Marchesa (Q1420)
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US women's wear brand
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Marchesa |
US women's wear brand |
Statements
2004
creative director
intern
Georgina Chapman found inspiration far from home for her spring 2025 collection, looking to the Nemichi Shrine in Seki, Japan. The designer didn’t borrow aesthetics from the structure itself, but rather from the adjacent koi pond. Marchesa’s offering is an ode to water, with metallic fabrics mimicking light refracting off the water, wave-like lace appliqués, and fishtail silhouettes aplenty. Not everything was quite so aquatic, though: petal motifs dotted the collection like water lilies sitting atop the pond.Even Chapman’s more subdued designs—like a black ruffled off-the-shoulder cocktail dress, or a pink strapless number—feature dramatic flourishes. “[They are] more for our classic customer who’s looking for something that’s not too obvious but wants to have some drama,” she said.One dress, festooned with freshwater pearls, rhinestones, and delicate chains, looked as though it was rescued from a shipwreck. “[This] is our Marchesa quintessential beaded dress,” Chapman said of a blue gown with a plunging illusion V-neck, removable tulle cape, and a trail of rhinestones carving out an hourglass silhouette. Given that Chapman herself wore it to the Venice Film Festival premiere of The Brutalist, it’s safe to say she is the quintessential Marchesa woman.
12 December 2024
In the 20 years since Marchesa was founded by two Brits abroad, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig (the latter has since exited), the company has become an if-you-can-make-it-here New York success story with multiple lines (Notte, Rosa, bridal), which iterate on the themes of the main Marchesa offering. For fall the theme was nominally Shakespearean. “We’re always romantic, that’s really our take,” said Chapman on a walk-through, and that’s how these dresses, made of lace, strung with chains, or featuring draped flower accents, read. Still, the extremes of ecstasy and tragedy that the Bard—and Marchesa Luisa Casati, the line’s namesake—explored were beyond the remit here. However, Chapman did make room for moodiness in this collection, as with a floaty, full-skirted midi dress made in a storm cloud-like print. Equally admirable was a column dress of crinkled black semi-sheer fabric decorated with textural, pleated “wings.” Given some of the themes that emerged at New York Fashion Week, it’s tempting to describe this frock as being raven-ish, but that’s reading too much into it.Evening wear speaks to different needs than ready-to-wear and has its own method of time keeping. As Chapman, who knows her customer well, noted, “When you are really looking for that special piece, it’s not necessarily about what’s in vogue, literally, at the moment. It’s really about the dress you dream of and what you personally want to represent.” Marchesa delivers “main character” energy to dresses for leading ladies, if not Shakespearean heroines.
25 February 2024
It was 2020 the last time Georgina Chapman showed her Marchesa collection to the press. “We got comfortable during Covid,” she laughed, explaining the brand’s absence from the fashion cycle. Chapman wasn’t idle, however. She’s recently added Marchesa Rosa, a daywear collection with a bohemian spirit to her portfolio; it’s been designed to complement the Marchesa Notte evening wear, which offers more approachably priced versions of the occasion dresses that are the foundation of the main line.In those early months of the pandemic, Chapman had scaled back Marchesa’s signature opulence; she noted that there wasn’t a single ball gown in the spring 2021 offering. For pre-fall 2024, a strapless red silk faille dress with feathered edges and draping at the shoulder that evokes a rose, in the manner of Marchesa collections of old, is the star, with supporting roles played by ornately beaded and embroidered tulle columns, often styled with matching capelets, and fluid goddess gowns with brass chain embellishing the bodice.At the Golden Globes last night many of the dresses featured illusion netting or sheer lace elements. This is a Marchesa sweet spot. The lookbook opens with a “naked dress” with cascades of flapper-like seed pearl fringe and closes with a long black number whose “nude” back features scrolling gold sequin and crystal embroideries. Maybe we’ll see one or both of them at the Emmy Awards this weekend.
8 January 2024
The very definition of the phrasegetting dressedhas changed dramatically in the past six months, to the point where zipping up a pant that isn’t a legging or wearing a modest heel qualifies as a serious effort. Where does that leave an eveningwear brand like Marchesa? There were no occasions to dress for this summer and few red carpets to photograph. Intimate weddings are just now coming back here in the states. But 2021 will (hopefully) be a different story. As much of the world “reopens” and we dream of better days ahead, women may be more excited than ever to find a reason for a glamorous, special-occasion-only gown.Georgina Chapman is still conscious of how women will be feeling as they reemerge. On a Zoom call from her Chelsea showroom, she pointed out that her spring 2021 collection doesn’t include a single ballgown. “We just felt like that isn’t what’s needed right now,” she explained, picking up a diaphanous, rose-printed dress in ultralight organza. She and her team relied on bold colors and tropical motifs to provide some uplift, from a solid raspberry gown with a cascading ruffle—“Marchesa’s version of simple,” Chapman joked—to a fully sequined column with 3D flowers, glittering birds, and poufs of feathers. Other gowns had a touch of a loungewear feeling, like a silvery column topped with a sheer feathered cape and a black crepe minidress with feathered cuffs. But the real surprises were the truly simple, pared-back gowns, like a white and navy column with a twisted bodice and a similar style in sapphire mikado. Look closer, and the draped silk was actually dotted with teeny-tiny crystals: relaxed, but still special.
14 September 2020
Marchesa’s design director, Anna Holvik, said the fall collection felt like “turning a page.” She and her team (led by Georgina Chapman) seemed to have entered the design studio with a new sense of energy. Chalk it up to an increase in sales—particularly in the Middle East—and their growing confidence in creating more experimental, anti–ball gown looks. Fall included a surprising number of above-the-knee dresses, for instance, like a long-sleeve cocktail number in lavender lace with a draped satin skirt. The look had Marchesa’s signature romance and drape, but without the embellishments or heavy corsetry of the past. Physically lighter constructions has been the story at Marchesa for a few seasons now (both for couture and bridal), but fall was more or less the pinnacle of those efforts. Even the explosive tulle gowns felt light and airy, and as far as true “wearability,” the burgundy velvet blouse with built-in strands of pearls and crystals, shown here with matching trousers, would lend itself to endless combinations.Those built-in necklaces was a big story too. They seemed like subtler takes on the showstopping illusion gowns offall 2016, which were positively dripping with pearls, crystals, and chains. That opulent, decorative spirit felt right again for 2020 and supported Holvik’s intent to keep things as light and streamlined as possible. The team added that they’re relaunching some of Marchesa’s jewelry from the archives, too, like the crystal starburst collar and earrings shown with a shimmery brocade column and the poppy enamel earrings styled with a rose-print dress. The laser-cut leather belts were also new; in the past a Marchesa ball gown would have been far too voluminous to even consider adding a belt, but these buckled easily over embroidered chiffon numbers and narrow lace gowns. Those styling pieces were an invitation to interpret Marchesa your way, which might be the most modern development of all.
21 February 2020
Georgina Chapman and her Marchesa design team found their Fall 2020 bridal inspiration in ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangements. Flowers are a signature motif chez Marchesa, but this season’s interpretation went beyond the usual embroideries and three-dimensional petals. Instead, design director Anna Holvik said they channeled one of ikebana’s core principles: that every leaf, branch, and petal is of equal importance. Our minds are trained to assign greater significance to the most impressive detail, like a giant orchid or the one that seems “the most difficult,” like artfully arranged branches, but ikebana challenges us to do the opposite. It’s a lesson many of us could stand to apply elsewhere in our lives.For this collection, the concept translated to a renewed focus on every element of a dress: the interior structure, the lining, the boning, and the subtle draping, in addition to the eye-catching pearl beading and appliqués that actually get photographed. The hyper-detailed approach resulted in a surprising overall sense of lightness: Instead of crinolines, layered skirts, and rigid bustiers, the ballgowns came in a contoured tulle that hardly weighed anything. Similarly, Holvik pointed out a new taffeta they’d developed with a mill, which came with subtle ivory floral embroidery. On a sculptural halter gown, it had a delicate, barely there quality you wouldn’t necessarily get with embellishments by hand—and since the fabric is produced by the yard, not custom-stitched, the lead time will be much shorter too.On that note, beyond the ikebana references, Holvik said they were thinking about how the modern bride shops. Most women aren’t buying their gown a year in advance anymore, though Marchesa exists somewhat outside of industry trends; its couture bride ostensibly knows that a hand-embellished dress can’t be rushed in three months. Still, what she has in common with brides everywhere is a desire to feel more comfortable and at ease in her gown. Free of petticoats, excessive boning, or heavy embellishments, these are meant to give her room to dance, drink Champagne, and simply be in the moment, rather than fuss over her dress.
