As winter crept its way closer this year, Mark Badgley and James Mischka were dreaming of a tropical getaway—and it turns out, many of their friends were, too. “A lot of our friends have moved to Mexico lately, and we got inspired by the fantasy of living in Mexico,” Mischka said. The mood sparked a re-watch of one of their favorite films, The Night of the Iguana, a 1946 thriller starring Ava Gardner and Richard Burton that’s set in the country. It ended up serving as inspiration for their pre-new fall collection. “Her style in the movie is very 1950s-1960s rustic modernism,” said Mischka. “It inspired a lot of the colors in our collection—like the avocados, sands, cocoas, and blues,” Badgley added.
It’s no secret that the label is known for its glitzy eveningwear, so to add a sense of newness to the mix—and to pay tribute to Mexico—Badgley and Mischka created more casual daytime silhouettes. “The clothes had to be versatile, and take her a lot of places,” said Badgley. “There was a lot of texture and dimension added to the dresses.” Their day dresses were wrap-tied at the waist with big cargo pockets, or designed in breezy off-the-shoulder floral prints. The most restrained styles, surprisingly, shined the most—like a simple coral sheath dress with a draped cape-like neckline (a simple, but chic, touch).
That said, their evening pieces were the true stars here, as is often the case for the pair. The formal gowns were designed in luxe laces, feathers, and georgettes, and there was a sense of lightness and airiness to the looks. A chocolate brown, one-shouldered lace frock had layers of feathers along the bust—it’s a dress that would make Ava Gardner proud. The strapless blue satin gown with mounds of ruffles, though, could have done with fewer flounces. Still, as fanciful as they went, you could see a clear attempt at adding more ease to the silhouettes. “These dresses could take her from the boardroom to lunch to dinner,” said Badley. Dresses that do it all.
