Why should anyone be in the least bit surprised that Marc Jacobs could top the theatricality of last season’s Ziegfeld Theatre Show? Well, this is precisely what he did last evening.
He transformed the Park Avenue Armory into a veritable all white theatre in the round, and sent out a lineup of 65 pieces (dramatic and madly layered, it was subverted lady like, down to the oversized, exaggerated bows). There were some fabulous coats, capes, jackets, dresses, and gowns, many of which were quite exquisite and if not museum worthy, and one was bigger than the next (though he counterbalanced with a few shrunken pieces as well). It immediately brought to mind Lynn Yaeger, (who was his muse previously), owing to her penchant for layering to a fare thee well, and her preference for voluminous coats, dresses, and skirts.
But after considering the exaggerated hairstyles, goth makeup and vertiginous platform shoes that appeared on each model (many of whom had a hard time staying upright), I began to think of Lady Gaga. After all, the multi-talented singer songwriter actress is seemingly all over the place these days. She recently won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress; her song “Til it Happens to You” is nominated for an Academy Award, and she appeared at the Grammy Awards on Monday, dressed in Marc Jacobs Spring 2015 and sporting a pair of red platform shoes (she has apparently never met a pair of platforms that were too high).
 |
| Lady Gaga |
Low and behold, after the 19th model came out, Gaga herself appeared (talk about star power!), wearing a gray coat with fur sleeves and a green pussycat bow blouse; though she was all but unrecognizable under all that make up and anyway, she is the ultimate chameleon who looks different every time you see her. Quite frankly, she would have been just as convincing, had she appeared on Ralph Lauren’s runway yesterday morning.
In a season where the weather and politics seemed to overshadow the sometimes lackluster, uninspired shows (with many designers playing it safe), he managed to once again, create a true ‘Fashion Moment’. Whatever you may think of Marc, you have to hand it to him; he sure knows how to put on a show and formally end New York Fashion Week.
By the way, Marc might have accessorized the collection with platform shoes, but he also used the show as a way to make public his own political platform. He came out at the end wearing a custom made “Hillary Clinton Made for History” tee shirt, and Anna Wintour was sporting another version sitting in the front row. It’s $45 and available on the Hillary Clinton website, https://shop.hillaryclinton.com/
– Marilyn Kirschner
New York Evening Hours
The Marchesa Fall/Winter 2016
 |
| Amethyst to lilac ombre fringe cocktail dress Photo: Lieba Nesis |
The Marchesa show was held at the Dock at Moynihan Station at 5PM on Wednesday February 17th to much hype and excitement. &The vast crowd was lined up a half hour before the show while luminaries such as Anna Wintour, Harvey Weinstein, and Coco Rocha were whisked away. Marchesa was established in 2004 by Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman, wife of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. The brand specializes in high end womenswear and nearly every awards show contains some celebrity such as Sandra Bullock, Taylor Swift or Jennifer Lopez wearing their designs.
 |
| Photo: Vogue.com |
The opening look, presented on a spotted runway, contained a mocha tulle fishtail gown with sleeves embellished in gold and bronze; the flowers were placed perfectly with just the right amount of skin showing preventing the look from appearing matronly-a technique carried out in the following three embroidered floral dresses. The black and amethyst A-line gown with floral embroidery was a showstopper; the sheerness of the skirt against the chasteness of the flowers was a perfect one-two punch screaming I am sexy and elegant, a perfect choice for Halle Berry. It is rare to see a collection, such as this, where the majority of the 32 pieces could be on the best dressed list of the Academy Awards.
 |
| Pink ombre tulle gown with blush and ivory floral threadwork Photo: Lieba Nesis |
The Marchesa Fall 2016 show was inspired by the storied paintings of John Singer Sargent and the royal gardens at Highgrove. Delicate flowers, marabou feathers, 3D hand embroidery and duck egg blues were some of the building blocks used in creating the opulent attire. The shoes, handbags and jewelry were all produced by Marchesa with styling by Tabitha Simmons and makeup by Bobbi Brown.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get better a red to black ombre ball gown with organza flowers waltzed down the runway to near gasps; the shade of red was exquisite. The black and gold cocktail dress was richly executed; my only complaint being that the model’s name was “Isis” not exactly the right effect for a romantic extravaganza. Now it was time for some rock ‘n’ roll gowns with a gunmetal and black diamond jeweled necklace column gown with a fringe skirt introducing the edgy and classy portion of the evening.
 |
| Royal blue organza 3D floral gown Photo: Lieba Nesis |
There was a royal blue floral dress in both cocktail and gown length-take your pick they are both stunners. There were black floral dresses above-the-knee, over-the-knee, and gown length-order all three if you have the funds. You can even obtain a gunmetal jeweled necklace with a black skirt in short or ball gown length. If delicate layers and drapings are your passion, the lilac, blue and pink tulled gowns were angelic masterpieces.
Moreover, if you want something slightly nontraditional the blue ostrich feather dress with gunmetal embroidery was shown in an unpredictable three-quarter length-this was a dress for the “bold and beautiful.” The collection ended with a 3D embroidered gown coupled with a crown, and a silver jeweled cocktail dress with a Grecian drape; a spectacularly regal conclusion to an otherworldly presentation.
