“At the end of the day, Laura and I are masculine and feminine in many different types of ways, and everything we do in life, we have that duality in our heads. Now that we have just one place to dump all of our crazy, insane ideas, this is the result of it,” Fernando Garcia said of his and Laura Kim’s resort collection for Monse — their first full lineup since they returned full-time to the label they founded after giving up their duties at Oscar de la Renta.
Aside from the Monse-isms they’ve developed over the years, Kim added that their collection inspirations often stem from their daily lives. For resort, this came in the form of lemon blossoms — a nod to Kim’s morning ritual of her favorite lemon water.
“It’s really fun to always sort of home in on either a flower or a motif, and then make the collection, pun intended, blossom,” Garcia said of the flower, which he hand-painted into an original artwork that was translated onto pretty printed day dresses and girly separates, and turned into exaggerated, alluring 3D floral appliqués that adorned looks from day to night.
You May Also Like
Although the brand has always showcased moments of occasionwear, for fall the duo started peppering in striking eveningwear that stemmed from their years at de la Renta. They pushed it even further for resort, working in their overall collection’s layering and a “level of undress and sexiness,” Garcia said. This came through new styles that melded his embroidery techniques with slightly riskier silhouettes, like an asymmetric black lace gown with thigh slit up to there or a draped and twisted strapless leather number.
Peeks of skin continued via asymmetric hems on shimmering frocks with crystal windowpane embroidery or feather-inspired paillettes, which nicely contrasted the movement and fluidity of the collection’s ultra-long, sweeping silk fringe on a statement beige coat. But the idea wasn’t just for nights on the town, as seen in a striped knit top, slashed diagonally from the waist to wear open, or tied at the hip.
For those looking to be a bit more covered up, Garcia and Kim built upon their signature layering with double-collared pullovers; corseted suiting, in a striking deep plum color, and dual-layered button-front denim skirts that matched the collection’s edgy bustiers, crafted out of layered jean waistbands.
Welcome to Monse 2.0, where Garcia and Kim’s story of beauty and edge will continue in September with their next runway show.