If there’s one item you don’t expect to find in the Marina Moscone collection, it’s shorts. The designer reliably delivered crisp Basque tailoring in sumptuous heavy wool and crisp shirting, but the raw-edged shorts were a departure from her artistic and voluminous-coverage aesthetic. However, they feature prominently in fall 2023 lookbooks; no pants to be found. “I feel this liberating, riskier urge,” Moscone said. “That MM woman, she also has other ways of dressing. This sexier, sexier influence comes from a little bit.” Sheer panels, plunging necklines or simplified hems. Black, gray and white dominate the palette, but flashes of hibiscus, fuchsia and bubblegum make their presence known. Bra tops and mini dresses are edgier than Moscone’s previous offerings. “She doesn’t wear shirts and pants every day,” Moscone said of her customers. “In that spirit and sensibility, she has other ways of dressing.”
The coolest part of the Moscone collection, though, is the production. Seriously, it was convincing to hear the designer discuss the tension between the silk georgette that made the sheer panels and the heavier opaque fabric in between, and the process of making the pattern in-house. The standout piece for fall was an ivory dress covered in thread embroidery that looked like a giant loofah. “Each thread is embroidered one by one,” says Moscone. You can buy little shorts just about anywhere, but good luck.
