Catherine Malandrino (Q4050)
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Catherine Malandrino is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Catherine Malandrino |
Catherine Malandrino is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
1998
designer
"I wanted it to show off a woman's strengths but hide her weaknesses," said Catherine Malandrino of her Pre-Fall collection. To do that, the designer worked in silhouettes that flattered without being too cookie-cutter. For instance, a black lace, capped-sleeve collar that bared the décolletage was attached to an otherwise classic, fit-and-flare cream dress. Malandrino focused quite a bit on the collarbone area: There were lots of scoop necks and strategically placed cutouts.Geometric lace is something of a Malandrino signature. This season, she used it on jackets—both cropped and hip-length—and coated it to look like leather. The designer titled the collection "Last Days of Summer," so special attention was paid to fabric weight. Even when she did use leather, it was in the lightest suede possible. Her pleated and cropped suede pants draped more like silk.There was a slightly sporty element, too, which came out in sweatshirt blouses, as well as a few little dresses that were inspired by tennis. It worked best on a white number overlaid with organza that was embroidered with geometric, treelike shapes. A lace shift with diagonal navy stripes, on the other hand, felt out of place with the rest of the collection. It was a little too sweet for Malandrino, whose talent lies in her slight edge. That same lace-on-stripes combination was more successful as inserts on the top of a navy jersey dress. It made the wearer look strong and sexy, just as Malandrino had intended.
13 January 2014
A giant cruise ship sailed into the slot behind Pier 92's windows today and served as the backdrop for Catherine Malandrino's presentation. It wasn't planned, but it might as well have been, as only an actual yacht in Saint-Tropez would have been a more appropriate setting to debut these Spring wares. This season, Malandrino was inspired by the seaside escape's famed regatta, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, which she'll be attending in September. "It's about performance, but it's also about poetry," she said, referring to both the race and her new lineup.Literal expressions of an inspiration are rarely a success; that both was and wasn't the case here. An otherwise lovely oversize knit jacquard sweater became silly when covered with a giant rendering of a sailboat at sea (the colors were spot-on, though—cobalt, dusty blue, bright cherry, and white). However, when Malandrino's ships were shrunken down and used as an allover print on a pleated ankle-length silk skirt or a silk maxi dress with leather details, they were youthful and adorable. Same goes for a blue and white "Air France" print (how else would one get to Saint-Tropez?) and a kitschy riff on scrapbook pictures.Malandrino more subtly translated her nautical theme via her silhouettes and fabrics. She focused less on saucy little dresses (as she did for Resort) and more on sporty separates and maxi looks, whose fluid skirts were made for fluttering in the Mediterranean breeze and felt fresh paired with the designer's new nylon parkas and windbreakers. A mesh-detailed bralette was sultry without being perverse when worn with crisp white neoprene shorts and a floor-length black cardigan. That balance was key for Malandrino. "I think it's nice to show less. It's more about suggesting," she said, noting that she tried to avoid bare legs. Her models' gams were covered by billowing silk harem pants, high-waisted viscose jodhpurs, easy wide-legged trousers, and three-quarter-length A-line skirts; the last of these were great in neoprene but a bit drab in cotton.Some of the electric pink and aqua jersey looks lacked the luxe factor befitting a Saint-Tropez girl. But from leather eyelet skirts and frocks to embellished blouses and flattering jumpsuits, Malandrino's Spring femme will have plenty to pack for her next trip.
10 September 2013
A skirtsuit of weightless woven leather, ever so slightly resembling a Panama hat, is the centerpiece of Catherine Malandrino's Resort collection. "I wanted it to be light and fresh, but for us to be realistic of the time period we're living in," she said, referring to increasingly unpredictable weather across the globe.That light—but not unsubstantial—feeling permeated the collection, whether in a felted cotton skirtsuit with graphic laser-cut borders, or a cotton-viscose sweater patchworked together with suede laces. Colors, too, were light but "not too summer." An almost-mauve pink, sunny yellow, and sea-foam green held up against the black and white, especially in a printed blouse paired with a leather pleated skirt.An azure blue dancer's dress, interwoven with the thinnest strings of cream leather, further defined the look. It was detailed, but unfussy.
