Maria Grachvogel's Movie Star Glamour
Written by: Karl Treacy
Photos by: Gruber-FWD
PARIS, Oct 13, 2002/ FWD/ --- Perrier Jouet champagne flowed freely, a pianist was tickling
the ivories, and model Jodie Kidd lounged on a sensual velvet divan.
British designer Maria Grachvogel, showing Thursday in Paris for the first time, lined up all
the elements for a great advertisement for a box of chocolates.
Yet, unlike with Forrest Gump, here you knew exactly what you were going to get.
Grachvogel's stock in trade is movie star glamour.
For Spring 2003 she tried to ham it up with B-movie voice-overs and square purses printed with
the covers of pulp fiction novels like "The Forbidden Past."
Yet she never pushed what could have been a fun and saucy theme past the presentation or the
limited number of accessories.
An enthusiasm for fabrics woven with lurex aside, the designer wrapped satin ribbons around
romantic white blouses or a black jersey dress with chiffon panels that ruched into the ribbon.
There is no doubt that Grachvogel can do easy, commercial pieces -- an affordable range she
designs for the British chain Debenhams is testimony to that.
Here she showed something as simple as a black fine knit sweater with an asymmetric neckline
over a swishing little black jersey skirt or silk crepe palazzo pants.
Tango dresses with big organza curlicues spilling around the top or down the leg, however,
were unnecessarily fussy.
Her stabs at dramatic, draped 1930s satin gowns were good, but lacked the finesse that
experience and incisive cutting brings to take them beyond the level of expensive debutante
dresses.
Grachvogel has a good product and a sexy, elegant and sellable look.
But if playing on a world stage and relying mainly on eveningwear is one's business plan,
then it pays to have a diversity of style broader than this one.
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