9 October 2019
In the Marchesa showroom, you expect to see a few things: ruffles, 3-D flowers, and layer upon layer of floor-sweeping tulle. Spring 2020 was almost sleek in comparison, with its newly languid, curve-skimming lines. Georgina Chapman—now the solo designer of Marchesa, following cofounder Keren Craig’s departure this summer—found her inspiration in portrait photographer Ruth Harriet Louise, the only female photographer working in Hollywood in the ’20s. Her famous portraits of Greta Garbo, Nina Mae McKinney, and Joan Crawford were tacked on Chapman’s mood board and captured the freer, slimmer look women embraced at the time. There were other snippets of ’20s-era fashion, moody flower arrangements, and, of course, tons of Jazz Age glitz.A few looks had sparkling trompe l’oeil embroideries, like the opening number: a sheer column covered in beads with a built-in satin shawl artfully draped around the bust. Another glittering “naked dress” appeared to have a black satin skirt knotted at the waist, but in fact it was all one piece. Other gowns simply felt lighter, as if they’d had some stuffing removed, such as the narrow beige column with fluttering marabou feathers and the vaguely Grecian sky blue dress with appliquéd flowers twisting around the torso. Not every look was so streamlined—fans of Marchesa’s signature ball skirts will still find a few here—but the new direction felt refreshing and relevant. Chapman is attuned to women’s changing tastes, and many of them want something less fussy and traditional. One dress occupied a nice middle ground between past and present: an ombré gown with cascading ruffles. From afar, it looked like many Marchesa dresses we’ve seen before, but peer closer and the edges were left unfinished and fraying. It lent a raw, unprecious quality to something quite familiar, and it’s a concept Chapman should continue to explore in the coming seasons.
18 September 2019
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig never set out to dress their woman from 9 to 5. It’s easiest to picture most of their gowns at a very specific time of day: after dark. With hand-appliquéd crystals, ombré tulle, and 3-D embroideries, these are dresses intended for a woman’s most glamorous moments, be it a wedding or a red carpet event. In recent seasons, though, they’ve quietly introduced some low-key, flexible separates into the mix: floral shirtdresses, lace blouses, midi skirts. The response to has been so strong that they decided to create a full “Daywear” collection, debuting for Spring 2020.The new collection was hanging side by side with the couture line in Marchesa’s showroom (the collections are photographed together here, too), revealing a few points of crossover. The lush florals and embroideries of the evening gowns were transposed onto poplin shirting and lace tea dresses, for instance, and both racks featured a bold, splashy palette loosely inspired by May Day celebrations in England. On the daywear side, the printed, embroidered, and lace-trimmed shirtdresses proved most compelling; they’ll be popular with working women who are bored of the black and gray office uniform.The “daywear” label shouldn’t be taken too literally, though; in a world of athleisure and streetwear, these items registered as quite a bit fancier than what we typically see on the street. To the Marchesa customer, they’ll fit somewhere in between her T-shirts and leggings and her big-night-out gowns.For her nighttime events, she might change into one of the couture collection’s nearly neon satin gowns—some of the boldest pieces Chapman and Craig have done in a while—or the lace column with embroidered ribbons unspooling to the floor (a reference to the traditional maypole). Many of the gowns were shown with matching sheer jackets or capelets trimmed with beads or marabou feathers, another growing category for the brand. A truly daring customer would skip the head-to-toe evening look and instead wear hers in a “daywear” capacity with jeans.
20 June 2019
Earlier this week, Marchesa’s Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig staged their first-ever bridal show in Barcelona, Spain, as guest designers of the city’s Bridal Week. It was the first time the duo had staged a major event—both for bridal or ready-to-wear—in several seasons, and it reinforced just how critical bridal is to their business.The collection itself was a reminder of how untethered Marchesa is from the rest of the market. The big talking points of the New York shows—i.e., a shift toward brides ordering gowns online; brides resisting the “princess dress” cliché; and a focus on low-key bridal looks you can rewear—simply don’t apply to Marchesa. Its bride isn’t looking for a suit, at least not for her ceremony. Marchesa is always going to be a resource for voluminous gowns, intricate embroideries, and an unabashedly feminine, ethereal quality. To wit, the Spring 2020 lineup was almost entirely gowns, each with a couture embellishment: 3-D petals, crystal embroideries, gigantic bows, stacked tulle rosettes. During a preview, Marchesa’s design director pointed out that even the biggest gowns were surprisingly lightweight: Every layer had been streamlined, from the underskirts to the corsets to the beads and crystals. Just because the Marchesa bride wants a ball gown doesn’t mean she’s willing to sacrifice comfort.The other big takeaway for Spring was Chapman and Craig’s continued focus on removable pieces, like the ruffled sleeves on a mermaid dress (which could be detached for the reception) and the diaphanous jackets, robes, and capes styled over several gowns. They’d be clever alternatives to veils, and would make for great photos, too—particularly for bride who wants to show some variety in her Instagram slideshow. That said, every gown will also come with the option of a matching, hand-embellished veil; Marchesa is seeing an uptick in demand for those full-on, head-to-toe looks.
26 April 2019
When you hear the wordequestrian, riding boots and jodhpurs come to mind; you certainly don’t think of an evening gown. The inspiration behind Marchesa’s pre-fall collection wasn’t the sport or the animal itself, but the paintings and sketches of horses that defined Edgar Degas’s work. The most literal interpretation was a sea-foam column dripping with fringe, with abstract embroideries of horses just barely peeking through. Elsewhere, the team introduced lacing techniques borrowed from equestrian boots: A hibiscus evening gown laced all the way up the back with a thick ribbon, while other pieces had faux lacing built in for greater ease.Marchesa has spent the past few years working on the interior construction of its gowns and making them lighter and more comfortable, and now the focus is shifting to making the dresses as easy as possible to put on and take off. A cherry red column with an exposed corset in the back had a zipper instead of hooks, for instance, and the draping around the waist was secured with a hidden button.Easeandcomfortare naturally the key words for Marchesa’s new daywear category too: One standout shirtdress in the house’s signature painterly florals came in lightweight cotton, not satin or taffeta, and will actually be wearable in the summer months. The same was true of the ruffled-neck balloon-sleeve blouse in the same print, which was tucked into the collection’s one “riding pant.” As for the house’s red carpet gowns (which you’re likely to see on the 2020 awards circuit), the news was in the tonal, monochromatic embroideries and embellishments, making for a cleaner and quieter look.
12 December 2019
Dreamy, otherworldly, fantastical: These are just a few of the words you’re absolutely permitted to use when describing a Marchesa gown. Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s runway shows used to close out New York Fashion Week on a beautiful, exceedingly glamorous note, and, in recent seasons, they’ve been trying to re-create the feeling by staging atmospheric lookbook shoots in nature or historic homes. Academy Mansion served as the backdrop this time, and the designers transported curving vines and lush florals to create the look of an enchanted forest.Those vines were mirrored in the dresses, turning up in winding embroidery motifs and often ending in curvy bows. The idea of forest greenery influenced a hand-painted fern motif, which was then translated into a dense embroidery, and a few gowns even had birds hidden in all the handwork. More broadly speaking, the volumes felt scaled up—even for a “ball gown brand”—and there was more surface treatment than ever, including fluffy 3-D appliqués, stiff tiered ruffles, hand-painted watercolor prints, and bits of feathers here and there. “Major” is something Marchesa does well, so what felt really new was the continued focus on daywear, from embroidered poplin blouses to tailored pants and a white lace shirtdress dotted with big peonies. Marchesa has an impressive clientele, but not every woman has a reason to buy a couture gown; now, mega-fans can get a taste of the magic—and wear Marchesa every day—thanks to the easy, but still special, cotton and lace pieces.
15 February 2019
Now that Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig have started photographing their collections out in nature, they’ll probably never go back to a standard lookbook shoot. Last season, they took their Spring 2019 gowns to a lush forest outside the city, and the setting for these Pre-Fall images was a greenhouse in the Bronx. On a chilly December afternoon, it served as something of an otherworldly escape: Drenched in sunlight and bursting with massive ferns, fruit trees, and multicolored blooms, you’d swear the gowns had been photographed in Florida or Mexico. How’s that for transportive?Of course, flowers are Marchesa’s most consistent signature; it only made sense to show Pre-Fall’s watercolor florals, 3-D tulle petals, and intricate embroideries surrounded by the real-life flora and fauna they were inspired by. Those florals were a bit of a departure for Chapman and Craig, actually; they still captured the brand’s signature romance but felt surprisingly bolder and more graphic. Consider the blown-up, blurred-edge watercolor prints or the “lattice lace” of a black tiered gown. With stark, crisscrossing lines, the motif lent some edge to an otherwise soft-looking dress. It had a similar effect on a coral gown covered in swirling floral embroideries and trimmed with marabou feathers. That lattice lace was a subtle nod to early-20th-century artist Karin Larsson, who was married to Carl Larsson. Unsurprisingly, his is the better-known name. Karin’s hand-painted furniture, in particular, stood out to Chapman and Craig for its blend of sleek geometric lines and brightly painted flowers.The bigger news for Pre-Fall was the expanded offering of separates and daywear. A sheer tuxedo blouse was shown with a full skirt but could easily pair with jeans; there were “going-out tops” in bright florals; and for working women looking for a glamorous, unstuffy alternative to the standard 9-to-5 shirtdress, Chapman and Craig introduced a pretty jewel-tone, floral-printed silk version trimmed with lace.
