DALLAS — Marchesa designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig arrived at NorthPark Center mall here for their first trunk and fashion show at Neiman Marcus.
Later, almost 500 guests attended a cocktail party for the creators of the vintage-inspired British dress line that is sold exclusively at Neiman’s and Bergdorf Goodman in the U.S.
During the trunk show on March 30, customers snapped up embellished retro styles that have lots of South Asian touches, such as a silk evening dress with Indian embroidery and embellishment, and silk chiffon dresses trimmed with metallic beading and embroidery.
“The Marchesa gowns are not only spectacular in design and fabrication, but are uniquely constructed to be extremely flattering to the wearer,” said Ann Stordahl, executive vice president and general merchandise manager for women’s apparel at Neiman Marcus.
The designers said they regarded Neiman Marcus as “the pinnacle of style and luxury” and were eager to create more designs for sophisticated clientele.
Chapman and Craig have expanded Marchesa to include two separate lines: a lower-price ready-to-wear collection called Marchesa Notte that retails for $700 to $1,200 and the more expensive Marchesa designer line with retail prices of more than $10,000.
Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, Karolina Kurkova and Scarlett Johansson are among the red-carpet fans of Marchesa, which was launched in the U.S. in February. Many Marchesa dresses feature built-in corsets that hug, flatter and slim the body.
Outside the U.S., Marchesa is sold at Bella Moda in Dubai, Holt Renfrew in Toronto and Joyce in Hong Kong, among other international retailers.