Earlier this week, Marchesa’s Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig staged their first-ever bridal show in Barcelona, Spain, as guest designers of the city’s Bridal Week. It was the first time the duo had staged a major event—both for bridal or ready-to-wear—in several seasons, and it reinforced just how critical bridal is to their business.
The collection itself was a reminder of how untethered Marchesa is from the rest of the market. The big talking points of the New York shows—i.e., a shift toward brides ordering gowns online; brides resisting the “princess dress” cliché; and a focus on low-key bridal looks you can rewear—simply don’t apply to Marchesa. Its bride isn’t looking for a suit, at least not for her ceremony. Marchesa is always going to be a resource for voluminous gowns, intricate embroideries, and an unabashedly feminine, ethereal quality. To wit, the Spring 2020 lineup was almost entirely gowns, each with a couture embellishment: 3-D petals, crystal embroideries, gigantic bows, stacked tulle rosettes. During a preview, Marchesa’s design director pointed out that even the biggest gowns were surprisingly lightweight: Every layer had been streamlined, from the underskirts to the corsets to the beads and crystals. Just because the Marchesa bride wants a ball gown doesn’t mean she’s willing to sacrifice comfort.
The other big takeaway for Spring was Chapman and Craig’s continued focus on removable pieces, like the ruffled sleeves on a mermaid dress (which could be detached for the reception) and the diaphanous jackets, robes, and capes styled over several gowns. They’d be clever alternatives to veils, and would make for great photos, too—particularly for bride who wants to show some variety in her Instagram slideshow. That said, every gown will also come with the option of a matching, hand-embellished veil; Marchesa is seeing an uptick in demand for those full-on, head-to-toe looks.