14 December 2018
Marchesa gowns are the stuff of fairy tales, and Spring 2019 looked like an actual storybook. Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig usually show their collections on the runway or in a straightforward lookbook shoot, and neither format tends to communicate a particular mood or setting. The dresses certainly speak for themselves, but Spring was a nice departure. They took their gowns outside of Manhattan to an estate with a dense, overgrown forest, so the results feel like something out ofSleeping Beauty—or maybe a Renaissance painting.Many of the gowns came with gilded, hand-painted butterfly motifs or cascading ruffles to mimic wings, which looked particularly pretty among the ivy and giant oaks. A sparkling blush and lavender illusion-tulle gown had more of an abstract, blown-up version of the pattern in iridescent crystals, plus a single draped sleeve—a subtler suggestion of the wing’s shape. Other dresses came with weightless, hand-pleated, and hand-curled ruffles, which seemed to float in midair.Chapman and Craig’s loose inspiration for it all was a “desert mirage,” somewhat at odds with their enchanted-forest setting. Ultimately, though, their clothes require little in the way of explanation or themes; most women who flip through these images (or are lucky enough to wear a Marchesa gown) rely on Marchesa simply to feel something: transported, inspired, and, yes, maybe a little bit like a princess.
19 September 2018
Resort isn’t typically when designers choose to experiment or make a major change, but Marchesa fans are in for something very new this season: daywear. In the past, the most “casual” thing you’d find in Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s collections was a cocktail dress or maybe a tuxedo; in contrast, the white broderie anglaise jackets, lace blouses, and floral-printed shirtdresses here were refreshingly low-key. They’ll register as “packable” must-haves for the Marchesa customer traveling somewhere tropical over the holidays.This collection didn’t skimp on the major statements we expect from Marchesa, though. If anything, the fairy-tale gowns, hand-curled roses, and puffs of ombre tulle were lovelier than ever, because there was a more ethereal, relaxed ease to them. A handful of gowns came in “ice-cream” colors, like the opening tulle number in shades of blush, orchid, peach, and lemon. Other standouts seemed to wrap gently around the body: a strapless, ankle-length number came in black, peony, and blush satin, and another A-line gown was striped with shades of rose. Chapman and Craig’s signature embroideries got a surprising update, too: sparkling fruits and berries mixed within the usual flowers and vines. Some of the more “casual” gowns weren’t to be missed, either: A clever bride might even wear the strapless eyelet dress tied with a velvet bow for her big day.
21 June 2018
Make no mistake, some of these Marchesa gowns are heavy. They have layers of tulle, structured underskirts, and endless trains, all par for the course in the world of bridal couture. But somehow they look light as air, a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s studio. The designers specialize in a kind of airy, ethereal romance, and Spring’s mood was particularly soft, from pearl-embroidered lace columns to ball gowns layered with swaths of sheer tulle. Illusion sleeves and necklines were a focus, too: One long-sleeved gown came with puffs of 3-D roses floating down the arms, while another was scattered with hand-embroidered lace along the bodice. Veils have always been popular at Marchesa, but usually they’re sold as stand-alone, interchangeable accessories. For Spring, the label whipped up specific veils for each dress, so the result is more of a full-on look.Most brides will remove those veils after the ceremony, an important part of the bridal “transformation.” Marchesa has been experimenting with transformative properties for a few seasons now: For Fall, it showed removable overskirts, and Spring’s new twists were detachable sleeves, tulle capes, and tie-front blouses (a trend we saw elsewhere). They’ll be a boon for brides who need to dress a bit conservatively for their ceremonies: Once they say “I do,” they can remove the whisper-sheer layers and hit the dance floor—no second dress needed.
17 April 2018
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig opened their new Marchesa collection with a relatively simple dress: a black velvet number with “bubble sleeves” in ivory taffeta. The rest of the lineup was considerably more decorative—bursts of hand-curled roses, ombré organzas, lush embroideries—but that first look nodded to a big focus this season: sleeves. Almost every gown came with a special sleeve, from off-the-shoulder styles to single sleeves and caplet details. It was a smart update on their cocktail dresses, which are a growing business for Marchesa; they capture the same magic as the brand’s fairy-tale gowns but hold more “real life” appeal for many women.Still, with the Oscars coming up, it’s the tiered, voluminous, hand-worked ball gowns you’re likely to see on the red carpet. Chapman and Craig have said they design each dress “unto its own”—not as a puzzle piece in a standard collection. The same was true for Fall; each gown had its own unique story, with a common reference being 17th-century Dutch oil paintings. The rich, moody palette was reminiscent of a Rembrandt or Vermeer, but we’d like to think the designers were looking at another artist when they designed the 3-D flowers: Rachel Ruysch. She was among the few female artists of that era and gained international fame for her still-life flower paintings—not the most prestigious format, as her gender prevented her from doing bigger works. But Ruysch spent almost her entire life perfecting the art, and her flowers have a lifelike energy.Flowers are Chapman and Craig’s preferred medium, too. The tumbling roses on a sheer tulle gown had the effect of blurred oil paint from afar, but upon closer inspection, they were actually soft, fluffed-up velvet. Other gowns were densely embroidered with anemones and wildflowers, but a more literal take was the deep teal ombré gown, which was actually printed with blown-up flowers and vines hand-painted right here in the Marchesa studio.
27 February 2018
Bridal week is just getting started, but a big theme has already emerged: non-wedding dresses. By that, we don’t mean dresses that aren’t “bridal,” nor dresses in crazy colors; rather, designers are considering what a bride might wear to her pre-wedding party, post-wedding brunch, and myriad other wedding-related events, in addition to the ceremony and reception. Any girl who spent the summer crisscrossing the globe for destination weddings can attest that those brides need way more than one look; the current vogue, if you’re lucky, is to wear a range of chic white outfits leading up to the big day.Marchesa’s Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig were thinking along those lines and spoke of transformation. Their dresses can help turn you into a blushing bride, of course, but they also come with metamorphic properties. For Fall ’18, one minidress had a removable high-low train that you could twist to the front or side to show flashes of skin—or remove altogether to hit the dance floor. Another short dress in Chantilly lace had of-the-moment poufed sleeves and looked ideal for a city hall wedding or an engagement party. Of course, saying “I do” in a Marchesa gown is still the dream for many brides. As far as real-deal, exchanging-vows dresses were concerned, the delicate capelet gowns were among the highlights.
6 October 2017
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig continued to weave a Far East fairy tale at today’s Marchesa show. Last season, they cited China as an influence, and Spring ’18 took its cues from Aimée Crocker’s travels to Japan. In the 1920s, the famously eccentric explorer left everything behind to settle into a new life of Buddhism, pearls, cherry blossoms, and “collected” lovers; she even adopted snakes, and went so far as to wear one around her neck at parties, like living jewelry.Sound familiar? We’d like to think Crocker would have gotten along with Marchesa Luisa Casati, the snake-wearing muse who inspired the brand’s name. Don’t worry—you aren’t going to see snake embellishments on their couture gowns. Instead, there’s built-in “jewelry” of another kind: strands of pearls, crystals, and organza corsages outlining the scooped neckline of a black gown or piled on top of a sheer tulle bodice, mimicking the effect of layering a tangle of necklaces over bare skin. Marchesa fans will remember a similar gown from Fall ’16; perhaps Chapman and Craig received so many requests for it, they were compelled to bring it back with a new twist.The pearls on those “necklaces” are a big part of Japanese culture, and there were a few other direct nods. Fluffy tulle gowns came covered in hand-dyed organza cherry blossoms and wisteria vines, and models had petals woven into their hair. A few dresses were cut with flattering, kimono-like sleeves, while others were cinched with obi-esque sashes. The slinky fur-trim dresses had the feel of Japanese pajamas, too.With Marchesa, it’s best to consider each look individually, rather than view the pieces as a cohesive group. “We see Marchesa as this continuing fairy-tale story, not bookended so much by collections,” Chapman explained. “Each dress is unto its own. We want them to be keepsake pieces, not driven by trends—pieces you can pass on.” She added that certain gowns required hundreds of hours of intensive handwork; heirloom quality, indeed. We’re guessing you’ll see a few of them on the Emmys red carpet this Sunday; our bets are on the plunging, petal-covered gown with peach velvet ribbons looped around the waist like a corset.