4 June 2013
For Catherine Malandrino, Fall is about a lean, lean look. "I wanted an elongated, clean silhouette, a light shape," she said the morning before her show.To accomplish that, the designer looked to the French Art Deco furniture designs of Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. His rounded edges and needle-thin chair legs were represented in Malandrino's curved-hem jackets, funnel-neck coats, and the ivory scalloped embroidery on a black silk tulle cocktail dress. She went further with the Art Deco theme, applying geometric shapes—either in black velvet or black leather—to nude tulle pieces that defined the collection. The effect was graphic and flattering. On one dress, two lines of rectangles circled the waist, creating an appealing shape without hugging the body too hard.One highlight of the collection was a lightweight burgundy leather coat, which featured hundreds of Deco cutouts. Flat leather diamonds were attached like sequins, creating depth without weight.Malandrino also excelled with a couple of hip-length leather puffers, perfect with a pencil skirt and sky-high pumps for those times in the depths of winter when Sorel boots won't do. The slouchy wool jogging pants, a style that has already been seen a lot this season, were equally desirable.Where the designer went off track was in the eveningwear category. A vignette of navy, plum, and army green satin dresses was pretty, but they were a little too bridesmaid-y to really compete at fashion week. Malandrino's talent lies in her restrained French sex appeal, and the fancier stuff would have worked better if it had reflected more of that.
9 February 2013
Following a Spring collection that meshed elements of two fashion-forward cities—Paris and New York—Catherine Malandrino found her pre-fall inspiration in something a bit more, well, down home. Soil and dust were the unlikely starting points for the designer's new dresses. Gone (and, we must admit, sorely missed) were the sporty, skin-baring separates from last season, replaced here by jewel-toned cocktail frocks in a crepe and satin blend with ruching at the midsection. Floor-length gowns in midnight blue and burnt umber had elegant cascading sleeves meant to reflect beachside dunes. Malandrino's signature jumpsuit, the only non-dress on display, was updated with a softer, more feminine feel. That look and a simple gold cap-sleeve gown cinched at the bust were most memorable. With red-carpet season just around the corner, the latter could be making the rounds.
11 December 2012
Catherine Malandrino is always traveling back and forth between Paris and New York, so it's only fitting that the designer cites the dynamic between the two equally fashionable cities as inspiration for her latest collection. "I wanted to capture the majestic, royal quality of Paris for the woman who lives at a fast pace in New York," Malandrino said before her presentation. Dresses and separates were updated with sporty elements like power mesh and Lycra that appeared on body-hugging silhouettes. The most memorable frock came in an icy pastel snakeskin print with graphic suede patches. Compared to last season, the sexiness factor was toned down a few notches. While some looks did bare skin—such as a three-piece skirtsuit whose third component was a bralet—it was done in an elegant, sophisticated way. "There is no cleavage this time," Malandrino said. "Just unexpected windows that reveal the body." One example was a pair of white silk wide-leg trousers worn with an embellished front-zip blouson that completely zipped up to reveal only two inches of midriff. But it was another embellished jacket—leather with enamel nailing—over a feminine romper that stood out the most. It's a strong statement piece. And we bet it travels well, too.
8 September 2012
"Virtue and vice" was how Catherine Malandrino described her latest collection. Her inspiration was a 1942 horror flick calledLa Féline, in which the temptress protagonista transforms herself into a man-killing cat-woman by night.The clothes did indeed have a femme fatale feel to them. There was enough stretch vinyl, embossed-crocodile leather, and corsetry here to fill an erotic emporium (we're not exaggerating—the word "erotica" even came plated on a crystal-bedazzled belt). But these provocative pieces also mingled with more viable ones, notably a mohair variety jacket. Still, it was the racy, audacious evening gowns—complete with laser-cut leather strips and Swarovski accents on sheer mesh—that left a lasting impression, and took the lineup from suggestive to seductive.
