Marissa Webb is still building her brand identity, an identity that s blessed and cursed with the oft-used modifier "former J.Crew designer." On one hand, buyers and shoppers are thrilled to know Webb spent many years designing pieces they already own. On the other, it s hard to escape the bright, glittering shadow cast by the empire that Mickey Drexler built.
Webb s challenge is to draw from what she helped create at J.Crew while establishing house codes that are hers and hers alone. Her tight Pre-Fall collection is a big step toward that. "It s a palate cleanser," Webb said of the rack of mostly separates, mostly in black and white. There was special attention paid to comfort, too: Sweat-style pants were made work-appropriate in gray flannel and black crepe, while the menswear-style button-downs were shirred between the shoulder blades to give them a loose, open back. Even Webb s take on the little black dress, a V-neck shift with lace sleeves, was cut wide to offer ease. A plaid organza shell—again, with an open back that hung much longer than the front—paired as nicely with its matching pleated skirt as it did with a color-blocked tuxedo pant that had the narrowest white silk piping down the seams. It all hung together well, and looked very "Marissa Webb." No modifier needed.