13 September 2017
Before there was Marchesa, there was Tony Duquette. An interiors legend who turned living rooms into whimsical dreamscapes, Duquette loved all things lavish and over-the-top and filled even the tiniest hinge of a door with drama. Aesthetically speaking, does this ring a bell? If you think in terms of fashion, Duquette and the Marchesa masterminds Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig are totally simpatico. A shared adoration for strong color, elaborate patterns, and wild embellishment brought them together (theoretically speaking, at least) for Marchesa’s Resort 2018 collection. Craig and Chapman took notes from Duquette’s interiors and film sets, using feathers, 3-D floral paillettes, and fringes to wink at his grand style.Of course, there has always been bravado to a Marchesa confection, and this season, familiar silhouettes like cascading tiers of tulle and ombre, dip-dyed hues were still in the lineup. The most notable Duquette-ian pieces included a sheer blue gown with a pink velvet ribbon tied at the waist, billowed sleeves, and vibrant embroidery, and a structured cerulean strapless gown with beautiful folds at the bodice and down the back. Chapman and Craig also introduced a new “warped” floral print that stood out against the intricate beading of the other award season–appropriate looks. The Duquette influence brought even more wow-factor than usual to the Marchesa lineup.
15 June 2017
Wedding etiquette often dictates that guests shouldn’t wear black, but what if you’re the bride? At Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s Marchesa presentation, many of the outfits had some sort of black detail: a black velvet belt, a hair bow, jet-beaded chandelier earrings, or even the stark black trim on a fluffy tulle mini. It mirrored the current yen for black ribbons and trims in ready-to-wear; fortunately, there were no black chokers, unless you count the ribbon looped delicately around one model's neck. It was extra-long and extended the full length of her gown, so the effect was more romantic than trendy.Craig and Chapman cited English gardens as their jumping-off point. “We were thinking about the English bride, but it’s still quintessentially Marchesa,” Chapman explained. Which is to say: romantic, feminine, and with a fair bit of drama. New for Marchesa brides were the body-skimming dresses in slinky stretch crepe; a few “cold shoulder” gowns, like one with playful bows on the sleeves; and voluminous skirts that started “below the derriere.” The results were subtler and more elegant than your standard mermaid gown, and there was an airy, ethereal quality to the lace, shirred tulle, and 3-D florals that looked like they would be well suited to a garden wedding—English or otherwise.
21 April 2017
Color was the big story on the Marchesa runway today. Multicolored tassels, muted rainbow-toned embroidery, red cherry blossom patterns, chartreuse satin—these served as lightning bolts, thrown down gently by Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman. The designers were inspired by China and period films such asFarewell My Concubineand added a bit of Old Shanghai glamour to their romantic house style. As a result, this collection featured some unexpected gestures of not only palette but pattern and texture, as well.Some of the elements came across better than others. The feathery embellishments on several dresses had a pleasing strangeness but worked best when applied with a light touch. The collection’s dense fringe, on the other hand, was at its most camera-ready when Chapman and Craig went whole hog with it, seemingly constructing entire frocks out of the stuff. Their draped bows, meanwhile, were a regular pleasure, and their fil coupes provided a nice pop. One of the best gowns here, for instance, was a confection of black and white fil coupe covered with silvery flowers that gave off a soft graphic effect; another winner was a strapless column gown, also black and white, which paired a bow-bedecked velvet bodice with a draped satin skirt. These looks were red carpet no-brainers—and with the Oscars right around the corner, that was surely the point.
16 February 2017
If Marchesa had a mascot it would definitely be the Fabergé egg. There’s no better symbol for Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s bejeweled confections and thus, it was this precious little piece of Russian Imperialist history that they chose as the anchoring inspiration for their Pre-Fall collection. The gowns, and even the more wearable separates and pencil skirts, look as if they were plucked straight from the Tsar’s palace or the Bolshoi stage. Chapman and Craig carried over their soft pink color palette from Spring, this time washed over dresses featuring satin-faced organza and dramatic peplums, as well as on an exquisitely pretty gown with a Chantilly lace border along the low V-neck and a shirred tulle ruffle skirt.At a closer glance, the visions of Fabergé became totally clear, namely in the floral-printed brocade made of crystals and antique gold and silver. Column gowns were hand-stitched with pearls and black crystals. The designers also used fringe beading, stretch velvet in emerald and fuchsia, and silk wool embellished with 3-D flower embroidery. Marchesa collections are never wanting for excess and this striking offering was certainly no different. There was the signature richness and the signature red carpet actress wow-factor, fit for either a Grand Duchess Anastasia or an award show–ready Anne Hathaway.
13 December 2016
Marchesa’sGeorgina ChapmanandKeren Craigtook their classically beautiful Spring 2017 ready-to-wear collection and its Grecian goddess theme and translated it into their newest offering of bridal gowns. “We felt it lent itself so well to bridal because every girl wants to feel like a goddess,” offered Chapman backstage. The resulting pieces were indeed deity-like; one gown with 3-D florals and embroidered tulle had a removable cape that dreamily elevated the piece, while a fit-and-flare tulle style with frothy bishop sleeves nicely hugged the body. A shorter, drop-waist cloqué number would be a stellar fit for the more modern bride.The off-the-shoulder looks were standouts here. A tiered ball gown with horsehair detailing was head-turning, while one confectionary number with a layered tulle skirt could make any bride feel just as divine as the designers’ inspiration.
7 October 2016
MarchesadesignersGeorgina Chapmanand Keren Craig like to filter their vision of femininity through a rose-tinted lens, and today they opened their show on a classically pretty pink note. The overarching inspiration for the collection started with sunrise, and the colors that appear in the sky from dusk to dawn; a paint box of lilac, light blue, and blush pink that was touched at times with an iridescent finish. Aside from the glamorous one-shouldered Grecian dress in shiny gold lamé, the mood was more golden-hour than mid-day sun, a much quieter palette than the neon streaks we’ve seen coursing through the New York collections thus far.Then again, Chapman and Craig aren’t the kind of designers to follow trends. Their brand of unapologetically frothy, more-is-more eveningwear is planted in the realm of Disney princess fantasy, a world inhabited by their Hollywood fans and friends. With the Emmy Awards this weekend in Los Angeles, their designs are likely to take the spotlight again. “We have sketches out to a few people for the Emmys, but we can’t say with who,” said Chapman before the show. Fashioned with layers of tulle, fringing, and dripping embellishments, the dresses on the runway were laden with attention-grabbing details. If those looks might appear OTT in real life, the 3-D floral finishings and mille-feuille confectionary would likely work well framed by the 360 camera technology being used on the red carpet these days. Whether the most dramatic full-skirted looks and trains would fit into anything other than a stretch limo, though, is another story entirely.
14 September 2016
If the idea of dressing for casino nightlife brings to mind tight-and-bright bikinis for EDM DJs and poolside bacchanals, or animal-print spandex on the bus to Atlantic City, well, that’s not exactly whatGeorgina ChapmanandKeren Craighad in mind. No, their vision for Marchesa’s latest Resort collection was casino nightlife by way of 1995’s Martin Scorsese filmCasino; namely all of the sequins, beads, jewels, and trappings sported by the ex-hustler Ginger McKenna, played by Sharon Stone, a woman who celebrates her nuptials by spreading out a chinchilla coat on her bed by all of her gold Bulgari jewelry. Stone’s character, by the way, was based on a real Las Vegas showgirl named Geri McGee, who married the infamous gambler and, as hisNew York Timesobituaryput it, “gangster-when-necessary” Lefty Rosenthal, and who ran away with his violent gangster friend and died in a “mysterious collapse” shortly after a car bombing. She was a woman for whom rules would be broken, basically. This was the 1970s and 80s, of course, and Las Vegas, a city infused with synthetic energies and an uber-glam look—think shimmering gowns and illusion netting.Unrepentant and potentially unrealistic glamour is something that Craig and Chapman know a thing or two about, having long been the go-to designers for starlets looking to make a red carpet splash. Theirs are not dresses for those looking to change their fortunes at the slot machines, these are dresses for those with plenty of luck already. While it didn’t offer anything particularly new for Marchesa, those looking to catch an eye across a crowded floor will find plenty to like in the collection's ultra feminine “feathers galore” (as Craig put it), plunging V-neck gowns, alluringly bejeweled floor-length sheaths, pearl-embellished fringed frocks, handcrafted 3-D floral embroideries, and full skirts both ball and tiered, as well as a relatively understated rainbow sherbet tulle gown that was arguably the best of the bunch. For those unsure of pulling off a sequined train on the Las Vegas strip, there were corseted, embroidered, jeweled cocktail frocks too, and the odd jewel-toned caftan for the poolside morning after.
8 June 2016
There’s always some sort of fantasy woven intoGeorgina ChapmanandKeren Craig’sMarchesabridal collections. This time, their inspiration came from a fairy-tale garden. Florals, naturally, were the theme of choice, rendered as 3-D appliqués on gowns with dipping décolletage, or acting as the lace embroidery on a mermaid number.Chapman and Craig understand the modern bride and the current vogue for destination fetes and multiple ceremonies. Thus, many of the gowns came with detachable skirts, allowing for two different silhouettes in one dress—a feature that will make them twice as marketable.
