Naomi Biden Neal wore a custom Markarian design at her own wedding reception. Closer to home, the designer moved into a new skylight studio downtown and staged a full-on runway show for spring. Fortunately, it’s ready by fall. “I basically started the collection with Fellini and a nod to La Dolce Vita,” explains O’Neill. The designer paid homage to Anita Ekberg’s sexy black Trevi Fountain outfit, with its curvaceous off-the-shoulder columns picked out in rhinestones and a small ruffle at the chest, but overall the collection conveyed an early party vibe.
O’Neill’s familiar twisted blooms make an appearance, along with some blister lamé fabric and a decorative flower pattern, which in some looks Pattern is over beaded. Black and white gingham separates are more casual, with a more vintage Italian Riviera feel. Outlier is a single psychedelic work, albeit a marvel of craft. Like several other dresses in the collection, this one has a length that O’Neill calls a “super mini.” These shorter styles, unlike those with inner corsets, fit like a glove, but in both cases the feeling of being supported is somehow reassuring rather than oppressive.
Speaking of the particular look, O’Neal said, “It’s not one of those pieces where you have to really fret, although it can look a little fussy.” The point is, like the Markarian dress, it’s super Feminine, it might as well be an easy, one-and-done outfit suggestion.