11 February 2012
There were questions about the future of Catherine Malandrino's business when she skipped out on Spring fashion week, but after inking a deal with Elie Tahari, the designer swung back at naysayers this week, showing a spirited collection for pre-fall. According to Malandrino, the new season is about "demure sensuality," which she evoked with delicate lace layered over slipdresses in contrasting colors, the demure part of the equation owing to the overlays' prim turtlenecks and long sleeves. Her evening gowns popped in a range of jewel tones, but she also made a new push into separates, with sharp peacoats and alpaca "bathrobe" wrappers. If she herself were getting ready for a night out, she told us she'd take the tuxedo-inspired jumpsuit here and wear a super-fitted baby T-shirt underneath to give the look a casual, youthful edge. And there are few more fun ideas where that came from: Malandrino promised she'd be back on the calendar in February with a Fall presentation.
20 December 2011
Catherine Malandrino is very particular about mise-en-scène: "I will only show at a one-of-a-kind space," she insisted before her Fall presentation in the cavernous formerNew York Timesbuilding that will be torn down and rebuilt as a hotel beginning next week. The designer said her collection is best illustrated by a python tote that had "Paris" written on one side and "New York" on the other. Likely the only spots you could get away with a risqué, architectural leather and fishnet cutout gown are the City of Light and the Big Apple. And an all-in-one leather topper that looked like a cape layered over a blazer was city street wear at its best.Malandrino's accessible evening dresses in jewel tones—emerald, violet, cobalt—affirmed that French women inherently understand how to flatter their figures. Empire waists cinched with a leather sash enhanced the décolletage, and strategic ruching hugged all the right curves. Another French advantage? They never shy away from piling on the fur. Whether mink, fox, or broadtail, the fuzzy stuff showed up on almost all the covetable outerwear here. Of note was an insanely plush chinchilla bomber with a washed-leather corset waist and oversized collar.
12 February 2011
The weather gods smiled on Catherine Malandrino: It rained before and after her presentation at the Grand Promenade outside Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Her models shivered on their platforms, but at least they were dry. And what was her plan if it actually had been wet? "Umbrellas," she said. "Rain is a part of life." That was Malandrino's practical side talking, but she's also got a well-developed sense of whimsy.Inspired by a rare piece of pottery by the French ceramist Roger Capron that she picked up over the summer in the South of France, Malandrino's Spring collection was an exercise in handcrafts. Leather macramé decorated the necklines of T-shirts and dresses, was patchworked onto a bomber vest, and snaked above the knees of gladiator sandals. Beads were stitched onto silk tops in medallions or embroidered all over fitted bolero jackets. And slinky, draped jumpsuits were made from colorful watercolor prints. Most of the looks were accessorized with talismanic necklaces strung from leather and hunks of quartz.Minimalism may be the big story at the moment, but not chez Malandrino. Some of the looks erred on the fussy side of crafty, but others had a homespun, even DIY charm that will appeal to her fellow romantics.
11 September 2010
Like many designers this season, Catherine Malandrino centered her Resort collection around sellable wardrobe essentials. Her twist? Clothes that come with built-in rock 'n' roll swagger. "I was inspired by all aspects of music," the designer said. "And specifically where that world intersects with fashion." A cropped leather jacket dripping in spikes, nails, and crystals, for example, was an ode to early Madonna. While a hooded Lurex jersey minidress à la Grace Jones and a short Tina Turner-esque number with fringe and sequin detail should have felt like too-literal interpretations, they actually meshed well with Malandrino's luxe-sexy-boho aesthetic. And for the customer who wants things spelled out even more clearly: a white T-shirt with the wordsoulembroidered in black leather.