15 April 2016
You can always expect to find princess-worthy dresses atMarchesa, and today designersGeorgina Chapmanand Keren Craig took cues from the work of Edwardian artist John Singer Sargent, a man renowned for his paintings of high-society women. “Each girl was her own portrait,” said Chapman before the show. “Regal and powerful like a queen.”Starting with tiaras and ending with the swish of what sounded like a hundred layers of tulle, the duo didn’t hold back on the pomp and ceremony with their new collection. Floor-sweeping gowns came dripping with sparkling embellishments, and even the quietest looks, like an off-the-shoulder black dress that was slashed to the thigh, came sprigged with eye-catching 3-D organza and velvet flowers at the neck. The pair cited the royal gardens at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire as a touchstone, and that horticultural reference was the most dominant strain in the collection—one vibrant red look had the appearance of an upturned rose.With little more than a week left until theOscars, some young Hollywood starlets are likely still out shopping for the right outfit. Though it might be tough to walk down the red carpet at high speed in the full-skirted dresses and ruffled trains, their dramatic style would make for a grand entrance.
17 February 2016
“We brought it back to our namesake,” Georgina Chapman said of her and Keren Craig’s more-is-more Pre-Fall collection, which was inspired by their original muse, the female dandy Marchesa Luisa Casati. And, really, what a namesake: Casati was famous for a particularly opulent approach to the Belle Epoque, replete with gold-leaf-adorned servants, bejeweled cheetahs as house pets, and a penchant for strolling about her Venetian property nude under sumptuous fur coats. (She was also, so goes the legend, buried with her false eyelashes and her taxidermied Pekingese.)Which is all to say that Craig and Chapman—a pair beloved for their frothy creations by red carpet walkers and those who watch them—were not here to entertain any half measures: From a slinky gold beaded eyelash-fringed column gown to jewel-encrusted necklace embroideries and bright crimson satin skirts slit up to there, it was full tilt into the glitz and the glam. “It’s why I really love evening,” said Chapman, surveying one dress whose emerald jeweled bodice gave way to a small static tornado of tiered ruffles that seemed poised to snatch her up,Little Shop of Horrors–style. “You can just reallygo for itwith the glamour.” Across the studio were more sparkling gowns in tones of leopard-print lace (which shimmered, in most iterations, as an underlayer), amethyst, blush, emerald, and gold, each one made for princesses of stage and screen and significant bank account (or occasion). A scarlet strapless faille gown blooming with laser-cut 3-D floral embroideries and a cascading ruffle skirt is the type of thing the best actress nominees will be duking it out over come February.With the recent debut of Marchesa shoes—mostly laser-cut stiletto booties in various gown-complementing shades of suede and leather, with the odd kitten heel or jewel-toned flat thrown in for good measure—Craig and Chapman have built a full world for the Marchesa girl. And they really have been listening to their customers, they were quick to say. For those for whom a gown with a feathered ball skirt is less handy than, say, a strapless beaded lace bustier, the designers have been finding success with evening separates: here updated in narrow black lace pants with a tuxedo stripe, or black trousers embroidered with—what else?—a prowling cheetah. Casati would be thrilled.
16 December 2015
MarchesadesignersGeorgina ChapmanandKeren Craiggave their signature embroidered and beaded wedding gowns a sliver of sexiness this season. There were more curve-skimming silhouettes, including backless corsets that dipped down into the waist and décolletage that dove under the breastbone. Still, the traditional and more pared-back bride was not forgotten: A strapless standout had a train blooming from a lather of feathered tulle into floral appliqués that delicately blossomed up toward the bust.
12 October 2015
They don’t refer to fashion’s “flock” for nothing:Keren CraigandGeorgina Chapmanlooked to the skies for inspiration for their Spring collection and found it slightly closer to earth in “a botanical menagerie of caged birds.” These were represented by fluffy feathered skirts, 3-D embroideries of flora and fauna, artfully arched modesty-preserving wings, and colorful décolleté accents poking out from the bodice of sleek corsets on red carpet–ready gowns.Sheer boudoir-inspired evening looks in black and nude Chantilly lace provoked further rumination on the “caged bird” concept. The sweeping, ombré-dyed tiered tulle trains in shades of sorbet caused a riot of Instagram snaps among a front row section occupied by a gaggle of Disney Channel starlets, eager to scrum for their debut in the larger celebrity ecosystem. (On the other end of the spectrum and the runway was Bette Midler, to whom a thickly jeweled, sheer-shouldered gown in deep navy was of significantly more interest.) And what else isMarchesafor, if not exquisitely rendered red carpet moments for one’s own innerDisney princess? That a few of the dresses left some runway detritus (a fistful of feathers here, petals of tulle there)—turning a devoted Harvey Weinstein into a quick one-man clean-up crew—only proved that even the brightest peacocks among us have to return to reality now and again. And you know what they say about birds of a feather.
17 September 2015
Ah, so pretty! With Resort, Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig did a good, straightforward job of making eveningwear that their clients will swoon over. The designers looked to Islamic tiles and the colors of Morocco to delicately inform the collection, from a white lace cocktail dress, fitted close to the body and embroidered with pink roses, to the off-the-shoulder navy peasant blouse encrusted at the collarbone with dazzling beading and crystals. While the 3-D flowers on everything from a black lace peplum top to a cap-sleeve V-neck gown showed off technique, the simpler silk faille party dresses were equally fetching in colors like celadon green and watermelon pink. This season, Chapman and Craig made it impossible not to appreciate their aesthetic.
19 June 2015
Founders: Georgina Chapman and Keren CraigYear established: 2004Known for: Intricately detailed and sophisticated gownsFamous brides: Behati Prinsloo, Blake Lively
20 April 2015
It feels very Old World to host a runway show at a hotel, and the opulence of the St. Regis' connected rooms befitted Marchesa's voluptuous, heady Fall collection. "It's decadent and hedonistic," Georgina Chapman said backstage before the models walked. She and co-designer Keren Craig—who also happened to have been appointed brand ambassadors to the luxury hotel chain last November—were thinking of an opium dream, and poppies were well represented throughout. Flowers made of sheared feathers decorated an A-line gown; red faille silk was draped into a giant bloom on the front of the collection's most promising red-carpet contender."It's sexier for us this season," said Craig. Revealing tabards—a sort of smock—were worn with trousers, and several of the gowns featured nearly scandalous sheer bits, like the strips of open-weave macramé curving down the front of a beaded and pleated black tulle number. The models' hair was "veryGatsby," as Craig put it, and that '20s influence could also be felt in the duo's use of copious amounts of fringe. The trimming was most successful when it was least expected, as on an embroidered and beaded ivory tee, its silver threads gliding over a pleated organza skirt. A tuxedo-inspired cocktail dress was the better for its tassels, too.The 3-D florals—something of a Marchesa signature—also worked best in less obvious ways, like the previously mentioned giant-bloom gown. On the other hand, the opening look—a black fringe column with the shoulders covered in red poppies—felt a little overdone, as did the explosion of flowers on a tank that was paired with a matching red skirt. All in all, though, it was a strong effort, each look cutting through that imagined cloud of opium smoke.
18 February 2015
Marchesa's Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman have been spending time on the trunk show circuit. "We're really focusing on our customer, how we can meet her needs," said Craig at the duo's showroom. Added Chapman, "When it comes down to it, she really wants special things."For Pre-Fall, specialness came in the form of embroideries inspired by the Byzantine era, such as a bell-sleeve cocktail dress illustrated all over with vines of tiny silver sequins, or a navy lace frock with two layers of embellishments on the skirt for a shadow effect. Vines of 3-D sequin roses climbed up the shoulders of a black shift dress, and a black peasant top was detailed with gold floral motifs. The showstopper, though, was the berry-colored organza gown with an ultralow V-neck and a skirt made of Marchesa's signature confectionery ruffles. It was a belle-of-the-ball kind of moment, and certainly one of those "special things" Craig and Chapman know their clients are after.
18 December 2014
For the 10th anniversary of their label Marchesa, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig came home. But what a crazy homecoming! They started out a decade ago in London in a studio on Archer Street, a Soho afterthought frequented by hookers and drug dealers. Tonight, they showed in the Banqueting House on Whitehall, an Inigo Jones-designed building of such ludicrously historical provenance that only an erstwhile seat of empire like London could possibly muster up such a location. Imagine what that must have been like for their families. Craig's grandmother was hotfooting it downtown.How long is 10 years in fashion? Gareth Pugh and Proenza Schouler, to name just two other fashion entities, are also staring down the barrel of their second decade in business. But Marchesa's success points to consistency of vision as a key factor in durability. Before the show Chapman claimed, "This was always very much the dream." Archer Street to Whitehall? It's the stuff of fairy tales.So were the clothes tonight. Chapman and Craig offered a rock-'n'-roll gypsy fantasia. They name-checked Woodstock, but the muddy hippie grunge of that particular watershed seemed less relevant than the supermodel-studded get-togethers of today. Jacquetta Wheeler in an off-the-shoulder, fishtailed gown studded with embroidered flowers was closer to the essence of the collection. You couldalmostget away with a helicopter into Port Eliot's summerfest in an outfit like that, if it was a fashion statement you wanted to make. Forget Woodstock, it was Ophelia at Glastonbury that Chapman and Craig were invoking.And it wasthatromantic vein that the collection tapped. A sarong in gold lace, one dress embroidered with flowers and trailing vines, another heavy with silk fringe, its neckline also embroidered with flowers, all of it heading toward a climactic froth of pink tulle….There is a small universe of women dreaming about how these dresses could transport them into the elevated stratosphere in which their designers reside. Fairy tales can come true.
