“It started from the principle of treasure dressing,” designer Marina Moscone said during a preview of her pre-fall collection. “I know everyone says investment dressing, but I thought of it as being a little more special.”
The notion of fashion as heirlooms, or art, isn’t a new concept for the New York designer, but her latest collection pushed the idea further through a seasonal inspiration of emerging out of a shipwreck, reinforced by new siren-esque shapes, an assemblage of found objects artfully adorned to tailored silhouettes, and a lightweight and washed, earthy feel that ran throughout.
“Hidden treasures” — little pearls, seashells, flowers, buttons, studs and emblems — adorned tailoring, like a nipped-in version of Moscone’s signature boyfriend blazer, or an off-the-shoulder formal coat dress. Seashells found across beach towns were dipped in resin and turned into ear cuffs while the designer’s personal collection of old crochet works were recreated into sensual dresses with floral crochet inlays.
Coming off of a colorful resort collection, Moscone wanted to imbue optimism and femininity in a new way. Sensual sophistication is a quality Moscone’s designs always exude, but pre-fall sent a more evocative message through more body-hugging silhouettes (a signature slip reinterpreted in washed wool or an ultra-fine gauge plissé dress with suede spaghetti straps), skin-revealing separates and nipped-in waists on tailored suits and tunics.
Newness also came in the form of shell-like cocoon cape dresses, inspired by the works of Ed Weston, while “Spiral Jetty” sleeve treatments that wrapped around the arms, held together by buttons (which could be worn a variety of ways undone), pointed to the earthworks of Richard Smithson. Moscone continued the influence through lightweight technical taffeta dresses and tops with spiral smocking around the bodice and bust in earthy, organic hues.