10 June 2010
Catherine Malandrino's Fall collection picked up where her Spring Nomads show left off. Named Khan and inspired by an image of the Earth as seen from above, it was a densely layered, richly textured melting pot of influences. In the mix were a Belle Époque-ish black velvet cocoon coat with echoes of Paul Poiret; Ali Baba pants in linen or nubbly tweed; draped chiffon dresses in abstracted zebra motifs; leopard-print furs; and somewhere in the middle, abon chic, bon genreoversize cashmere sweater and cuffed full-leg trousers. The show was also long on the kind of crafty details that the French-born New Yorker has made the calling card of her designer-priced Malandrino label. Among all the fringing and embroideries, there were scads of leather either laser-cut into racy strips and feminine eyelet or stamped with graffiti hieroglyphs.At times, you could get the feeling that you were on a Sunday afternoon stroll through a tribal costume exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. That's a dangerously literal path for a designer to follow, but Malandrino was unabashed: She said she was thinking about our communal ancestors and our modern nomadic life. In any case, take the looks apart and there were plenty of timely, sellable pieces here.
13 February 2010
"It's an invitation to travel," said Catherine Malandrino of her Spring collection, called—appropriately enough—Nomads. Opting for a presentation, Malandrino divided the show into four parts of the world, represented by four different peoples: the Nuba of Sudan, the Berbers of North Africa, the Cashibo of Peru, and the Samoans of Polynesia. Each inspired a tableau vivant, creating a sort of fashion week Epcot Center. There were tribal appliqués and zebra prints (Sudan); dusty-hued, languid layers (Sahara); intricate knits and colorful beading (Peru); and saronglike draping and saturated island brights (South Pacific). Malandrino tied it all together with recurring silhouettes, particularly jersey jumpsuits, cropped harem pants, and little jackets.Surprisingly, the contrivance made for a solid offering that was less overwrought than in seasons past. Malandrino described it as a way of exploring different expressions of beauty. Of course, that's essentially what many fashion designers already do without framing it so overtly. Certainly Malandrino has, particularly with her penchant for crafty touches. Here it seemed that she was focusing on her core strengths, with a collection to resonate with longtime fans like Mary J. Blige. She walked in as I walked out, and I'll bet there's at least a black leather bolero on her shopping list, if not much more.
14 September 2009
"I wanted to keep with the vocabulary of femininity and sensuality for Resort," said Catherine Malandrino, explaining the MO behind her latest, knit-heavy collection. Executed mostly in deep purples and black (enlivened in some cases with texture), there was plenty of ornamentation and lots of intricate stitchery. A cocktail number with a white-piped side ruffle had sure sex appeal, as did some of the knit dresses. These varied from fuller-skirted models with a whiff of vintage about them to hot little numbers that fit like a carapace and offer what Malandrino calls "soft protection" as well.
22 June 2009
Catherine Malandrino was one of this week's many venue-switchers, trading the Chelsea Art Museum for the Rainbow Room. With a rotating circular floor set at a perspective-skewing 65 floors skyward, it was a suitable locale for the designer's surrealist-themed collection, named—what else?—"Over the Rainbow." Much of it paid direct homage to surreal fashion's first lady, Elsa Schiaparelli. On the back of a wool coat, for example, was a leather appliqué of two profile silhouettes that with a blink turn into a vase—a motif originally designed for Schiap by Jean Cocteau. But the backward bun hairdos, seamed stockings, and net-covered faces echoed the work of those more recent surr-torialists, Viktor & Rolf. Ultimately, though, such a criticism is beside the point with Malandrino, a retail dynamo whose fan club, both civilian and celebrity, will be more than happy with her new lean mid-calf silhouette dress and classic and sexy pointelles.
18 February 2009
It's been ten years since Catherine Malandrino founded her label. In that time, she's opened nine stores (with a new creative retail concept about to bow in Los Angeles), expanded categories to include accessories and home, amassed an ever-growing following, and, in short, built a solid fashion business. The designer optimistically named her anniversary collection "Dawn." As she's cleverly done for a few seasons, Malandrino stayed true to her crafty core with loads of tactile details for the eye to drink in, including scalloped lace, appliquéd tulle, and quilted leather. New for Spring, she explored the idea of layering fabrics—specifically a nude tulle over lace or satin—that worked nicely to add an interesting layer of texture. That said, a fishnet overlay fell flat. The designer is reissuing the flag dress she found fame with a decade ago, but it was another nod to Americana that provided some necessary wit here: a lace-printed silk gown featuring the Statue of Liberty.Though it's clearly what her clientele responds to, Malandrino's craft parade can easily threaten overload, and it did so here with a backless jeweled top that seemed to be little more than a hunk of embellishment with straps, as well as a gown with a neckline of gob-stopper jewels. That's why one simple standout—a white pointelle gown—felt like coming up for air. A few more opportunities to do so might not be a bad idea.
