CAN MARCHESA SURVIVE HURRICANE HARVEY?
AS THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN scandal broke earlier this month, Georgina Chapman, his now estranged wife, was presenting the autumn/winter 2018 bridal collection for her label, Marchesa, in New York. Frothy confections of lace and tulle, ruffles and bows, the gowns epitomised the fairy tale that is Marchesa’s currency. Now, however, the Marchesa fantasy has been tarnished by scandal. So, what’s next for the label? Can it survive in the wake of hurricane Harvey?
Part of the problem facing Marchesa (named after eccentric socialite Marchesa Luisa Casati) is that, for many, it’s inextricably associated with the disgraced producer. Chapman founded the label with her Chelsea College of Art and Design classmate Keren Craig in 2004 (the same year Chapman met Weinstein), and Marchesa rose rapidly to A-list prominence as their relationship flourished (they married in 2007).
The red carpet is, of course, the natural habitat of Marchesa’s spotlight-stealing gowns. The label made its red-carpet debut when Renée Zellweger wore a bandeau sari dress to the Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason premiere that same year (a film produced by a Weinstein company, Miramax) and went on to be worn by numerous other stars. There have been reports that Weinstein pressured some actresses to wear Marchesa, but it is important to note that the business of red-carpet dressing is a political game across the board. ‘ There’s always bartering and blackmailing in celeb dressing,’ one A-lister’s assistant told us.
Undeniably the Weinstein connection helped raise Marchesa’s profile, but plenty of people have launched pet projects built on nepotism alone – only to see them crash and burn. You need the skill and talent, as well as press and publicity, for a brand to thrive in the cut-throat world of fashion.
Fairly or unfairly, in the initial fallout of the Weinstein scandal Marchesa’s lustre has been dimmed (Helzberg Diamonds distanced themselves from the brand, dropping a planned collection of Marchesa engagement rings). But fashion has proved itself forgiving. ‘A scandal could completely destroy a brand but in some cases it could, paradoxically, boost it,’ says Sara Maggioni of forecasting agency WGSN, citing Kate Moss and John Galliano as people who went from strength to strength following public scandals. ‘ The most important thing is to condemn [ Weinstein’s] actions, which Georgina Chapman has already done,’ she adds. And ultimately, money talks. Caroline Burstein, managing director of Browns Brides, has stocked Marchesa bridal since it launched in 2011 and says the brand continues to flourish for the store. ‘Our Marchesa dresses sell well, not just because of the celebrity association. The dresses are beautiful, modern, extremely well made with tremendous attention to detail and fit,’ she says. ‘ We intend to continue to sell their wedding dresses. They’re designed by Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, and not Harvey Weinstein.’ That is, of course, the vital point. Marchesa is Chapman’s brand – it’s patronising to assume that he is the making of it.