On Tuesday, designer Marina Moscone landed in New York following a monthlong European holiday — a rarity for the designer since launching her namesake label.
“I went away, and once I figured out what to do with myself on a break, I realized that I wanted to make a collection of clothes that was celebratory — converting grandeur and defining it in a modern way today, making it transitional for every context that we live in,” the designer said of her spring collection’s inspiration of the late 19th-century La Belle Epoque, which was expressed as admiration for the era’s sense of opulence, rather than a literal translation.
The collection riffed on the idea with a mix of strong, waisted tailoring and artful hand-embellished layers contrasted against softer styles — all of which upheld a modern, feminine sensibility. For instance, a technical moiré minidress with subtle bubbled hem beneath a strong double-breasted blazer, or enveloping waterproof coats (with detachable vests) in the same moiré; lace-inspired machine knit styles, taken directly from her grandmother’s ’50s and ’60s hand-lace linens and updated takes on Moscone’s signature draped, twisted and refined, structured layers in a terrazzo-inspired “purist” palette.
The designer melded resort’s idea of heirloom dressing with opulence through early ’80s American sculptor Arch Connelly-inspired pearl and antique stone encrusted hand-embroideries on tops and dresses, while “throwing her some of her own antique beads” on the long, fringed strands of delicate floral-devore bias slipdresses and handmade jewelry pieces, worn atop fluid dresses. New techniques such as stamped, hand-sketch flowers (based off of Fortuny archival prints’ trellis styles) atop warped plissé organza dresses and terrazzo-inspired stamped ivory paillette frocks, too, delivered an antique-meets-modern feel.
The collection was a tightly edited assortment of special pieces; Moscone noted that apart from a showpiece vintage fur coat, the entire collection will be produced, with inventory ordered prior to market. “We’re taking as much control as we can. I’m very excited because I put so much work into every technique, group and piece,” the designer said of the new approach, which will also minimize waste from overproduction.
In lieu of a New York Fashion Week runway show or presentation, the designer is opting for a cocktail event on Sunday, which will feature vignettes of her home line, Casa — furthering her focus on expanding the world of Moscone.
