The Badgley Mischka woman wants what she wants! Some people may be struggling to fill their post-pandemic social calendar, but the brand’s clients have never been more interested in after-hours. Sales of their ball gowns, sequined suits, and evening attire have been at an all-time high, and their customers continue to ask for more options, especially for going out. With that in mind, Mark Badgley and James Mischka aimed to grant their wish with a fall collection centered on formal attire. After a pre-fall collection steeped in West Coast nostalgia, they switched gears to focus on pieces fit for 2022’s glitterati. Granted, you don’t have to be one of the beautiful people to experience their clothes, but it would take effort to feel ordinary in one of the season’s gleefully over-the-top gowns.
Fittingly the first sparks of inspiration came from Cecil Beaton, whose refined portraits of socialites and royals helped define an era of nightlife. Thinking back to their years as Parsons students, the designers found themselves revisiting English-American couturier Charles James, whose rigorously crafted eveningwear often featured within Beaton’s imagery. “There was this one photograph of James’s ball gowns in this fantastic drawing-room,” says Mischka of the 1948 photograph of models like Dorry Adkins, Carmen Dell’Orefice, and Dorian Leigh taken in the salon of French & Company. “People want to be out again, and that picture just captures that,” he said. “We wanted to make a grand gesture this season with gowns that are lavish and impactful.”
Lavish is an understatement. These were big-ticket looks, the kind that are too fabulous for your average cocktail gathering. If you had to leave the house while the sun was up, there were cloche hats, shearling coats, and some pretty day dresses, but the real fun was reserved for after dark. While softer looks like an empire-waisted tulle gown decorated with silk rosettes were present, many pieces channeled James through highly structured design. Extreme silhouettes look great in photos, but they can be challenging to wear. Updating the concept meant using high-tech materials. “We worked with many vintage-looking fabrics, but they’re all shot through with modern technology like stretch fibers,” says Mischka. “Our customer wants to look glamorous and feel comfortable; she’s not going to suffer for a look.”
The vibe may have been outré, but embellishment was minimal. “We’re obviously known for our embroidery and beading, but we pulled that in a little bit,” says Badgley. “This was more about dressmaking, tailoring, and fabric manipulation.” As a result, dresses took on a sculptural quality, their bows and twists forming curves that hugged the body in inventive ways. Sleeves were adorned with outsized ruffles or layers of bows, while bodices received ruched details that swirled around the bust like a fan. Hints of sparkle were there—most notably on a series of airy gowns that used multiple textures in a single color—but the materials that received the most attention were matte and malleable, capable of being transformed into rigorous silhouettes worthy of the James stamp of approval.
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