The Tamesis
An honesty rarely seen elsewhere was on full display in Marina Moscone’s brilliant fall collection, which focused on technique, tactility and material exploration. “I don’t like the pomp and circumstance of things,” said the designer, who felt that this era required a quiet, intimate presentation. Art was therefore always a source of inspiration for Moscone, who made an appointment to show her work at the Chelsea Hotel, inviting two models to be present to show the clothes.
What other clothes are there! You can always count on Moscone to deliver the perfect cut. Fall has single-button blazers with high closures and short lapels, as well as slim but shapely basque-cut jackets that stick out at the hips. A ruched trench coat in metalized fabric and a baby blue two-tone alpaca coat bring some softness to structured garments. (And note the rounded “japes”—Moscon’s take on fashion’s current cape craze.)
The draped dress is another well-executed Moscone staple, but things start to get really interesting when the designer strays away from more classic forms, explores organic shapes and textures with unexpected abandon, and, in some cases, seems to share a spiritual frequency with Romeo Gigli. However, the Italian name the designer found was Pino Pascali, an artist associated with Arte Povera. His appeal to Moscone was that “he took a lot of everyday materials and turned everyday melancholy into something more beautiful and awe-inspiring.”
Moscone’s highly refined collection is neither sad nor overtly scrappy. She noted how she paired “a beautiful classic dry crepe” with a plain wool gauze. Moscone cuts technical nylon (chosen for its ability to maintain a given shape) into diagonal strips or diamond shapes, pleats, lettuce edges, and then folds them together by hand. Similar shapes were pieced together into a satin slip dress. It’s natural to seek order in chaos, but Moscone chooses not to step back, instead advancing gently with a practiced hand and a determined pace.
