For their fifth official calendar outing, design duo Danial Aitouganov and Imruh Asha of Zomer staged a runway romp that “blurred the line between growing up and blowing up,” they said.
They were finalists for both the ANDAM and LVMH prizes this year, demonstrating the promise of their work and maturity of their perspective.
Against a kaleidoscopic palette, their collection was a backdrop for surrealist twists, and they traded in any restraint for exaggeration. See: cartoonishly large belts, cinching the waist in cherry red and lemon yellow, and a gargantuan pink hair clip clasping the body as a new take on the top.
Proportions were played with in good measure. Skirts were double-waisted, swooped down at the back to reveal a boxer waistband, or hiked up and worn as a dress. It was as if everyone was playing dress up.
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It was a playful pendulum swing from girl to womanhood, with stops in gym class and prom night. Think men’s neckties looped as girlish bows paired with vintage parkas and athletic shorts, as if running between physics and P.E.
Color combinations had some fun retro flourishes, such as stripes in brown, orange and blue that recalled the 1970s, and their unique mash-up of floral prints emphasized a carefree approach to dressing. Bombers, cropped button downs and color-drenched dresses with coordinating tights all added up to an exuberant collection.
It all played off a new sneaker collaboration with Finnish brand Karhu, in an on-trend ballet sneaker in Crayola colors. Fitting then that the show’s centerpiece was a massive paint palette, where models stepped into puddles of pigment before heading down the runway.
That’s certainly one way to leave your mark.
But at the end, it all went to the dogs — a jaunty Shiba Inu and a dreadlocked Puli, to be specific — that took to the runway after last looks (no word on if their coordinating kerchiefs were Zomer). The crowed erupted in joy, which was exactly the point.