Whether we’re talking about the floor sweeping gowns or the A-list packed front rows, Marchesa always knows how to put on a show with a capital S.

As for the front row, it was slightly less sparkly. No Kimye this time. Though Miley Cyrus is no B-lister.

The clothes, however, were as dramatic and romantic as ever.

Designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig were inspired by eighteenth-century romanticism, particularly a painting by Francisco de Goya titled Portrait of Maria Teresa de Vallabriga on Horseback. The eveningwear–gowns in red, grey and black, often with gold or floral embroidery–did indeed look as if they’d stepped out of an eighteenth-century oil painting, and would have looked right at home at the ornate costume balls of that era.

Of course, they’ll also look very at home on the red carpet–where we’ll no doubt be seeing them as awards season continues to heat up. The more ornate, ethereal gowns–ones with intricate gold embroidery and delicate tiers of sheer fabric–were some of my favorites. The clear highlight of the show was a gorgeous fuchsia strapless gown, which floated down the runway like an enormous flower.

One of the biggest surprises on the runway was something rather mundane: This season designers Chapman and Craig included trouser looks in their collection. Of cousre, these were pants done the Marchesa way: Silky, embellished and glamorous. It wasn’t daywear, but it was a notch below their usual formalwear. Perhaps the brand’s new contemporary line has given the designers a taste for the more versatile.

Photos: IMAXtree