7 September 2008
Shrinking violets need not apply. Resort, chez Malandrino, is sexy and citified. Inspired by Dita Von Teese's so-retro-it's-modern take on the forties, the designer focused on curvy silhouettes, showing cap-sleeved dresses with pleats and drapes to accentuate the figure. While the sorbet palette was unabashedly soft and girlish, the addition of snug leather jackets trimmed with chains—Malandrino's feminine version of tough chic—balanced the scales.
11 June 2008
Catherine Malandrino began her Fall collection musing over the art of Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, the French sculptors beloved by fashion folk from Pierre Bergé to Reed Krakoff. The Lalannes' often fantastical creations draw heavily on flora and fauna, and Malandrino conjured an enchanted garden on her runway.The first look set the Gallic wood-nymph tone: an emerald silk shift with an intricate, openwork hem topped by an organza-leaf bolero that looked like Edward Scissorhands had cut it fresh this morning. It made the point, if not subtly. Malandrino is a designer who loves a motif, hence her liberal use of green and other woodsy hues, the introduction of an abstract leaf print, and the presence of that foliaged organza. Sweater-dressing was an integral part of the story (see the webby gowns, flirty little suits, and beastly bouclé cashmere jumpers), as was volume (the cocooned sleeves and linebacker shoulders). A bit much? At times, yes, but the excess was tempered by moments of simplicity, like a crocheted column gown with a matching leather bolero, both in basic black.
3 February 2008
La Colombe d'Or, hidden in the cool hilltops above Nice, is one of Catherine Malandrino's favorite hotels. It's a famously charming spot, beloved by artists past and present, where you can sleep with a Modigliani above your head or eat wild mushrooms under a mural by Léger. It was there that she began to weave the story of her Spring show.It's no surprise then that Malandrino returned in a big way to the craft touches with which she first made her name (she had shied away in the last couple of seasons). Organza was geometrically pleated or cut into trapunto scallops. Beading came in hefty grape clusters on necklines and sleeves. There was more texture in pointelle knits, embroidered boleros, and gowns in bright draped and pleated chiffon. It all got a bit much, actually, especially when you throw in massive blouson sleeves, voluminous palazzo pants, and linebacker shoulder ruffles.The more literal art references, such as an organza blouson with a watercolor print, will likely have a hard time finding a customer. The art-meets-fashion gambit never fails to make for an interesting magazine item, but does a woman really want to wear a painting?
7 September 2007
Malandrino's models walked with slick black caps of side-parted hair: a gamine 'do in homage to Zizi Jeanmaire, the French prima ballerina who lit up fifties Europe with her magicalCarmen.Like the Spring show, which had a (slightly questionable) zing of eighties flavor, this was undeniably a retro moment, mining the sixties of Zizi's heyday (funnel-collared coats and graphic tunics) as well as the twenties (straight flapper dresses trimmed with marabou). For the most part, though, Malandrino avoided the dusty vintage pitfall, the one exception being a purple A-line coat that looked like it came off the rack at Resurrection. Pretty draped-jersey pieces, the least nostalgic look, tipped a hat not only to Jeanmaire but also to Malandrino's own dance background.Over the past year, the designer has moved away from crafty fare and toward a cleaner look. Perhaps to fill a tactile void, she allowed herself to play with volume everywhere you turned—in the ballooning sleeves of a knit blazer, chic blouson jackets, and an iffy bubble evening gown.In short, Malandrino packed into the collection everything that a modern-day Jeanmaire might tuck into her traveling trunks, from a sexy daytime suit to a kicky little beaded houndstooth shift for aperitifsavecher own modern-day Roland Petit.
