Keren Craig - Fashionista

Keren Craig

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Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig Walk Us Through New Contemporary Line Marchesa Voyage

Last night, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig enjoyed the perfect summer evening for a rooftop celebration to launch their Marchesa contemporary off-shoot: Marchesa Voyage. Suitably fancy guests mingled and sipped “light” fruity cocktails atop the swanky Gramercy Park Hotel while browsing displays of the new collection, which officially hits stores on September 1. We chatted with the designers about the new collection, pleaded with them for hints about their upcoming spring show (it half-worked), and pressed them for their thoughts on diversity on the runway.

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Marchesa Fall 2013: Out of a Painting and Onto the Runway

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.

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Marchesa Contemporary Line Confirmed for Next Year, More to Come

The rumors were true-- Georgina Chapman and Keren Kraig have inked a deal with LF USA to bring Marchesa to a lower contemporary price point. The new line, which doesn't have a name yet, will be priced from $150 to $750 and feature "many of the brand’s hallmarks — including embroidery and prints," according to WWD. Chapman describes the line as "under the Marchesa umbrella, but with a slightly different feel." It will be a first foray into daywear for the designer, who's become known for celebrity-beloved, decadent eveningwear at a luxury price point. We envision versatile silk blouses, embroidered or beaded jackets and printed trousers. So, when will we get to see what daytime Marchesa looks like?

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Marchesa Said To Be Launching Contemporary Line

Marchesa may soon fall somewhere within a normal person's range of affordability. The high-end label, which doesn't offer a lot of options for those times when you're not walking a red carpet or down the aisle, may soon have a contemporary offshoot. WWD says that LF USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Li & Fung (and the same company currently reviving contemporary label Vena Cava), is "said to be in talks with Marchesa about the launch of a new contemporary line" and "an announcement could be imminent." It's not surprising; it was only a matter of time before Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's high-end label expanded to new markets beyond the red carpet.

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Attention U.S. Designers: Apply For the 2011 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize!

Each year, the Dorchester Collection--owner of such well-known hotels as London's the Dorchester, the New York Palace (former residency of Chuck Bass) and the Beverley Hills Hotel--awards an endowment to an up and coming designers of ready-to-wear or luxury clothing and/or accessories. Called the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, any U.S. based designer who has consistently operated their brand for two years may apply. (Last year the prize went to British designer Thomas Tait.) The winner will receive $40,000 to help further establish their line and also have the chance to display their collection during Paris Fashion Week in 2012 at Hôtel Plaza Athénée.

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Who Will Replace John Galliano at Dior? A List of Possibles

Replacing the fired John Galliano at Dior is arguably the biggest decision Bernard Arnault will ever make. (Mostly because there was less riding on the position when he first hired Galliano in the Nineties.) Since Galliano's reign at the storied Paris fashion house was a time of major financial growth, Arnault needs to choose someone who can continue on that commercial path without compromising design. It's a tough one, mostly because many of the designers proven capable of this are already stationed in plum creative director roles. Will Arnault look outside LVMH to replace Galliano, or will he make some swaps within the empire? We've crafted some educated guesses.

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I Died at Marchesa. Literally.

On Wednesday afternoon on a quiet Chelsea block, a bunch of people who don't wait in line waited in line. As they inwardly pondered life's biggest question, "am I important enough to cut to the front?," (Elle's Robbie Myers had her answer: yes) they outwardly declared war on waiting. Finally, editors, buyers, and stylists found neutral territory on one topic: standing outside Marchesa's presentation on a sun-soaked early fall day was, indeed, the apocalypse. To their credit, it was actually a very long line--thirty minutes, which can create some very annoying problems for those on tight show schedules. But those who exhausted their emotional reserves complaining might’ve regretted it soon after. Immediately upon entrance, onlookers were confronted by a gown whose diameter measured no less than 12 feet, and which drew audible gasps from a very crowded crowd. From then on, Marchesa's spring collection was a true tour de force, a voyage through the Orient that at times seemed to require as much energy to absorb as a real expedition does to travel.

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Bag Ladies

Rachel Zoe is probably dying a little over the news that Marchesa is launching bags at their presentation at the Chelsea Art Museum on September 16th.