A short walk to the red carpet

The story has the shimmer of a fairy tale. Two years ago Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig were sitting on their haunches in Chapman’s London flat

The story has the shimmer of a fairy tale. Two years ago Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig were sitting on their haunches in Chapman’s London flat, pinning hems and poring over sketches for Marchesa, their fledgling fashion line.

Within a year, and with no fashion credentials to boast of, Chapman and Craig had decamped for Hollywood, where they were stunned, they say, to see their extravagantly sparkly evening dresses enhancing the contours of Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Felicity Huffman, Anne Hathaway and Penelope Cruz. At the Golden Globes last month, Jennifer Lopez and Sienna Miller paraded the designers’ effusively draped and decorated gowns.

That sterling track record has the fashion world swooning, and sniping, by turns. “Right now there is a buzz around those girls,” said Sally Singer, the fashion features director of Vogue. “Because their collection is popping up on all the right people, it has become part of a club. People want to wear them.”

Story continues below this ad

But others in the fashion industry offer a simpler explanation for Marchesa’s red carpet blitz: Chapman is dating the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who produced films in which some of the actresses wearing Marchesa have starred, or may employ in the future. Whatever the explanation, it seems likely that another stellar roster of nominees and presenters at the Oscars on Sunday will appear in Marchesa.

The duo named their company Marchesa after the Marchesa Luisa Casati, a belle epoque aristocrat renowned for her flamboyant tastes. “These are fantasy clothes,” Chapman said of the more fanciful designs displayed in the showroom. “What we make for our clients in Hollywood is actually much more conservative.”

Edward Chapman, Chapman’s brother and the company’s chief executive, reported that the company generated a wholesale volume of $3.5 million last year. The couture collection, along with Notte, a less elaborately constructed secondary line, is expected to double its sales this year, Chapman pointed out.

Clients pay $3,000 to $10,000 for their dresses, engineered to flatter because they are built on a scaffolding of multiple bones and elasticised panels.

After $102 million heist, Louvre moves crown jewels to Bank of France vault

World11 hr ago

The Louvre has moved valuable treasures to the Bank of France after a daring heist exposed security flaws. The transfer of select pieces, including France's crown jewels, was under heavy police escort. The heist, in which priceless items were stolen and damaged, has sparked national outrage and embarrassment for the government.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS