MIDTOWN — Harmonious, well-appointed and timeless describe the pre-fall 2013 presentation of the luxury women’s wear label Marusya, designed by Moscow-born designer Mariana Ilchenko.
Street Chic was a recent guest at the Shoreham Hotel to view the designer's 10-look evening wear collection, with 1920s glamour taking center stage in Ilchenko's fashions.
That era's styles were echoed in the designer's diaphanous, sleeveless, tunic-like styles in floor and knee-grazing lengths. The looks were fashioned in silk organza and silk chiffon, and styled by PJ Pascual with Swarovski crystal embellished belts and headbands. The textures and delicate pleated details of the dress fabrications were all adorned with Ilchenko’s luxury fur collection — including bleached sable, lynx, white mink, natural ermine, chinchilla and goat hair — all presented in jackets, capes and vests.
Ilchenko’s color sensibility was clearly articulated in warm, radiant and flattering palates, from chocolate brown and cream to truffle and Bordeaux. We also took note of the use of black and white — a strong color pairing seen in the Spring 2013 collections in Paris and New York — as well as peach pastel tones, a noteworthy statement for fall 2013.
For Street Chic, the most pointed looks in the collection adhered the genius of Ilchenko’s design aesthetic — the Silver Age of Russia during the early 20th century. She has noted the profound influence of great art, literature and creative ecstasy from that period. This romantic nostalgia was most evident in a bleached sable fur vest with silk organza and hand-embroidered Swarovski crystals worn with a chocolate silk chiffon gown.
The strong shoulder line and distinctive armscye were very modern and exhibited the savvy of a younger approach to exceedingly high-end textiles. We were quite taken with the blush pink chinchilla vest with hand-embroidered Swarovski crystals and pearls, paired with a floor-length cream silk gown, as well as a striped sable vest embroidered with Swarovski crystals and paired with a blush pink silk chiffon gown.
The details in the Marusya collection also worth noting included alligator trim, silk crape linings, crocodile headbands and organza panels added to the very finished looks. Street Chic was also very impressed with the jewelry designed by Ranjana Khan, including lucite, gold, crystals and bold stones.