6 February 2007
With two-story scaffolding at the back of the runway and New York street noise on the soundtrack, Catherine Malandrino sent out a collection that seemed designed to prompt appreciative wolf whistles from construction workers. There were plunging blouson minidresses, one-shoulder and halter-style black jersey numbers accented with silver chain-mail links, and white-on-white polka-dot poufs (yes, bubbles were a big theme). Subtle it wasn't, and after a pretty fall showing full of day clothes like houndstooth coats, jacquard suiting, and smock tops with tailored pants, it was somewhat disappointing to see her focus so much of her attention and flair for detail on evening clothes, and give them such an obvious eighties slant. On the upside, she showed some strong trenches with dramatic, me-against-the-world collars. And there were two smart suits. One came in silver and another in black, and though plenty sexy, they conveyed a kind of authority that can keep those construction workers at bay.
13 September 2006
The lure of a Mary J. Blige mini-concert attracted a larger than usual crowd Friday night to the Malandrino show. Despite a tiered, rotating stage that made serious viewing something of a challenge for most of the audience, everyone went home happy—thanks not only to the R&B queen's feel-good vibes, but also because Malandrino sent out a collection that was free of the exotic touches that last season distracted from her pretty message.For fall, she embraced a muted palette of chocolate, black, ivory, and silver, which she quilted, embroidered, and crocheted in her signature style to mostly subtle effect. If the proportions of a few looks—a bulky satin parka, say—verged on the old-ladyish, she made up for it with a houndstooth bouclé suit belted with insouciance. A pair of silvery-white gowns, meanwhile, had just the right mix of youth and sophistication.
9 February 2006
To getDown to Earthfor her spring show, Catherine Malandrino had 36 models climb onto concrete pedestals at the Pace Wildenstein gallery. That wasn't the only paradox in the show's theme and title; on view were pieces from the designer's limited edition line, Malandrino, a jump up in price from her other signature collection.Her two primary influences, Amish craftsmanship and West African colors, were combined with varying degrees of success. Dresses won out as the strongest pieces, providing a great opportunity to show off both the handiwork, like lace and quilting, and textural fabrics. Liu Dan wore a patchwork dress that was a medley of diamond-shaped pieces of indigo fabric. Atong wore a dress of lace cedar circles that widened in diameter from the bodice down to its orange ribbon-trimmed hem. A woodsy print on cotton voile, with wood bead detailing at the bust line, had a full skirt, and a cotton Jacquard version shot through with silver leaves had an appealing openwork bodice.Separates, however, were a little trickier. A laser-cut leather cardigan was on target, but bib-front shirts with insets seemed fussy. Coats, both the trenches and pea coats, looked bulky. Flag-print ballet flats, which Malandrino is making in collaboration with Repetto, were eye-catching. And her eponymous shoe line, mainly crocheted designs with wooden heels, had its debut during the show.Overall, it was a departure for a designer who is known for petal-pretty, flowing pieces. While the clothes were well made, the effect could be precious and artsy-craftsy, and maybe not as grounded as the designer intended.
13 September 2005
After presenting her Spring collection at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Malandrino migrated downtown to a raw space in the meat-packing district next to the infamous Hogs & Heifers bar—an appropriate location for her Western-themed Fall collection, titled "Wanted."The show certainly did not want for theatricality. The models made their exits with deeply smudged eyes and masses of tumbleweed hair in a variety of blouses that were shirred, tucked, embroidered, smocked and otherwise embellished. These were paired with equally elaborate trousers, the most notable of which was the signature Wanted pant: low-waisted, ruched, laced and so wide-bottomed at the foot that they swept the floor. The leather appliqué pants were strong, as were some of the coats.Some of the looks presented (including the aforementioned pants) were from Malandrino's new limited-edition series, which she hopes customers will collect as if they were works of art. At times, though, the show was in need of less art and more reality. As much as the designer sought "the feeling of getting lost in a wild plain," there were moments when it seemed as if she had ended up on the set ofDr. Quinn, Medicine Womaninstead.
9 February 2002