"It s blatantly Marilyn Monroe," Jenny Packham said of her Spring muse. "She s been there all my life, but I ve rediscovered her again." The designer took her research quite seriously this season, poring over images, visiting Monroe s bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, even traveling to Jersey to glimpse a private collection of Monroe s dresses. "She s still so relevant," said Packham. "What she wore doesn t date."
While Monroe s influence could certainly be felt, there were no white halter necks in the lineup. Instead, Packham designed mid-calf wiggle dresses in fuchsia and azure blue, the latter topped with a chocolate brown bed jacket. Packham deals primarily in gowns, and this season s were often cut close to the body, like a red bugle-beaded strapless number or a pink column with a sweetheart neckline, beaded with palms meant to mimic the Beverly Hills Hotel s famous wallpaper.
The palms showed up again on a print that more directly referenced the wallpaper. Packham used it to cover a ball gown, and it looked a little too busy. On the other hand, a long-sleeve boatneck gown in gold lamé offered just enough shimmer. It felt very Marilyn.
