David Koma vs Safiyaa: The Two London Eveningwear Houses Compared
David Koma vs Safiyaa: The Two London Eveningwear Houses Compared
Safiyaa is the house most often cross-shopped with David Koma at Luxury Shoes , and the pairing makes sense: both are London eveningwear labels, both cut a gown to the body, both are worn on red carpets, and both sit in the same corner of the catalogue. They are not the same dress. Safiyaa is the bigger range and the more classical one; Koma is the sharper and the more embellished. This page compares them on the facts a shopper can check, then says which to buy for what.
Key facts
- Both London-based; Safiyaa was founded in 2011 by Daniela Karnuts, David Koma in 2009 by the designer.
- At Luxury Shoes : Safiyaa None styles in stock, median $2,520; David Koma 365 styles, median $3,270.
- Signature: Safiyaa is the column gown and the cape, in crepe and satin, with a large, calm silhouette; Koma is the sculpted cady dress with crystal, cut-outs and 3D flowers, and the mini.
- Fit: both cut close through the bust; Safiyaa’s gowns are long and forgiving through the hip, Koma’s are shaped through the hip and lined firm.
- Occasion: Safiyaa for a formal gala, a state dinner, a mother of the bride; Koma for a party, a premiere, a wedding guest who wants to be photographed.
The two silhouettes
Put a Safiyaa gown and a Koma gown side by side and the difference is the amount of dress. Safiyaa builds a long column in crepe and adds a cape, a train, a bow, and the effect is architectural and calm; it is the house for a woman who wants to look formal and does not want to think about it again all evening. Koma cuts closer and adds less cloth and more light: the Fitted Sequin Gown is a column with sequins and nothing else, the Crystal Pendant Halterneck Gown is a white satin gown with one crystal pendant, the Cactus Dahlia Detail Gown is a satin gown with a flower at the hip. A Safiyaa gown makes an entrance; a Koma gown makes a photograph.
Price
The medians at Luxury Handbags are $2,520 for Safiyaa across None styles and $3,270 for David Koma across 365. Safiyaa’s range is wider because it sells separates and daywear in volume; its gowns are priced with Koma’s hand-embroidered pieces. For a gown under $4,500 Koma has more choice, the Satin Halterneck Gown With Mesh Skirt Black at $3,290 and the Lace Rose Embroidered Gown In White at $4,290; for a gown with a cape, Safiyaa is the only one of the two that makes it.
Which to buy for what
A gala, a state dinner, a formal charity evening: Safiyaa, because the column and the cape are the correct amount of dress. A premiere, a party, a fashion event: Koma, the Crystal Star Draped Mini Dress at $4,220 at the short end and the Crystal Rose Detail Gown In Black at the long. A wedding guest: Koma for a summer wedding, the Crystal Leaf And Halter Mini Dress and the Crystal Rose Halter Midi Dress; Safiyaa for an evening wedding where the guest list is formal. A mother of the bride: Safiyaa. A woman who wants one black dress she will wear for years: Koma’s Crystal Star And Straps Midi Dress, because it is a cocktail dress rather than a gown and cocktail dresses get worn.
Sizing and fabric
Both size on the UK ladder. Safiyaa uses a stretch crepe and satin that skims; Koma uses a stretch cady and a triacetate satin over a firm lining that holds. If you are between sizes, Safiyaa forgives the smaller and Koma wants the larger. Both are dry clean only, and Koma’s embellished pieces need a cleaner who has handled hotfix crystal. The materials guide covers the Koma side.
“The brand aesthetic is best described in 3 words: seductive, feminine and timeless,” the house writes on davidkoma.com. “David Koma DNA is based on sculptural and sensual pieces created to instill confidence and empower.”
Frequently asked questions
Is David Koma similar to Safiyaa?
They are both London eveningwear houses that cut a gown to the body and are worn on red carpets. Safiyaa is the calmer, more classical column-and-cape house; Koma is sharper, shorter and more embellished.
Which is more expensive, David Koma vs Safiyaa?
At Luxury Handbags the medians are $2,520 for Safiyaa and $3,270 for David Koma; Safiyaa’s gowns sit with Koma’s hand-embroidered pieces and Koma has more gowns under $4,500.
Which is better for a wedding guest?
David Koma for a summer wedding, with the crystal-leaf halter mini and the crystal-rose halter midi; Safiyaa for a formal evening wedding.
Which is better for a gala?
Safiyaa, for the column gown and the cape; a Koma gown is for the evening where you want the photograph.
Do Safiyaa and David Koma size the same?
Both use the UK ladder. Safiyaa’s crepe skims and forgives the smaller size; Koma’s lined cady holds and wants the larger if you are between.
Who founded Safiyaa and David Koma?
Safiyaa by Daniela Karnuts in London in 2011; David Koma by the Georgian-born designer of the same name in London in 2009.
Read next
Read brands like David Koma, David Koma vs Alexander McQueen and the gown guide. Shop the David Koma collection at Luxury Shoes and the Safiyaa collection.
More David Koma guides
Every David Koma page by Luxury Shoes ’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, Brands like David Koma, How to wear, Which dress to buy, Who is David Koma?, History timeline, Size guide, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake, Materials and care, Glossary, Mugler and Blumarine, Who wears it, Pre-fall 2026 Supergirl edit, Spring-summer 2026 edit, Resort 2026 edit, vs Alexander McQueen, Gowns, Mini dresses, Midi dresses, Tops, Jackets and tailoring, Jeans and denim, Trousers, Skirts, Wedding dresses, Wedding-guest dresses, Crystal dresses, 3D flower and lace, Sequins, Feathers, Cut-outs, Satin and velvet, Corsets, Black, White and ivory, Red and pink, Yellow, blue and green.
Sources and method
Checked on 18 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Luxury Shoes . Product facts, the compositions, linings, embroidery fibres, care lines and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Luxury Shoes ’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the designer’s biography and the house history come from the brand’s own About page and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above; the size chart is the brand’s own. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.
- davidkoma.com, About us: the brand story, the brand vision and the designer biography in the house’s own words
- davidkoma.com, Size guide: the UK, Italy, US, France and Japan conversion chart and the body measurements by UK size
- davidkoma.com, Delivery and returns: dispatch, delivery windows, duties and the 14-day returns window on the brand’s own store
- David Koma product pages: the description, composition, lining, embroidery, care and made-in lines of every style (306 pages saved 18 September 2026)
- David Koma on Wikipedia and its cited articles
- Wikidata Q5236101
- London Fashion Week, designer profile: David Koma
- British Vogue, 11 May 2020: the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner profile (“a favourite of red-carpet stars from Scarlett Johansson to Michelle Obama”, the “21st-century femme fatale” quote)
- Luxury Handbags live catalogue, 18 September 2026: prices, sizes and stock
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