Mark Badgley and James Mischka are in expansion mode. After opening a Palm Beach boutique this past winter, the duo added a Newport outpost last week. For Resort, they took inspiration from the two locales. Well, where were you expecting with these designers? Williamsburg?
Badgley and Mischka had Newport in the Gilded Age in mind: One gown was literally glittering (a strapless gold number dripping in sequins), while another featured a Belle Époque-style bustled skirt. Other references to the coastal Rhode Island town were more playful: Pale ribbons shimmered like shells; jeweled belts resembled sunken treasures. As for the Palm Beach angle? That's where the color came in, most notably with a turquoise draped jersey gown and a magenta chiffon caftan with an embroidered neckline. Don't expect the boutiques to be stocked according to geographic location, though. As Mischka tells it, the customers are essentially the same. "They all just want to dress up and look great," he said.
