Marissa Webb, the designer who most notably took over the creative director position at Banana Republic last year, presented her Fall 2015 RTW collection yesterday. Showing at New York Fashion Week, Webb’s runway was filled with tomboy aesthetics and the same edgy twists on basics that her followers have come to expect. The front row was filled with models and bloggers—big names like Coco Rocha, Louise Roe, Aimee Song, Wendy Nguyen and Natalie Suarez were in attendance. For inspiration Webb named only Bianca Jagger, seemingly designing the entire collection after the men’s suits that the icon was so well known for in the ‘70s.
Keeping in line with her now-iconic tomboy aesthetics, Webb stayed firmly entrenched in a silhouette of men’s tailoring and neutral shades that would seem rather bland were it not for her unique alterations. A nip here, a drape there, and a practiced balance between form and flow allowed her to manipulate a men’s suit into a fashion-forward collection. But not every piece was a success. Highlights of the collection included blazer-cut dresses and jumpsuits, but some of her asymmetrical, layered designs were overreaching at best.
She stuck to familiar colorways and dabbled in rich reds and feminine pinks for only a moment, as if to break up the monotony of the runway. Fabrics ranged from heavy, immovable wool to delicate chiffons that floated around the models ankles. Suits were structured and paired with delicately layered dresses, or refocused into streamlined, but comfortable silhouettes. It was, in this way, a successful exercise in juxtaposition.
