Marchesa
Keren Craig, left, and Georgina Chapman, the designers at Marchesa
With Marchesa Casiti, the eccentric '20s society icon, as their muse and namesake, co-designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig brought to life the icon’s grandiose vision of being a living work of art. In 2004, Marchesa was officially established —and quickly exploded as a favorite among celebrities and critics alike. In 2006, the label was named one of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund's top ten finalists.
As teenagers, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig met at London's Chelsea College of Art. Craig narrowed her attention to print and embroidery design, graduating from Brighton Art College in 2000, and Chapman graduated from the Wimbledon School of Art in 2001. While Craig freelanced in printmaking at Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana, Chapman designed costumes for various theater and film projects. Though the two women approach fashion from markedly different angles, Chapman explained to Gotham magazine, "We're a great combination—we complement each other very well."
The Look
Pretty evening gowns that offer extra delicacy and detail make up the bulk of the collections. Far East–inspired embroidery, draping fabrics, and a modern, feminine perspective lend the label its distinctive look.
Fresh off the heels of her honeymoon with Harvey Weinstein, designer Georgina Chapman and her partner-in-design Keren Craig showed a Fall 2008 collection that won raves from critics and audience alike. It was “filled with lavish dresses that were as breathtaking in their execution as in their embellishment,” WWD gushed. Style.com swooned over the presentation, saying it “had glamour in spades.” Glam.com noted that the duo “opted to tone down several of their Oscar-worthy gowns, replacing last season’s opulent stunners with armor-like bustier dresses studded with rosettes.” Inspired by Queen Elizabeth I, Chapman and Craig showed plenty of red-carpet-worthy dresses, but still had “chic smoking offerings and gorgeous short dresses,” WWD said. Style.com’s favorite was a black gown with plunging neckline, “so sculpturally defiant, it evoked armor. Anybody who wore it would be paparazzi-proof.” That sound you hear is the rush of starlets to Marchesa’s studio.
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Who Wears It
Their extravagantly sparkly evening dresses have enhanced the contours of stars such as Renee Zellweger, Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Felicity Huffman, Anne Hathaway and Penélope Cruz. At the Golden Globes last month, Jennifer Lopez and Sienna Miller paraded the designers’ effusively draped and decorated gowns.
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