Karolina Zmarlak (Q4895)
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Karolina Zmarlak is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Karolina Zmarlak |
Karolina Zmarlak is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
When a designer tells you that convertibility is her "thing," it's hard not to be a little skeptical. Reversible jackets can go one of two ways—super-luxe or super-cheesy. For Karolina Zmarlak, it's the former. That's because every piece is cut with razor-sharp lines and the finest materials imaginable, like supple leather, cashmere, pony hair, and even alligator (that jacket will retail for more than $37,000). Zmarlak's Fall collection will feel familiar to her well-to-do customers, who she's gotten to know through trunk shows. Five years in, she's able to assess what those women really want while maintaining her dark edge.Jackets continue to be Zmarlak's strong suit, but the wintry outerwear really stood out. A beautiful midnight blue mohair coat came with a removable pony-hair collar in the same color; tucked under a belt, the mash-up of textures looked covetable but still restrained. Zmarlak didn't take her themetoofar. On that same note, a jet-black cashmere coat and a springbok vest could be layered together or worn separately for three looks in one. That's a good reason to invest, no? Zmarlak's pencil dresses felt like more of the same, but she got experimental with stretch lace turtlenecks. They felt a little Victorian, which was the designer's starting point—she was thinking about penny dreadfuls, romanticism, and the mystical qualities associated with flowers. Zmarlak was also inspired by mourning attire, which accounted for the heavy use of noir in the collection. Deep-pocketed fans of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibitDeath Becomes Herwould have a field day.
17 March 2015
"I designed for people who did things, who were alive. Not these blank-faced dolls," said Karolina Zmarlak, quoting 1940s fashion legend Valentina. The emerging designer shares a fair amount in common with her idol. Both have an unmistakable appreciation for real women. Before launching her namesake ready-to-wear label five years ago, Zmarlak was running a made-to-order business out of her small Nolita apartment. She's continued to make personal connections with her customers at regular trunk shows. Their valuable feedback has helped to refine her distinctly mature point of view. Focusing on clean shapes and modernist tailoring, Zmarlak aims to "create living sculptures" with her well-constructed clothes produced in Manhattan's Garment District.Fabrics are the starting point each season. Spring's key item was a structured bolero jacket with a built-in capelet (convertibility has been an emphasis from the beginning) cut from a beautiful, lightweight organza jacquard. Other inventive fabrications included a perforated cotton achieved with a burnout technique and a basket-weave leather made with delicate twine, which was featured on sculptural vests and nipped-in tops.Zmarlak's characteristic precision was also evident in some of the lineup's relatively basic pieces. A clingy crewneck sweater worn with a sharp, A-line midi skirt had timeless appeal. The standout skirt boasted darting seams that curved over the hips. "It's about supporting a certain proportion that a woman doesn't feel is fighting against her," the designer said. Abstaining from color and print, Zmarlak prefers to add interest in the form of texture. She whipped up a streamlined shift from crinkled cady that molds to the body with each wear, with a gauzy white button-up slit in back, which was decorated with striated creases that evoked an exoskeleton. All in all, this was a focused collection that suggested a promising future for Zmarlak.
10 October 2014