Honesty, in short supply elsewhere, was on abundant display in Marina Moscone’s brilliant fall collection focused on technique, tactility, and material exploration. “I don’t like the pomp and circumstance of things,” said the designer, who felt that the times called for a quiet and intimate kind of presentation. And so Moscone, for whom art is a constant inspiration, presented her work by appointment at the Chelsea Hotel with two models present to show the clothes.
And what clothes! You can always count on Moscone for immaculate tailoring. For fall there were single-button blazers with high closures and abbreviated lapels as well as slim but shapely basque-tailored jackets that jut out over the hips. A scrunchy trench made with a metalized fabric and a pale blue marled alpaca coat introduced some softness into structured garments. (And make note of the rounded “japes”— Moscone’s take on fashion’s current cape mania.)
Draped dresses are another Moscone staple that were well executed, but things started to get really interesting when the designer deviated from more classical forms and explored organic shapes and textures that had an unexpected abandon, and, in some cases, seemed to share a spiritual frequency with Romeo Gigli. The Italian namechecked by the designer, however, was Pino Pascali, an artist associated with Arte Povera. His appeal to Moscone was that “he took a lot of everyday materials and sort of turned the everyday melancholy into something more beautiful and amazing.”
Moscone’s highly sophisticated collection was neither sad nor obviously scrappy. She pointed out how she paired “a beautiful classic dry crepe” with a humble wool gauze. And it was technical nylon (chosen because of its ability to hold the shape it is given) that Moscone cut into bias strips or diamonds, pleated, lettuce-edged and then hand-tucked together. Similar shapes were pieced into satin slip dresses. It’s natural to search for order amidst chaos, but Moscone chose not to retreat but to advance, gently, with skilled hands and a sure step.
