By way of introducing her second collection, Carmen March explained that she collects photography. Google-search the late French photographer Lucien Clergue plus “harlequin” and Diane Arbus’s street style series, and you will see how the Spanish designer took a cue from these striking images in a purposely feminine way. Most obvious, there was the chic, dévoré harlequin jumpsuit, which alternated black velvet with chiffon diamonds, the frayed white borders hand-painted. As for the volume concentrated at the shoulders and sleeves of several looks, including a killer white piqué cotton dress and a tapered blazer with big resin buttons, she said she wanted to interpret the action of jumping by capturing the moment that clothes are pushed upward. A gathered dress in men’s suiting extending from a black leather bustier had the opposite gravitational effect, appearing as if seductively pulled down. Both directions made for a unique spin on power dressing that women will likely appreciate instinctively, if not knowingly, when wearing the pieces.
Indeed, March’s vision has built-in panache, not just in technical terms—whether her soft corseting or the flawless sculpting of the leather pants and truncated tuxedo—but because it channels a certain Spanish sizzle while paying homage to unabashed ’80s glamour. Look no further than the LBD, with its cascade of netting punctuated with red Swarovski polka dots. By showing the same specialty fabric as a long-sleeved top with a simple leather neckband, March has also considered how to achieve the same frisson in a lower register. She already presented the collection to buyers during the pre-collection period; Saks Fifth Avenue has now bought in, while Net-a-Porter continues its support. Another explanation why her relaunched brand has probably gained such traction so quickly: The looks happen to be highly photogenic.
