Oscars, Golden Globes, Baftas, MTV Awards- there's barely a red carpet that doesn't have the Marchesa name stamped on it somewhere. This British label is loved by Sienna Miller, Jennifer Lopez and Lindsay Lohan yet hated by fashion critics. Female First look at the short history of Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's label and how they've managed to divide the celebrity and fashion worlds.
Back in 2005 Georgina and Keren were just two wannabe designers slaving over sketch books and material samples in a London flat but fast forward just 3 years and every celebrity worth her place in Hollywood is sporting the latest Marchesa creations.
Their notoriously sparkly evening dresses have been worn by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Felicity Huffman, Anne Hathaway and Penélope Cruz yet The Times has never reviewed their runway shows- why? There's only one reason and that's Harvey Weinstein.
Georgina is married to the millionaire movie mogul and many believe it's his connections and influence that have boosted the popularity of Marchesa in such a short space of time- and that's not gone down too well with the old skool fashion experts who believe in earning your stripes over years of hard graft.
It's not as if the Marchesa girls have just come off the street and into the fashion game. They met at Chelsea College of Art and Design. Keren graduated from Brighton Art College in 2000 and specialised in print and embroidery while Georgina was a 2001 graduate of Wimbledon School of Art and originally began a career in costume design before starting up the label.
Despite their fashion and design background many still believe that it's no coincidence that actresses who have worked with or who are about to work with Weinstein suddenly appear at the Oscars in a Marchesa dress. But have Sienna, Penelope and Scarlett not got their own minds? Surely a Hollywood red carpet pro can spot a well designed dress from an amateur rip off?
Keren Craig says they never know in advance whether a celeb has picked their designs: “We won’t know any more than you do who will wear our clothes until we actually see them on television on the red carpet,â€she said to the New York Times last year, “We’re biting our nails, just waiting and hoping.â€
Past red carpet successes include Sienna Miller's gorgeous white grecian gown from last year's Golden Globes, Jennifer Lopez's floaty chiffon dress from the Oscars in 2007 and most recently Anne Hathaway's beautiful red one shoulder ruffle number from this year's Oscars.
All the dresses that Marchesa have sent down the red carpet have been just as good- if not more fabulous- than those by other designers so why shouldn't they have their time in the spotlight. The floaty, elegant and feminine style of Marchesa designs capture the trends of the moment perfectly and they always feature in the 'Best Dressed' lists.
Yes there are St Martin's graduates out there who are struggling to make a name for themselves but in every industry there are the big successes and those who get there faster than others. Marchesa just got their lucky break sooner than most- is that such a crime?
If it really is the Weinstein connection that is encouraging stars to wear Marchesa at the biggest award ceremonies then that only tells us one thing- that our favourite red carpet idols are far too easily persuaded to abandon good style in favour of greed and money. But as long as they carry on looking fabulous – who really cares!
Caz Moss- Female First
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