Damir Doma found himself in an interesting position. While pretty much every other designer in Milan was sending out brightly colored big graphic patterned shows, even other minimalist brands like Ports 1961 and Jil Sander who found ways to inject a bit of dynamism into their designs, primarily through the use of metallic fabrics and embellishments, Doma’s offering was predominantly in shades of black, with a bit of grey thrown in for good measure.
But the designer isn’t interested in what others are doing and neither are his devoted fans who flock to him for the grace of his deconstructed designs. They are going to crave every stitch of clothing that walked down his runway crafted out of a patchwork of faded colored rugs andbacked by a giant wall of resin perforated to let speckles of light pierce the dark show space.
There in the low light, they could spot garments born from the menswear universe where Doma began his career. The roomy pants, the raw-edged tops with sleeves constructed with bands of fabric circling the upper arm, the winning knit sweaters pierced by metal rings down their front were all of a monastic solemnity. A sentiment reinforced by the addition of what looked like stone prayer beads being worn on the hip, or attached to the lapel of a roomy jacket.
This calming, pragmatic collection was a beautiful tributary to follow for a while, before returning to the rushing stream of the Milan shows.