Marchesa Channels Highgrove Gardens & John Singer Sargent

After the venue’s house lights dimmed down, faint shimmers of light continued to dust the runway, and “All This Love” by Angus & Julia Stone began to play. With each sweet beat, models dressed in luminous designs, royal materials, and seasonal colors swished by. For this collection, Marchesa sourced inspiration from painter John Singer Sargent, and combined the color palette with hues from the Highgrove Gardens in the United Kingdom. This combination allowed for ultra-feminine looks with luminous silhouettes, fascinating embroidery, and seamless threadwork resembling brocades. Jeweled necklace dresses and floor-length regal gowns dripped in opulent pearls, silk flowers and organza, marabou feathers, cascading golden lace, and bulge beading.

To complement each look, Marchesa’s recent shoes, jewelry, and handbags graced the runway, offering new styles like the Mae shoe—a suede stiletto with a replicated horn heel and a hand-carved floral buckle—and the Mairsol clutch—an embroidered clutch with ostrich feather detailing. A few whimsical looks in particular caught our eyes: a nude tulle fishtail gown with garnet and bronze floral embroidery, coupled with the Mae shoe; a red to black ombré tulle ball gown with a halter neck strap, laser-cut organza flowers, and tiered ombré tulle skirt; a pink ombré wire-hemmed pleated tulle gown with blush and ivory floral threadwork embroidery; a dusty blue ostrich feather cocktail dress with gunmetal embroidery and a satin-faced organza sash; a gold tulle gown with light gold and silver floral embroidery on flutter cap sleeves and a sculptural cascading skirt; and a pink ombré gown in cascading organza layers with blush and light gold floral threadwork embroidery.

As crown jewels, earring gems, and majestic dresses illuminated in the light, the fall 2016 collection caught the attention of everyone in the room. We all wished it could have lived on, like a brushstroke in a Sargent painting or a lush sculpture in Highgrove Gardens, just a little longer.