Marchesa Bridal Spring 2016

I love that no matter how edgy, how minimal, how avant-garde a designer is, when it comes to bridal, they are unapologetic romantics. Marchesa creates some of the most amazing sculpted gowns that an A-list celebrity could ever hope for on the red carpet. Fittingly, their wedding dresses are the dream-like and cinema-worthy.

The tiered, asymmetrical skirt of the top dress is a fresh take on the traditional ballgown. The skirt looks transparent but high volume with innovative use of horsehair along the edges. Normally, a skirt with this shape needs many layers of fabric and ends up looking like a mountain. The back ruffles also is a new take on a bustle. The 3-dimensional flowers appliqued onto to tulle look like they are popping off the fabric.

Marchesa bridal makes your fantasy princess gown, 2.0. Now what can the groom where that even compares?
Photos provided by Marchesa via FirstVIEW

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Met Gala 2014 - Red Carpet Trends

The Met Gala (or Prom for the fashion set) had a glorious red carpet procession last night.  The invitation's dress code was  “White Tie and Decorations.”  The marquee exhibit for the Metropolitan Museum's ball was Charles James, Beyond Fashion.  I guess Anna Wintour wanted guests to dress in classic glamour for the 2014 Met Ball.

The best looks came from guests paying tribute to Charles James in ball gowns echoing his silhouettes. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black and white dress that was reminiscent of the black and white clover gown in the exhibit.  Sarah Silverman wore dark red Zac Posen similar to the scarlet creation in the museum.  Karolina Kurkova wore a sculptured work via Marchesa.  Anna Wintour's daughter Bee Schaffer wore a pale blue Alexander McQueen gown that paid tribute to the red and tulle gown by Charles James.

The irony of this event? In high school, the unpopular girls went to prom with their gay best friends.  For the Met Gala, the A-list celebrity girls attend "fashion prom" with their gay designer BFF's.  Yes, for this social event, it is much more likely to see top fashion designers bring their most popular celebrity muse as their date in lieu of their mates.  It's mutually beneficial as the designer secures the celebrity and the celebrity has designer cred.  I would love to see a designer give their date a jeweled corsage.

Worse trends?  Celebrities obviously paid to schill a mass market/high street clothing brand for press (I'm looking at you Topshop and Jenner family...) The other are celebrities dressing up as Disney princesses.  This is an unpopular opinion, at least where my niece is concerned.  She thinks this look is fabulous.  Last (AND least) the grotesque, wannabe streaker in pink mankini and Jersey Shore-worthy gold chain who tried to crash.  I am not even dignifying this clown with a photo.

Photos by Josh Haner/The New York Times, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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Marchesa Bridal Spring 2014

 Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's gowns are always the dresses of dreams.  The red carpet staples look even better going down the aisle.  The Marchesa spring 2014 bridal collection had classic, traditional silhouettes, but the construction or fabrication had a bit of a twist.

What looked like a fishtail strapless gown was actually taffeta twisted and spiraled around the body.  A high/low ballgown shaped dress was actually a detachable taffeta peplum giving the bride multiple options.

Lace was a big feature, delicate, romantic beading on fitted corsets were shown.  An ankle length dress had a circle lace that had dimensional tulle embellishments.

I'm hoping that Hollywood meets the chapel and I'll see some of these dresses on my favorite celeb in the next gossip magazine.  With any luck, it will be a respectable event and sans naked crotch shot.

Photo by George Chinsee

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Marchesa Fall 2011

Every New York Fashion Week, I attend as many shows as humanly possible.  Some designers are past favorites and some are designers new to me.  In all of these cases, I am looking for designs that will excite me and in turn be able to share that excitement with you.  Sometimes the shows are good, sometimes forgettable and sometimes they are true revelations.

One label I seek out season after season is Marchesa.  It is hands down THE show that I look forward to every season.  I wrote to them requesting an invite for their presentation, despite not knowing if and when it would occur.  I did not hear back from them and several of my colleagues told me that they didn’t think they were showing this time around.  Then almost last minute, I learned that the presentation WAS taking place at the same venue in Chelsea as last season.  Needless to say, I high tailed it down there on the afternoon of the event, determined not to miss it.  I was relieved to find that my advance request had landed me on the guest list. Lucky me!

Once inside, I was greeted by a collection that was everything I had hoped it would be.  The level at which they consistently produce amazes me and has my utmost respect.  I wandered through the presentation awestruck, my head buzzing with a sensory overload of beauty.  In describing the outfits, I struggle in calling them “gowns” or “dresses”, as these are so much more than that.  Each one is a divine piece of art, taking fashion to it’s highest level and creating wearable masterpieces.  This is truly Haute Couture...

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NY FASHION WEEK: Marchesa Spring 2011

Pure fantasy.  Retailers and media love to sing the praises of wearability (make that $aleability), but that isn't very entertaining.  The Marchesa collection was appropriately displayed at the Chelsea Art Museum Wednesday.  The gown were sculpted works of art.  Innovative embroideries with stones, beading and horsehair stroked the imaginations of the most jaded fashion observer.

The elaborate jewels and beading was carried through into the accessories.  Clutches, headpieces and shoes were encrusted with riches. 

Will you see anyone getting out of the subway with any of these pieces?  Highly unlikely.  Then again, the average subway rider is not Marchesa's prime market.  The target woman here seems to be the Red Carpet starlet (usually from the ranks of  current Weinstein Company films).  Is there anything wrong with that?  Of course not.  I am just happy to see that there are still American designers who can inspire unattainable glamour.

Spotted in the front row Mingling: Harvey Weinstein, Tinsley Mortimer, Jessica Szohr

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WWD at 100 Exhibit

Across the street from Lincoln Center, a quiet fashion presentation is taking place.  Womens Wear Daily has installed an exhibit featuring iconic looks from the last 100 years re-interpreted by today's hottest young designers.  Marilyn Monroe's iconic white subway dress, Bruce Springsteen's denim, Audrey Hepburn just to name a few.

Gilt.com will auction the one-of-a-kind looks at the end of the exhibit.  The exhibit runs until September 16th and is open to the public.

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