13 September 2014
At a preview of their collection, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig said that Resort calls for "staying true to our customer and giving her new things to relate to." This season the designers served up a straight shot of pure, unfiltered Marchesa, which made for a familiar yet potent mix of all-out femininity and romance—with a hint of raciness. The lookbook opened on an exemplary note with an Impressionist floral confection whipped up from a hand-painted gauze that floated beautifully over the body into a floor-kissing puddle. Accented with a touch of black Chantilly lace around the waist, you could imagine it gliding over the lush grounds at an upscale garden party. Ditto for a strapless tea-length dress covered with pretty petal accents.Continuing to draw on their brand's DNA, Chapman and Craig showed a series of soft pink numbers that featured signature rosebud draping. The flirty little cocktail sheath cut from a stretchy silk crepe was a particular standout. That also spoke to Marchesa's increased emphasis on more casual eveningwear and separates. Highlights included embellished peasant blouses and (gasp!) dressy trousers. On the vampier side of the equation was a one-shouldered lace gown boasting a toothsome thigh-high slit; A-list models will be lining up to borrow it for their next major event. Elsewhere, a long black tulle style with sheer sleeves and delicate floral thread-work was just the thing you could picture someone like Eva Green donning on the red carpet.
17 June 2014
Backstage before their show, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig depicted this season's Marchesa muse as "our Scottish woman who's a little bit more disheveled in winter, with this static hair like she's running through the fields in the Highlands." While this notion conjured up theatrical visions of tartans and kilts, there was nothingBraveheartabout the glam eveningwear Chapman and Craig sent out for Fall. The design duo loosely reinterpreted those quintessential Scottish motifs in characteristically opulent fashion. They riffed on the idea of heritage plaids with a group of "tartan" lace cocktail dresses (falling on the more casual end of the spectrum), which were exquisitely dip-dyed, foiled, and reembroidered. If you squinted hard enough, you could vaguely make out a faint crosshatch pattern created with the delicate patchwork of materials. Several of these styles featured corsetry touches in back, echoing the lace-up details found on towering, heelless wedges and pointy flats—the models who wore the latter clearly won the lottery on that one.Elsewhere, Chapman and Craig experimented with intricate draping techniques to create the impression of "deconstructed kilts," which looked beautiful in burnt orange chiffon and black Chantilly. Meanwhile, a lavish take on classic argyle knits incorporated cables of fox fur and more lace. Paired with an appliquéd tulle cocktail skirt, the luxe pullover look provided a modern alternative to standard gowns. Speaking of, the Academy Awards are just around the corner, and given Marchesa's proven celebrity following, we're bound to see a few of these numbers walk right off the runway and onto the red carpet. The question is: which ones? "We'll find out later this week," said Chapman. While nobody is going to place their bets on the voluminous marabou skirt here, the dramatic, off-the shoulder finale ball gown cut from hand-pleated silk faille in the perfect shade of Oscars-statuette gold might just be a winning ticket.
11 February 2014
"I used to have a curiosity cabinet when I was a kid, and the whole idea here was taking different elements and braiding them together into one thing," said designer Georgina Chapman backstage before Marchesa's Spring show. "There's no corsetry and it's much more relaxed." While "relaxed" is a relative term for the label beloved for its over-the-top eveningwear, there was indeed a new ease about the latest lineup, which combined floral embroideries and Chantilly laces with romantic, lingerie-inspired silhouettes. A pale-blue bias-cut satin slipdress with a body-skimming tulle overlay nicely exemplified the softer approach Chapman and partner Keren Craig took to the season, as did sheer, slightly bohemian tiered skirts sprayed with crystals and feathers paired with delicate bralet tops and tap shorts. It was easy to imagine in-demand starlets turning up on red carpets (the Emmys are just around the corner, after all) in some of those sweeter—almost innocent—looks that still showed flashes of skin.There was a definite eclecticism about the new collection, which was underscored by the custom tattoos Scott Campbell painted on the models for the occasion. Draped fringe skirts were shown with embellished "T-shirts" (true to form, Marchesa's take on the basic was anything but), and a memorable gown was painstakingly decorated with heavy swags of hand-strung pearls that audibly shook with each step down the runway. Other standouts here included a vampy black Empire-waist number wrapped with ribbons around the bust, as well as a metallic gold cocktail dress featuring intricate floral threadwork that felt fanciful but not fussy.
10 September 2013
The Petit Trianon was the starting point for Marchesa's Georgina Chapman this season. But although the duck-egg blue, blush pink, and hand-painted floral print were straight out of Marie Antoinette's closet, there wasn't a bustle or corset in sight. Chapman takes a more subtle approach to her pre-collections than she does to her runway shows. Whereas Fall, with its own riffs on the eighteenth century, was somewhat heavy-going, this felt soft and light. Embroideries, where they existed, were as understated as the collection's color palette. Similarly, a short-in-front/long-in-back hem lent a ruffled organza number a delightful sense of ease.Still, these weren't sundresses made for lounging around among the wildflowers. (Marchesa's contemporary-priced Voyage collection addresses daywear in a more thorough way.) Rather, they were event dresses from start to finish. There's no bigger party than a wedding; Chapman's strapless gown in pale blue tulle would make a ravishing choice for an unconventional bride.
24 June 2013
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig mined eighteenth-century romanticism for Fall—specifically, Francisco de Goya'sPortrait of Maria Teresa de Vallabriga on Horseback. The aristocratic opulence associated with that era dovetailed with the Marchesa designers' maximalist tendencies. The first look out, a scarlet equestrian coat with a high collar and full skirt, set a dramatic tone for the lineup. The silk matador trousers it was paired with also suggested the show wasn't going to be all princess gowns, which the occasionwear label remains known for, particularly on the red-carpet circuit. On that note, the Academy Awardsarejust around the corner. While Chapman and Craig definitely kept that in mind, the duo explained that they don't pander to celebrity stylists while developing a new collection. "It's more of an afterthought. We'll look at everything when it's finished and say, 'Ooh, that could work,' " said Craig backstage. There's no doubt that several of these numbers will be Los Angeles-bound in the next few days. Starlet-worthy standouts included a strapless fishtail gown in a menswear-y striped silk (that could've done without the voluminous tulle underskirt) and a "deconstructed coat-dress" cut from fuchsia-colored duchesse satin, which had a definite wow factor.Deconstruction and construction were recurring themes here, leading to both winning and not-so-winning moments. The former concept occasionally resulted in excessive draping that didn't always flatter, while some of the corsets incorporated throughout were strangely pointy and stood away from the body (nobody wants another public nip slip). In the end, it was some of the (relatively) simpler looks that had the biggest impact. An off-the-shoulder, curve-hugging cocktail number with allover floral embroidery hit all the right notes.
12 February 2013
India. At the Marchesa show today, you didn't need a PhD in South Asian studies to guess that designers Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman had the land of sitars, Bollywood, and saris on their minds this season. And who could blame them? There are rich sartorial traditions in India, and as Chapman pointed out after the show, a key one—sumptuous hand-embroidery—is already in the Marchesa DNA. The reference made a surprisingly easy fit with Marchesa's red-carpet maximalism.And this collection was pretty over-the-top, even for Marchesa. Craig and Chapman's approach to design has pretty much always been, Why use a key when ten sticks of dynamite will open the door just fine? And here they had a whole new vocabulary of embellishment to play with—elaborate threadwork, sari draping, fringe. Lots of fringe. India also provided them an eloquent palette, loveliest in looks of chartreuse, peacock, bordeaux, or eggplant tones tipped with gold. And when Craig and Chapman integrated those elements into their own aesthetic—rather than merely aping the Bollywood look straight—they conjured some knockouts: for instance, a strapless bordeaux-color dress with a hand-painted gold border, or a stunning sculptured sari gown.Some of the looks here were a little off, though. Granted, Marchesa traffics in dream moments, but that doesn't give them a pass for overcooked gowns impossible to walk in, and it doesn't entirely explain loony conceits such as full-length tulle skirts worn over bedazzled shorts. (The latter looked cool for a second, but then you thought: Hey, wait—that'sridiculous. And the spell wore off.) The main issue here, though, was that Craig and Chapman's friendly obsession with India entailed too much mimicry and not enough interpretation.
