As a collector of black-and-white photography, Carmen March has been wanting to do a monochrome collection for years. One image in particular — a photo by Lucien Clergue of a very young trapeze artist dressed in a harlequin suit, with bruise marks on his face from the falls — had been “floating on [her] mind,” and became the basis for the line.
Eighties, power-suited glamour served as the filter for the polished collection, while subtle rip details, black tulle and exaggerated volumes on the line’s shirting evoked the theme of floating through the air.
The after-dark pieces were the highlights, especially the harlequin jumpsuits in gleaming hand-painted velvet, and a supercharming lamé top with an airy net ruff collar.
Quintessentially Spanish offerings included a matador-style jacket in white cotton pique with lingerie cuts designed to hug the body; buttery black leather minis, and featherweight black silk georgette dresses in red polka dots (the designer’s one concession to the color ban).