First published 2015
Mark Badgley stands in his design studio, sketching another evening gown while his business partner James Mischka selects crystal beads from their latest shipment from India. The two men met as students at Parsons School of Design in New York, then worked separately at major fashion houses before launching Badgley Mischka in 1988. Mark watches as seamstresses attach thousands of pearls to silk, knowing each dress must capture the glamour of 1940s Hollywood while fitting perfectly on modern red carpets. When Winona Ryder chooses their crystal and pearl creation for the 1996 Academy Awards, the designers realize they have found their calling as the new arbiters of old Hollywood elegance. James believes their success comes from understanding that glamour always works, while Mark focuses on perfecting the silhouettes that made Christian Dior and Adrian legendary. Together they create skinny beaded dresses, fishtail gowns, and cocktail dresses that transform actresses into stars, building a fashion house that honors the masters of a golden era.
Genres: art, 20th-century, business, biography-memoir, fashion-designers, 21st-century, fashion, fashion-design
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, rags-to-riches
Setting: India, New York, Parsons School of Design
Period: 1940s, 1988, 1996
240 pages · Hardcover · Rizzoli