11 September 2012
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's Marchesa label is practically synonymous with big red-carpet moments. Big being the operative word. Tulle, gazar, and lace by the yard go into their grandest ball gowns. For Resort, they reined in their decorative tendencies, and it paid off. Celebrity stylists will be vying with each other for first dibs at a stretchy dove gray lace long-sleeved column embroidered with gold and silver studs. A shorter light blue lace dress with an asymmetric hem followed similar body-hugging lines. Its short sleeves gave it a fresh feel—biceps are suffering from a case of Hollywood overexposure.Chapman said she was thinking about English gardens when she was working on the new range, which explains the vibrant pink hues of a corded lace one-shoulder cocktail dress and another pouf of a thing in silk gazar. But their clients come back to them for white dresses and they aim to please, especially during the pre-collections, which they described as their "customer-directed" seasons. The best white gown in the bunch was body-conscious, too. It came in a silk crepe "with some give" and pleated tulle angel-wing sleeves.
19 June 2012
There were four dresses at the Marchesa show that literally swept the toes of the front row, one of which even threatened to carry away Ingrid Sischy's phone, which she accidentally dropped on the runway. (She picked it up in the nick of time.)That said, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's second time showing their dresses in motion continued to take them in a more realistic direction. Reality is, of course, relative when you're making dresses for galas and Oscar ceremonies, but there was lots in the shorter and lighter category. Two lovely caped dresses probably had thousands of dollars worth of lace embroidery, but they had an almost girlish sweetness. There was even a cap-sleeved wool dress that could work for (gasp) day.Chapman and Craig's touchstone was late-nineteenth-century French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau'sA Soul Brought to Heaven, which depicts two angels spiriting a young woman through the clouds. You saw the inspiration in the winged embroideries and all manner of feathers, but also in the intimations of mortality.This darker side could be seen in the dresses worn over skeleton-embroidered tulle bodysuits, the laser-cut black leather dress (with nary a sparkle or puff), and the engineered embroideries that traced the anatomy. Those elements lent the collection some invaluable bite.
14 February 2012
When Karen Elson walked out in her first look at Marchesa—a flapper-y number with swingy beaded fringe—you could have mistaken it for something she picked up at a great vintage shop. It was an early indication that, for their first runway show since, well, their first-ever five years ago, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig were opting for a slightly more earthbound approach than usual.That's not to say there wasn't drama here. You could still "ooh" and "aah" over the designers' skill at sculpting horsehair and tulle, and a couple of final gowns had skirts that brushed over the front row's pedicures. But the change of format from models standing like dolls on museum-style pedestals to walking on a runway—in wedges, no less—seemed to add a dose of reality, a welcome shift. All that exquisitry can get exhausting, and you've seen it so many times here, it just feels worn.Some of the standouts in this collection came when all that ebbed away and you could take a breath, as with the simple, unembellished, poet-sleeved chiffon dress that veiled the silver beading beneath. But the major statement was a colorful fish embroidery sparked by the Russian artist Ilya Repin's paintingSadko in the Underwater Kingdom, and fringe inspired by Ernst Haeckel's drawings of jellyfish. The supremely elegant last look on Karolina Kurkova was mermaidlike in its swoops of fringe. Its gravity-defying illusion was made possible by a fine nude tulle. Perhaps it's not enough to drop jaws; sometimes, simply enticing and intriguing is much chicer.
12 September 2011
Slim Aarons' legendary book of photographsA Place in the Sunwas a starting point for Marchesa's Resort lineup. The floaty coral caftan with the matching bead embroidery at the shoulders and the thigh-scraping metallic lace dress were designed for parties by the pool and cocktails under the stars rather than the red carpet and the photographers angling for shots beside it. "We take a more sales-driven approach to this collection," explained designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig. A label can't live on celebrity dressing alone. Still, we wouldn't be surprised to see a few of these numbers on the pages of a gossip magazine. Neither the showstopping allover silver beaded floor-length dress with a plunging back or a white goddess gown with a shawl of jeweled fringe made it through their first day of appointments before being requested for a shoot or an event or some other fabulous thing.
22 June 2011
Considering they're English girls with highly romantic sensibilities, it's surprising that Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig have never considered a real moment of Victoriana until today. But Chapman, during a bout of insomnia, caught David Lean'sGreat Expectationson TV one night, and Miss Havisham it was for Fall. "I love the decaying opulence," Chapman said. "We just thought,It's so Marchesa."Opulence, yes, but decay not as much. For that reason, the first thing you noticed was a touch of deconstruction in draped duchesse dresses with pinked edges that dripped pieces of slightly destroyed silk tulle. But a lace motif was really the most overarching statement here, down to the socks worn with needle-heeled Louboutin Mary Janes. And it's where Chapman and Craig flexed their couturier muscles. For the most part, they didn't use actual lace, instead opting to exquisitely (and expensively) embroider the floral pattern in twinkling crystal, jet, and seed pearls onto tulle. One dress had leather cut into lace, and on another the lace beading was inserted with wire and sat like fantastical metallic flowers on a bodice. Chapman and Craig love the drama of volume, but thankfully they jettisoned their sculptural origami experiments with horsehair. Instead, it was channeled into the goth-y mutton-chop sleeves of a lipstick red trench and black Victorian riding jacket.For the past couple of seasons, the collection, though beautiful, has seemed to stand still. That's certainly been no deterrent for Marchesa's vast A-list clientele, but it was nice to see new energy today. And while the designers may be sharing the perennial fashion reference of Miss Havisham this week with Prabal Gurung, the sense of darkness and decay lent some welcome bite.
15 February 2011
There were times today at Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's Marchesa presentation when you couldn't breathe. And it had nothing to do with the crush of onlookers, camera crews, celebrity journalists, or the mini-posses of handlers for Jessica Szohr, Kelly Osbourne, and Gabourey Sidibe. Or, quite frankly, even with the baying pack of paparazzi laid in wait for them outside the Chelsea Art Museum.Nope, it was the dresses—literally breathtaking—all exquisitely wrought this season with orientalist-inspired details: heavily bejeweled necklines, hand-painted florals on rolling sculptural drapes, and grand obilike loops that were revealed when a model turned. Amid the gowns were a few harem-panted jumpsuits. Cut in lace and finished with little bolero jackets and jewel-crusted clutches, they didn't exactly read casual.Chapman and Craig have proved time and again they know how to knock them dead. The assembled crowd could scarcely tear themselves away from the clothes, a rarity at some presentations, and were often at a loss for superlatives. And yet there was also a sense of the expected here, evident in both the familiar drama of the clothes and the format of the presentation. It would be a treat to see Chapman and Craig hit "refresh" next season.
14 September 2010
As a model wearing a tribal-embroidered trapeze dress sashayed into Marchesa's showroom, Georgina Chapman laughed, "I guess I've been a little selfish." The designer is pregnant with her first child and the label's Resort collection reflects, in part, what she's looking for these days: easy shapes with a lot of attitude. Tank dresses and long-sleeve shifts with graphic allover beading more than fit that bill. A pair of full-skirted tulle ball gowns, meanwhile, fulfill other customers' desires for full-on gala attire. "We're seeing that women are beginning to want to dress up again," Chapman remarked. As for the turbans that the models wore wrapped around their updos? They're actually shawls, which they get a lot of requests for as well. The black stretch-jersey one-sleeve dress with the built-in bangles was Chapman's own brainchild, and a clever one, too.
21 June 2010
There will be lace. And sculpted organza, floaty feathers, beading, and draped tulle. For a few seasons now, queen of the red carpet Georgina Chapman has refined Marchesa's signatures to a flawlessly executed fine point. That's not to say that the label remains at a standstill, however. Fall was inspired by the performer and courtesan Lola Montez and her travels and quest for love, Chapman said. Compared with last season's occasionally stiff references toMadame Butterfly, there was a welcome sense of whimsy, with a feeling of girlish romance in shooting-star embroideries as well as in a dress in cotton-candy tulle, its puff shaped only by a length of black grosgrain ribbon. There were snaking ruffles that appeared to be crafted from very expensive rickrack, and a sleek tuxedo coat that had a circus ringleader's swagger. (Though the real Montez never joined the circus; that was only her celluloid counterpart.)There are always moments at this presentation that induce a sharp intake of breath. Today it was the appearance of a silver siren gown. The lace-patterned beading on the bodice turned into allover beading and looked like liquid metal. A Fall collection for any creator of eveningwear is inevitably higher-stakes than Spring, coinciding as it does with awards season—all those stars, or their stylists, looking to snag something directly from the runway. Does Chapman keep that in mind when designing? "Yes, yes," she said. "It would be silly not to." It would be sillier still if we don't see at least a couple of these pieces—perhaps a gorgeous paisley beaded fuchsia suede dress or a white feathered Empire gown—on a talented ingenue in the near future.
