At some point after last season’s emphasis on black and white, Carmen March realized she was missing color. While mulling over options, she found her hue from a rather unexpected source: a piece of poster board abandoned on a downtown street. “I seem to see beauty everywhere,” she said during a presentation. “And a city is about what you see.” As she tells it, such an assertive lilac surrounded by buildings got her thinking about high-achieving women who need clothes to match their powerful roles—whether in business or otherwise. These lookbook photos shot in a Madrid tower are the realization of that creative spark.
Go figure, her use of streetlight red registers strongest, particularly in a foxy pair of leather pants that extend flatteringly from their higher waist. But other noteworthy pieces stood out for their material novelty: A crinkly silk infused with metallic thread, a wavy monochromatic jacquard, and foil-treated lace all enhanced March’s 1980s silhouettes with attitude. Arguably no look was more Working Girl 2.0 than the mega-shoulder blazer worn as a double-belted minidress. A bit extreme for the boardroom, perhaps. But consistent with her original idea of finding value in waste, she recast the leftover edges of jackets and tops as surprising dimensional flourishes.
By including variations on a Spanish bodice yet again, March has established a strongly feminine piece that is recognizably hers just three seasons into her relaunched career. Unlike her versatile leather separates, it seems destined to be a Carmen March total look, this time paired with belted ankle pants, Manolo Blahnik sandals, and arty enamel earrings. Even in typically drab concrete gray, you’d end up turning heads.
