Clockwise from top left: Dorian Leigh wearing Balenciaga for Vogue, 1950, photograph by Irving Penn; Tory Burch Fall/Winter 2017 backstage hair; Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Gems and Minerals, photograph by Amy Stone; Southern Living showhouse room designed by Becky Boyle Interiors; C. Jansen Van Ceuleu’s portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria
Though the overaching inspiration for the Fall/Winter 2019 collection was the historic Black Mountain College, it’s impossible to ignore the multitude of external references that could have influenced each look. Take runway look #42, for example. The dramatic sleeves of our Gathered Taffeta-Sleeve dress nod to early 17th century silhouettes — as seen in this portait of Queen Henrietta Maria of France — as well as Cristóbal Balenciaga’s iconic work form the 1950s. The velvet ribbons tie back to our Fall/Winter 2017 collection, where they could be found fastened in model’s hair. The mismatched earrings, meanwhile, remind us of the impressive gem collection at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan’s Upper West Side…