It's been 20 years since Mark Badgley and James Mischka joined forces. There'll presumably be major festivities to mark the milestone when they open up their first store on Madison Avenue (where else?) next spring, but in the meantime, this collection was something to celebrate.
Rather than look back, the duo moved forward with what was, for them, a pared-down lineup. The goal was to keep things light both figuratively and literally. "Everything weighs ounces," Mischka said. The designers chose only featherweight fabrics—mainly satin and gazar—and nixed the elaborate, heavily encrusted surface decoration they have indulged in (perhaps overindulged in) in years past. "We just sprinkled it like fairy dust," Badgley said of their Spring embellishments. The only extras on a lilac organza cocktail number were dressmaker ruffles, while beaded floral-print dresses had just a subtle glimmer. Prints in general took the place of surface decoration.
Not only was this a welcome change, but it ensured that the few glittery gowns they did show, beacons of Badgley Mischka's two decades in fashion, really stood out.
