Evening dresses by
nature should feel fun. They’re meant for parties, after all. But
because their price tags often skyrocket into five figures (or higher),
they’ve become big business. Which is why you have to appreciate
Marchesa’s designer and cofounder Georgina Chapman and cofounder Keren Craig,
two women who create some of fashion’s most glamorously decorated
evening dresses but don’t take themselves or their work any more
seriously than they should. Listen to Chapman’s commentary on a
knee-length white dress from their resort collection that has
intricately beaded netting on the top and a fringe of plumes under the
bust and on the sleeves. “It wouldn’t be Marchesa without some
feathers,” she said with a laugh, taking the piece off the rack for a
model to try. No, nor would it be Marchesa without lace, embroidery,
crystals, and enough tulle to outfit the Ballets Russes, all of which
was accounted for this season. Chapman acknowledged that she and Craig
approach resort as a time to offer women the kinds of things they’ve
come to covet from the label. That includes, but is not limited to: 1)
loads of drama, as seen in a slinky, matte-gold sequined and embroidered
dress with pouf sleeves; 2) statement color, like the rich raspberry of
a short strapless number with voluminous folds of taffeta; and 3)
tried-and-true shapes, like a one-shouldered party dress, a slim-fitting
strapless evening option with cascading ruffles, and caftans for the
lucky women who are dressing for lives that resemble Slim Aarons
photographs.
One short-sleeved shift in white with a
jeweled neckline and matching coat (call it a Marchesa twinset) brought
to mind Gatsby, and though the reference may not have been deliberate
it’s not far off from the designers’ actual inspiration: garden parties,
dappled sunlight and the romance of summer. As for their ever-expanding
bag collection, which includes crystal-encrusted minaudières with
chunky, rough-cut stone clasps and envelope-shaped shoulder bags with
metal chains and tassels, Chapman said women are buying them simply to
own and/or display, not necessarily to wear. But it's probably not
because they don’t have anywhere to go
Marchesa Fall/Winter 2012/13 Show at New York Fashion Week NYFW | FashionTV
