David Koma’s fashion designs are made for Really Dressing Up. Ritzy, risqué, silhouette-attentive—his high-octane pieces have amassed fans as big as Beyoncé. For Koma, however, it’s all about the craft. For the most part, our Zoom call is made up of him showing me various garments on screen: “sorbet pink” fabrics, metallic bomber jackets, koi fish constructed from iridescent gems, and massed silk threads shivering like seaweed. These are clothes that demand attention, whether glittering on a stage or walking down the street.  

Rosalind Jana: Where do you work? 

David Koma: My office is in east London, as is my apartment. It’s a seven-minute walk from the office—my favorite timing, one cigarette away. It’s also one street from the City: the whole juxtaposition of mode...