terms of tailored designs and better quality. Since we couldn’t travel anymore in 2020 the idea of starting a tailoring brand grew on me and I decided to go for it.

What are the challenges in your industry?

To expose and grow the brand socially, tell my story, tell what I do. The world is so fast now, you only get a few seconds of attention, you need to tell the whole story in just a few seconds when there is so much more to tell and show.

Describe a normal day for you.

I usually get up very early to do my workout, then I can be back in time to bring the kids to school. I am in the office around 9 o’clock where we do all kinds of things. We are a very small company, so I am involved in all aspects, design, marketing, sales, merchandising, finance, so my days are very different from one to another.

Tailoring has been the domain for gents for so long, how do you make it less intimidating for women to get into it?

I think it is a bit new for us women, which is strange since we do wear jackets and suits since the 40s and 50s, and it is required for many jobs nowadays. We offer pieces which fit very comfortably, in the best fabrics and in classic styles. In Hong Kong, men have their own preferred tailors, they go there for fittings to find the perfect fit, unfortunately, these tailors are not attractive for women. We would like to become known for the perfect female tailoring place with a modern flair and exquisite fit.

Is it quite different when designing for a female body versus a male body? Do women look for different fits and details?

Designing for the female body is more complicated but this is not only for my brand, but this is also for all the brands. Apart from the body, we have more options and choices out there, as well as more fashion orientated desires.

Your collection is also designed in a much wider range of sizes beyond what’s standard in the industry. Was this important for you?

The industry is slowly changing but I still cannot understand why you would have a sample size EU 32, and you grade that up till EU 42, that just doesn’t work. Especially in Hong Kong, the stores here hold such a small range of sizes, and so many women say I cannot shop in Hong Kong, they don’t have my size.

Frey’s personalised tailoring service is done digitally. How accurate is the technology and is this the future of tailoring?

I have been working with this app for a long time now. After doing some tests measuring by hand versus the app, sometimes the app was more accurate.

Can you tell us about the sustainable measures at Frey and why that is important for the brand?

It has become clear to all of us that whatever we do, we need to think about sustainability. This doesn’t happen overnight, but all decisions should be made with this in mind. We need to shift away from fast fashion and make better choices. That is why I choose natural materials because they are just better for life and last longer.

Using dead stock is sustainable but does it compromise design or style?

Not at all, we see this challenge as an inspiration. The design process starts with fabrics, it often dictates the shape, silhouettes, and design details, which together makes the collection.

What is your own personal favourite look for every day?

I really like to wear a good jacket that is tailored or a nice, oversized piece.

Are tailoring and suits for business only or do you dress women for different occasions?

Not only for business, but we also think of the process from day to night. Why not have dinner after a workday in a powerful suit, kick off the heels and put some sneakers under it?

Do you think owning and wearing a well-fitted suit can be empowering for women?

Absolutely, nothing is more annoying than wearing clothes you are not comfortable in. If you feel good in your clothes you feel freer and more empowered.

What advice would you give to other people who want to start their own business, especially girls and fresh graduates?

Be creative in finding solutions, never give up. Never stop learning, remember everyone’s path is different. Invest in good relationships with manufacturers and suppliers.

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