16 February 2010
Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Kate Beckinsale, Rachel Weisz, Kerry Washington, Ali Larter, Sharon Stone, Bar Refaeli. That's a list of women who, in a single month this year, all wore dresses designed by Georgina Chapman. So why do they love Marchesa? "Do you know what? I don't actually know, but I'm so glad they do," laughed Chapman at today's Chelsea Art Museum presentation.Well, Chapman might not be able to quite put her finger on it, but she clearly knows better than to mess with the unmistakable and ultraglamorous bones of the look. For Spring, her reference wasMadame Butterfly, which led in a straight line to the formal kimono wrapping of stiff satin gowns and flat, obi-esque folds. More obliquely, there was something of a set-design element to the very matte black and white dresses that almost looked as if they'd been cut out of paper. And, of course, the drama of Chapman's signature sculptural and gravity-defying ruffles of horsehair is nothing short of operatic. But, with few exceptions, that's not the dress that elicits a swoon from actresses, like the trio of Blake Lively, Maggie Q, and Emmanuelle Chriqui that lit up the gown-ogling crowd today. Rather, it's something like the breathtaking Grecian draped column partly masked with carefully beaded black lace—simple but exquisite.
15 September 2009
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig have moved house; they're now based in spacious digs in the Starrett-Lehigh Building on West 26th Street, and they feel that the relocation has affected the collection—in a good way. "We have three times the space and our output has tripled," Chapman said. You wouldn't know that from the carefully honed edit the designer did before showing her Resort collection, though. She explained that she was inspired by the Marchesa customer—be that a starlet, great-grandmother, or teenage promgoer (all actual clients, Chapman swears)—as well as by the label's own DNA. "We went back to our Grecian roots," the designer said as Iekeliene Stange posed statuelike in an ethereal ivory number. There were also sculptural cocktail looks and plenty of beading and feather embellishments. If some of this bordered on tame (there were none of Fall's extreme volumes here), the collection was also chock-full of sure crowd pleasers.
15 June 2009
Lots of designers are talking escapism this week, but for Marchesa, dreamy flights of fancy are actually their stock-in-trade. And it was business as usual at the Chelsea Art Museum, where a dense crowd that included Natalia Vodianova, Diane Kruger, and Helena Christensen flowed, oohing and aahing, around tulle-swathed models perched on white cubes. "I wanted the whole thing to be like a fairy tale," explained Marchesa's designer, Georgina Chapman. "I wanted to have fantasy." The 25 looks ably ran the gamut of what our millennial Cinderellas and Snow Whites (also known as A-listers) might clamor to wear. On offer was Marchesa's fail-safe classic Grecian in a fresh lilac; an elegant black gown with flat tulle tiers that looked like they were dipped in sequins; a cloud of black tulle over sequins belted with a ribbon bow; and the drama of a full-skirted pewter tulle gown embroidered with silver roses, topped with a bow on its bodice.Balancing the seesaw of some dream-woven dresses that actually appeared to defy the laws of physics were two looks with black pants, something that Chapman insists she's always included. (We checked: She's right.) There was something quite striking about these lean matte trousers, one pair worn with a little peplum top and the other more dramatically shown with a draped chiffon tunic inset with a corset. But, striking or not, we have a feeling they'll be left aside when most of these confections are packed up for their trip to the Oscars this weekend.
17 February 2009
It was glamour with a capitalGat Marchesa—and it had nothing to do with Harvey, the line of town cars as far as the eye could see, or the paparazzi buzzing around both the entrance and exit to the Chelsea Art Museum. No, this was all about the 24 exquisite dresses inside, presented in a modern manner with dewy-faced models perched atop glossy white cubes like living artwork, or perhaps young goddesses—particularly apt for a white Grecian gown traced with gold embroidery. Though it was a tight collection, it seemed to cover so many bases: short and spirited in a little ombré fringe number, darkly soigné in an asymmetrical black lace gown, and no-holds-barred belle of the ball in a frothy lilac tulle gown with a spray of orchids crafted, unbelievably, from feathers. There was a subtle thread of the Far East running through, seen most overtly in mandarin collars, an obi belt, and origamilike pleating. But as designer Georgina Chapman explained, she tends to go with her instincts instead of belaboring references. Well, they were dead-on here: It was a best-dressed list from start to finish. A young retail consultant walked out sighing, "Don't these dresses just make you want to be a fairy princess?" Or one better: How about an Oscar-nominated actress? They have a better chance of wearing these dresses—if they call their stylists soon, that is.
9 September 2008
Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig took a trip down the Nile for Resort. Keeping the palette simple—ivory, black, blush—they applied gold Egyptian-style embroideries to striking pleated and draped dresses and gowns, two of which came in a dramatic marble print. Though Chapman and Craig clocked serious tabloid time this weekend dressing WAG Coleen McLoughlin for her wedding to Manchester United soccer player Wayne Rooney, this collection was less headline-making. Still, the characteristically pretty dresses should make any woman feel like a latter-day Cleopatra.
16 June 2008
With theVanity FairOscar party canceled and the fate of the awards show itself still in the balance, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig were smart to scale back the number of red-carpet dresses in their presentation. What their Hollywood clients need now is something less grand, but not—and this is key—something less glamorous. Marchesa's Fall presentation had glamour in spades, from the opening high-neck red suede above-the-knee dress with bunches of organza roses for sleeves, to the plunge-front black silk tuxedo one-piece. Both paid subtle tribute to the duo's chosen muse, Queen Elizabeth I, who, Craig explained, was forced to keep her femininity hidden despite her awesome power. Hence the aforementioned high neck and the pants (no matter that the Virgin Queen never actually wore trousers).Chapman and Craig's decision to allude only loosely to the famous monarch paid off in such pieces as an aubergine satin and organza cocktail dress that draped from the neckline to the knees. There was a new structure to these clothes, as Craig herself was eager to point out. Take a stunning black dress with an hourglass shape so sculpturally defiant, it evoked armor. Anybody who wore it would be paparazzi-proof. You didn't expect Marchesa to completely forsake the red carpet, did you?
5 February 2008
There was new mom Naomi Watts making her way through the crowded Chelsea gallery space, but Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's assured Spring collection showed the duo moving away from the red-carpet territory in which they made their reputation. Yes, they trotted out a few paparazzi-friendly pastel gowns with crystal-beaded bodices. More intriguing, however, to the fashion watchers in the room were the cocktail-hour options—like a tiny corset dress that sparkled at the sides, a bateau-neck lace number with a plunging back, and a flapper-esque tank in white beads with a gray ribbon belt. A black lace jacket and navy georgette-satin camisole worn with matching pleat-front pants stood out in the roomful of bare legs.Color was also key. "We looked at the British Raj, the fusion of Indian and Victorian England culture," said Craig. "When we decided to launch Marchesa four-and-a-half years ago, we were in India." A shocking-pink dress with a cutout back was hand-encrusted with miniature mirrors. Less literal were a pair of strapless styles, one short and one blossoming in tiers to the floor, with heavy gold beading. With Chapman's beau, Harvey Weinstein, the new owner of Halston, Marchesa's profile keeps rising. Happily, so do the duo's ability and ambition.
4 September 2007
The inspiration for Marchesa's off-the-shoulder gown in melon chiffon might well have been Jennifer Lopez, one of Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's biggest fans. The designing duo's other red-carpet-ready looks came mostly in white, some embellished with gold braid, others with lacy black embroidery, with bands of rhinestones and exposed corsetry details added here and there for extra interest. Tunic- or camisole-top-and-palazzo-pants ensembles added a soigné touch to the collection.
28 June 2007
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig took some critical hits for unfinished hems and sloppy seams at their debut runway show last season. But from the looks of their Fall collection, shown tableau-style at Diane von Furstenberg¿s old West 12th Street digs, they learned from the experience.Perhaps the androgynous Marlene Dietrich-meets-the-Duchess-of-Windsor theme simply suited them better than Spring¿s hyper-romantic flowers. Or maybe their recent red-carpet coups—Sienna Miller and J. Lo at the Golden Globes; Anne Hathaway at the SAG Awards—have boosted their confidence.In any case, there was newfound polish to the satin chiffon dresses with embroidered waists that have become their calling card. The girls love a rhinestone, and they hand-sewed ropes of them to a violet velvet strapless chemise for a trompe l¿oeil necklace effect. And there was more ambition, too, in the black-and-white pieces that riffed sexily on a man¿s tuxedo—although a simpler bib-front frock was more successful than a party dress with a tricky bodice made from what looked like the collars of a jacket and a shirt. And if the sweeping ball gown in silk tulle withdégradéfeather bodice is too grand for today¿s starlets, they¿ll be angling for first dibs on the ostrich-plume cocktail number with a duchesse satin belt.
4 February 2007
Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig first came to the fashion world's attention dressing starlets for the red carpet. For spring, their first time on the runway, the CFDA/VogueFashion Fund finalists opened with a handful of short, paparazzi-friendly numbers abloom with floral details. Mischa Barton, sitting in the front row, oohed and aahed over a strapless black chiffon dress, the many folds of which resembled a rose, and Margherita Missoni said she had her eye on the lime-green tulle, which featured tiny blossoms across the bust.Given the attention to detail in those flowers (they appeared in one form or another on each of the 26 pieces in this evening collection), it was surprising to note that hems were sometimes unfinished and a few seams left undone—lapses that are hard to overlook at these price points. Still, the palette—white, black, and hot pink—and all those roses were perfectly in keeping with spring's romantic mood.
11 September 2006