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Born on a dancefloor

Women’s ready-to-wear by a Corsican designer

Bali, summer 2002. A woman dances barefoot and notices a stranger’s trousers. Her name is Laurence Appietto-Raffaelli. Since then, we have been making clothes that move with you: fluid fabrics, solid colours over prints, and the open back as our signature. We were born between two islands.

Fifty pairs of trousers

That night, at the 707, Laurence is dancing barefoot. Next to her, Fawzi is wearing fisherman’s trousers in light poplin. The fabric follows his every move. She touches it and orders fifty pairs, in four bright colours, with no idea what she will do with them. Back in Porto-Vecchio, she runs a small shop called Mata Hari. The fifty pairs sell out in two days. Karma Koma is born.

Two islands

Laurence is Corsican by birth, Balinese by adoption, and still shares her life between the two islands. From Corsica, she keeps the character and the independence. From Bali, the deep colours and the art of welcoming obstacles. Our name comes from a Massive Attack track, Karmacoma. In Indonesian, koma means “comma”: we never put a full stop.

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The open back

For a long time, femininity was reduced to the neckline. Laurence chose the back. Everyone has one, whatever their age or shape. An open back is a precise opening that reveals the skin without showing off. We dare it where no one expects it, on a chunky winter jumper or a denim dress. And we see it every season: a woman of 25 and a woman of 75 wear the same dress. What brings them together is a certain allure.

Accessories

Our bags, belts and shoes are handcrafted from leather sourced in Indonesia. We put a lot of heart into them. They follow the same rule as our clothes: simple lines, deep colours, and that detail you don’t notice straight away but can feel.