Badgley Mischka Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear Collection

Over the summer, Mark Badgley and James Mischka developed a cinematic crush on the 1935 film version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Enchanted by the film’s “haunting beauty,” as one of the designers put it a few days before their show, they set out to achieve the same effect with their collection. A sylvan backdrop set the mood, and the clothes, which, as in seasons past included a mix of items from Badgley Mischka and Mark and James, were frothy and romantic. Fluttering tulle sleeves looked fitting for a fairy queen (they were, perhaps, a touch large for a mortal), and Lurex-treated tweed on a full, knee-length skirt had an effervescent shine. In another setting, a pair of skinny tweed pants fixed with a hologram effect would have seemed downright clubby; the strapless organza bustier they were worn with—it looked like a giant rose—made for rarefied company. A pair of heather jersey sweatpants studded with sequins did little to deflate the mood. With a surfeit of novelty fabrics—brocades, matelassé, lace, and bouclé—making up the majority of the looks, this was not a collection geared toward, say, a performing troupe of mechanics. Which is to say, the label’s usual demographic will have plenty to choose from.