When you hear the word equestrian, riding boots and jodhpurs come to mind; you certainly don’t think of an evening gown. The inspiration behind Marchesa’s pre-fall collection wasn’t the sport or the animal itself, but the paintings and sketches of horses that defined Edgar Degas’s work. The most literal interpretation was a sea-foam column dripping with fringe, with abstract embroideries of horses just barely peeking through. Elsewhere, the team introduced lacing techniques borrowed from equestrian boots: A hibiscus evening gown laced all the way up the back with a thick ribbon, while other pieces had faux lacing built in for greater ease.
Marchesa has spent the past few years working on the interior construction of its gowns and making them lighter and more comfortable, and now the focus is shifting to making the dresses as easy as possible to put on and take off. A cherry red column with an exposed corset in the back had a zipper instead of hooks, for instance, and the draping around the waist was secured with a hidden button. Ease and comfort are naturally the key words for Marchesa’s new daywear category too: One standout shirtdress in the house’s signature painterly florals came in lightweight cotton, not satin or taffeta, and will actually be wearable in the summer months. The same was true of the ruffled-neck balloon-sleeve blouse in the same print, which was tucked into the collection’s one “riding pant.” As for the house’s red carpet gowns (which you’re likely to see on the 2020 awards circuit), the news was in the tonal, monochromatic embroideries and embellishments, making for a cleaner and quieter look.
