Wedding etiquette often dictates that guests shouldn’t wear black, but what if you’re the bride? At Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s Marchesa presentation, many of the outfits had some sort of black detail: a black velvet belt, a hair bow, jet-beaded chandelier earrings, or even the stark black trim on a fluffy tulle mini. It mirrored the current yen for black ribbons and trims in ready-to-wear; fortunately, there were no black chokers, unless you count the ribbon looped delicately around one model's neck. It was extra-long and extended the full length of her gown, so the effect was more romantic than trendy.
Craig and Chapman cited English gardens as their jumping-off point. “We were thinking about the English bride, but it’s still quintessentially Marchesa,” Chapman explained. Which is to say: romantic, feminine, and with a fair bit of drama. New for Marchesa brides were the body-skimming dresses in slinky stretch crepe; a few “cold shoulder” gowns, like one with playful bows on the sleeves; and voluminous skirts that started “below the derriere.” The results were subtler and more elegant than your standard mermaid gown, and there was an airy, ethereal quality to the lace, shirred tulle, and 3-D florals that looked like they would be well suited to a garden wedding—English or otherwise.
