Designers and musicians Mark Tango and Estel Day came together in 2005, forming the music-fashion collective known as MARK AND ESTEL.
Soon after, they began creating collection after collection, effectively pairing high fashion with street materials and rocker glam, leading to garments that have been worn by the Olsen Twins, Lady Gaga, and Kendall Jenner, among dozens of others. Now, nearly ten years since its inception, MARK AND ESTEL has maintained an aesthetic that looks as fresh as it did at the very beginning.
The latest summer/spring 2015 collection, named “The Malibu Anthem”, was inspired by the subtle simplicity and sophistication of Mark and Estel’s hometown of Malibu, California and shares its name with a new song by the duo. If it’s not “southern California” in color scheme, it’s definitely “southern California” in attitude and shadow.
Black, white and gray found their way on nearly every piece. The only hints of color in the entire collection include a green accent found in two or three pieces, occasional red nail polish, and gold accessories throughout.
Balancing the inherent weightiness of such a dark, monochromatic scheme, thin sheets of apparently unaltered fabric trail behind models in a carefree movement. By layering the blackest blacks with the most brilliant whites, styles often appear incredibly light and airy. Material used cannot be ignored; MARK AND ESTEL proudly touted the fact that the entire collection is, in its many iterations, totally cotton.
MARK AND ESTEL ignored the industry-wide trend of flats on the runway by opting for a mix of leather riding boots, zippered, open-toed ankle booties and unadorned, thin-strapped heels. Long sleeves of blazers, dresses and shirts extend to the tips of fingers. Of course, it wouldn’t be ‘rocker’ (thus MARK AND ESTEL) without a pinstripe leisure suit and a fair share of denim, in which this collection hits the mark perfectly. A few looks incorporated hats of varying sizes, including one particularly witchy one, with its wide-brim and long tattered scarf coming off one side. The scarf would be seen again, this time accenting a pair of contrasting frocks.
The show ended as it always does, with a high energy Mark and Estel running out, showing big smiles, singing and dancing on the runway, with the models trotting by them in the final walk.
Backstage, I had the opportunity to speak with Cinnamon Bowser, who assisted with the nails, Yin Lee, head of makeup, and Niki Walker-Kennedy, lead hairstylist since 2005. With the hair, according to Niki, it was important to emphasize the relaxed, rocker look that MARK AND ESTEL is so known for. She achieved this by utilizing mid-length cuts, heightened texture and immense volume.
Yin Lee, doing her first show with MARK AND ESTEL, lead a team of graduates from the Academy of Freelance Makeup artists who applied a beige smoky eye, a specially blended lipstick of three colors, and neutral face makeup all in an effort to display carefree elegance, as a nod to MARK AND ESTEL’s beachside origins. The nail polishes for the show included a soft, warm black tone (called “Willa”) and a deep red, both of which came from Zoya’s collection developed just for MARK AND ESTEL. Available Spring, 2015.
-Benjamin Schmidt
